Rolling waves inspired the undulating timber roof of this airport on the island of Cebu, designed by Integrated Design Associates as a "symbolic gateway to the Philippines".

The design of Terminal 2 at Mactan Cebu International Airport was led by Hong Kong studio Integrated Design Associates, with support from local firm Budji Royal and industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue.
Located in Lapu-Lapu City in the island's main urban centre of Metro Cebu, the terminal building is intended to handle up to 12.5 million travellers annually, including tourists visiting the Visayan islands and the Philippines' other resort destinations.

"A first impression for visitors from around the world, Terminal 2 was conceived as both a literal and symbolic gateway to the Philippines – a perfect synthesis and expression of its traditions, geography, and culture," explained the project team. Contextual references abound throughout the design, which features a striking external form comprised of several arches topped with an undulating metal roof that is intended to recall the shimmering surface of the surrounding ocean.

The large arches that each span around 30 metres are made from glue-laminated timber and are joined by thousands of smaller wooden ribs to form a skeletal structure.
This framework reduces the number of columns required and creates a largely open internal volume, which is filled with natural daylight by glazed sections at either end and b...