MAD Architects has unveiled the design of the new Lishui Airport in Zhejiang Province. The city of Lishui, known for its greenery and valleys, is located in southwest Zhejiang Province. The airport is designed as a regional airport catering to domestic flights, with an expected annual passenger capacity of 1 million.
Ma Yansong, the founder of MAD Architects, stated, “Lishui is a garden city, and her airport should also be in a garden. As a municipal airport, Lishui Airport embodies the essence of transportation facilities as a public space, prioritizing convenience, human scale, and city identity over sheer size and extravagance.”
The airport is located in hilly terrain 15 kilometers southwest of the city. The design aims to blend in with the surrounding mountainous landscape while ensuring accessibility. The airport has a land area of 2,267 hectares and a maximum fill height difference of almost 100 meters. It features a large silver-white overhanging roof inspired by a white-feathered bird that blends the airport into the mountains and makes it a spiritual landmark in the region.
The airport’s interior has a warm, wood-toned finish and a shuttle-shaped skylight that enhances energy efficiency and creates a seamless transition between interior and exterior spaces. The airport’s terminal layout is optimized for passenger flow, with departure facilities located on the ground floor and waiting areas on the second floor. A central landscape path in the sunken parking lot further enhances passenger connectivity.
The construction of the Lishui Airport is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
