Bird-shaped airport finally takes flight

Designed to blur the boundary between architecture and nature, Lishui Airport has opened in China's eastern Zhejiang Province.

The project started back in 2008 and was due for completion in 2024. Now Lishui Airport, which turns heads with its striking design, has finally opened its doors.

Located in China’s eastern Zhejiang Province, Lishui Airport makes a bold architectural statement. After years of delays, the airport has been inaugurated, reports GCR.

The 12,000-sq-m terminal is shaped like a giant white bird resting in the landscape.

A double-layered roof clad in silver-white aluminium evokes mist-covered mountains and birds in flight. Fourteen umbrella-shaped structural columns support the 14-metre-tall roof, while a spindle-shaped skylight floods the interior with natural light.

The airport has eight aircraft bays and can handle one million passengers and 4,000 tonnes of cargo per year. It will initially serve domestic routes. But is designed to expand with a future international terminal, potentially pushing annual capacity to five million passengers by 2050.