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The new Harbin International Airport is based on the idea that transportation infrastructure can be much more than just a transportation hub. It can become the city’s premier public space—a place where identity, landscape, and mobility converge, shaping the experience of both those arriving and those departing.
Inspired by the winter landscape for which Harbin is known worldwide, the project interprets ice not as a decorative element, but as the generative principle of the space. A large water plaza, which naturally transforms into an ice plaza in winter, organizes the airport complex and becomes the new civic heart of the entire master plan.
Key data
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Key data
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Status
Infrastructure that shapes identity
The airport is not conceived as an isolated system, but as an integral part of Harbin’s urban and regional development. Through the design of public spaces, landscaping, and transportation links, the master plan reinforces the airport’s role as the city’s new gateway and as a defining element of its contemporary identity.
A square for the city
At the heart of the project lies a large covered public plaza, around which terminals, boulevards, greenhouses, retail spaces, and services are arranged. The airport space thus becomes an open, vibrant place where the paths of travelers and those of the city coexist while maintaining distinct functions and security levels.
The landscape as the inspiration for the project
Water and ice serve as the organizing principle of the entire project. In the summer, the square reflects the sky and the architecture; in the winter, it transforms into a natural extension of Harbin’s glacial landscape. The city’s climatic identity thus becomes an integral part of the architectural and urban experience.
A recognizable and flexible system
The terminals are arranged around the square as three large architectural elements, creating a unified and recognizable image from the very first phase of development. The master plan evolves progressively without sacrificing urban quality or compositional coherence, ensuring that each phase represents a complete and fully functional system.
A new urban hub
The project integrates air travel, high-speed rail, road transportation, lodging, retail, and services into a single regional infrastructure.
The airport thus becomes an urban hub capable of fostering new economic, social, and cultural connections, contributing to Harbin’s development far beyond its role as an airport.
