eVolo
Ninety-seven percent of Chinese airports will need to be rebuilt by 2020, according to a recent survey, causing huge implications for cost and land use issues, and the city of Beijing is currently planning the construction of a second airport.
ZhiYong Hong and XueTing Zhang, designers of the Air@Port, propose avoiding using precious land for new airports by constructing one 450 meters in the air. The airport sits atop the bases of dozens of thin towers that mushroom out at the top with wide platforms that all connect to support the runways and airport facilities on top. Being so high up will mean that there won’t be height restrictions on the buildings erected on the platform. Also, because wind speed is higher 450 meters in the air than it is at sea level, the length of the runway can be effectively reduced, saving space.
Ninety-seven percent of Chinese airports will need to be rebuilt by 2020, according to a recent survey, causing huge implications for cost and land use issues, and the city of Beijing is currently planning the construction of a second airport.
ZhiYong Hong and XueTing Zhang, designers of the Air@Port, propose avoiding using precious land for new airports by constructing one 450 meters in the air. The airport sits atop the bases of dozens of thin towers that mushroom out at the top with wide platforms that all connect to support the runways and airport facilities on top. Being so high up will mean that there won’t be height restrictions on the buildings erected on the platform. Also, because wind speed is higher 450 meters in the air than it is at sea level, the length of the runway can be effectively reduced, saving space.
Vertical air buses will transport visitors from the ground (or underground, if they are arriving via subway) up the stems of the tall structures. In addition to air transport facilities, this air city will also include a hotel and commercial, conference and office spaces; these areas are located in the towers beneath the airport.
