Developed as a national regional airport, Lishui Airport designed by Ma Yansong/MAD Architects covers 2,267 hectares, establishing a harmonious dialogue with the privileged natural environment that surrounds it. It has three boarding bridges, five remote gates and a terminal covering 12,000 square meters of surface area.
To adapt to the steep terrain of the area, the airport had to level almost 100 meters above ground level, integrating the terminal, parking and office areas into the terrain in the form of descending terraces. This design strategy respects the contours of the terrain and guarantees the functionality of the whole.
“Lishui is a garden city, and its airport should also be in a garden. As a feeder airport, Lishui Airport shows a different attitude as a public transport facility in the city: it does not covet big, but seeks convenience and humanity, and seeks a dialogue with the natural environment.”
Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects.
The silver-white aluminum paneled roof over the terminal is supported by 14 umbrella-shaped columns, reflecting the lightness of the complex through its fluid form. The 30-meter cantilever of the roof creates a welcoming lobby bathed in natural light from the central skylight.
Inside, wood tones and a human-scale interior greet passengers, balancing intimacy and openness through the play of heights found in the lobby that ensures a fluid flow of passengers, rising from 4.5 meters at its lowest point to 13 meters at its highest point.
The “one-and-a-half-story” design combines the arrival and departure areas in a compact and efficient space, improving accessibility and connecting travelers to their surroundings through a landscaped walkway that extends from the parking area to the terminal.
