Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3
[edit] Overview
In November 2015, it was announced that architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) and Taiwan engineering firm CECI had won the competition to design a new Terminal 3 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek International, the airport is the largest in Taiwan and the eleventh busiest in the world. The new project will include; a terminal building, boarding gates, concourses, a multi-function building and transport infrastructure. Upon completion, the new terminal will be able to accommodate 45 million passengers a year.
The project builds on RSHP’s previous major airport experience, bringing together the flexibility of the single-span, loose-fit volume of Heathrow Terminal 5 with the flowing interior spaces of Barajas Terminal 4. It is inspired by Taiwan’s beautiful landscapes and seas, its rhythms of nature and life to create a series of unique interior places beneath an elegant hard shell roof.
The result is a unique and fluid architecture that allows for easy adaption without compromising the passenger experience or the architectural integrity. The dynamic interior celebrates the nature of the ever-changing spaces below; whether grand, intimate, uniform or dramatic.
The terminal building will be the first of a new generation, offering arriving passengers a similar spatial experience to those departing. Its rational plan arrangement is forecast to deliver minimum connection times of just 40 minutes, with simple way-finding and airside connectivity.
Ivan Harbour, Partner at RSHP said “Our proposal is focussed on a passenger’s experience with a deliberate strategy to absorb constant future change, whilst always retaining the integrity of its unique design. The terminal will be designed to meet the highest sustainability criteria; holistic engineering and architecture.
“We have created a rationally planned and easy to use airport that will be characterised by a flowing sequence of beautifully lit, acoustically comfortable and well-proportioned spaces. It will be an airport where the drama of the spatial experience is shared by all, at all times. The approach to the airport and the open spaces within it will have an urban quality akin to a city centre. Addressing these spaces there will be a variety of buildings that, together with the new and existing terminals, will form the heart of a new compact, vibrant ‘aero’ city.”
--RSHP
[edit] Related articles on Desinging Buildings Wiki
- Airports.
- CIBSE Case Study: Christchurch International Airport.
- Gatwick second runway.
- Heathrow Terminal 5.
- Hong Kong Boundary Crossing.
- London City Airport expansion.
- McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford.
- One Park Taipei.
- Madrid Barajas Airport.
- Procurement of Heathrow T5.
- Thames estuary hub airport.
Featured articles and news
Future Homes Standard Essentials launched
Future Homes Hub launches new campaign to help the homebuilding sector prepare for the implementation of new building standards.
Building Safety recap February, 2026
Our regular run-down of key building safety related events of the month.
Planning reform: draft NPPF and industry responses.
Last chance to comment on proposed changes to the NPPF.
A Regency palace of colour and sensation. Book review.
Delayed, derailed and devalued
How the UK’s planning crisis is undermining British manufacturing.
How much does it cost to build a house?
A brief run down of key considerations from a London based practice.
The need for a National construction careers campaign
Highlighted by CIOB to cut unemployment, reduce skills gap and deliver on housing and infrastructure ambitions.
AI-Driven automation; reducing time, enhancing compliance
Sustainability; not just compliance but rethinking design, material selection, and the supply chains to support them.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation In the Built Environment
New CIOB Technical Information Sheet by Colin Booth, Professor of Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Turning Enquiries into Profitable Construction Projects
Founder of Develop Coaching and author of Building Your Future; Greg Wilkes shares his insights.
IHBC Signpost: Poetry from concrete
Scotland’s fascinating historic concrete and brutalist architecture with the Engine Shed.
Demonstrating that apprenticeships work for business, people and Scotland’s economy.
Scottish parents prioritise construction and apprenticeships
CIOB data released for Scottish Apprenticeship Week shows construction as top potential career path.
From a Green to a White Paper and the proposal of a General Safety Requirement for construction products.
Creativity, conservation and craft at Barley Studio. Book review.
The challenge as PFI agreements come to an end
How construction deals with inherited assets built under long-term contracts.
Skills plan for engineering and building services
Comprehensive industry report highlights persistent skills challenges across the sector.
Choosing the right design team for a D&B Contract
An architect explains the nature and needs of working within this common procurement route.
Statement from the Interim Chief Construction Advisor
Thouria Istephan; Architect and inquiry panel member outlines ongoing work, priorities and next steps.