CHINA. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, in partnership with SAMDecaux, has introduced a digital art installation in the Central Tunnel of Terminal 2, bringing Shanghai’s cultural heritage and contemporary urban character into the traveller experience.
The project comes as the airport’s passenger traffic approaches 50 million and supports its wider strategy of integrating cultural and humanistic experiences into terminal environments during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
Designated as one of the airport’s key projects, the installation uses exclusively non-commercial, public-interest content to bring the city’s cultural memory into a high-traffic passenger environment, creating a distinctive sense of place at the airport.
The concept consists of an entrance screen and a concourse screen, spanning a combined 141sq m of immersive LED display. It uses advanced Micro LED in Package (MiP) technology, an RGB full flip-chip common-cathode architecture and patented EBL 2.0 technology to deliver more than 99% black-and-white display consistency and uniform colour across the screen.
The result is a high-quality visual platform for presenting Shanghai’s cultural memory and contemporary urban life to travellers across the terminal.
The project brings Shanghai’s autumn scenery into the passenger journey through glasses-free 3D digital art, day-and-night visual transitions and an immersive sound system.
The design references Shanghai’s Shikumen architecture, with windows framing scenes from the city’s everyday life, from a cup of coffee to a painting and other glimpses of local culture.
The digital artwork depicts the Shikumen alleyways and plane tree-lined streets, with two magpies perched among the branches. The scene gradually transitions to reveal the city skyline.
An aircraft flying above the city skyline symbolises Shanghai’s international connections, echoing China International Import Expo’s (CIIE) message of ‘openness and connecting the world’.
The nighttime version features illuminated lanterns and music in the alleyways, alongside scenes of everyday social life, including people gathering and dancing along the Huangpu River. The imagery combines references to Shanghai’s musical heritage with its contemporary urban culture.
Offering a glimpse of a more relaxed side of Shanghai, the scene moves from the activity inside the Shikumen buildings to the streets beneath the plane trees, where a cat wanders through the shadows, pauses briefly and continues into the distance.
A cultural landmark in the terminal
Shanghai Hongqiao International highlights the growing role of airports in showcasing a city’s identity and cultural character.
Beyond their traditional role as travel hubs, airports are increasingly becoming platforms for cultural exchange and destination promotion, in line with China’s ‘Four Characteristics Airport’ initiative, which promotes safe, green, smart and humanistic development.
Shanghai Airport plans to continue exploring ways of integrating cultural elements into its architectural spaces, positioning its terminals as an extension of the city and a platform for presenting Shanghai to international travellers. ✈
