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The ambitious new Terminal 3 at Xi’an Airport will house 88 commercial units in 11,400sq m of space |
CHINA. Xi’an Xianyang International Airport has unveiled ambitious commercial plans for its new Terminal 3, which will feature 88 units across 11,400sq m of space.
The new facility is scheduled to open in March 2012. It will handle 22 million domestic passengers, with China Eastern and China Southern the leading carriers.
In 2009 UK-based The Design Solution was appointed to carry out the overall commercial planning for the facility. In 2010 this appointment was extended to include the detailed design of the main commercial areas.
According to The Design Solution and Fraport, which manages the airport (and owns a 24.5% share in the business), “Xi’an will set new standards in China in terms of planning and design of the commercial areas within a major terminal complex, and in delivering a “˜best-of-class’ retail mix to its customers.”
A central security zone will be located after check-in, followed by a 60m wide bridge taking passengers into the main departures area.
At this point the bridge overlooks the central commercial lounge about 10m below. Passengers will have a panoramic view of all the commercial space before travelling by lifts and escalators to the main Departures level.
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The retail area will be developed in two phases, with the first set to open in March 2012 |
The main retail area will be developed in two phases. The first phase is planned to open in March 2012 and the second phase about two years later. In the first phase there will be a central seating area with retail located to the north and anchored by major food & beverage outlets. Kiosk retailing and small food & beverage outlets will be integrated within the seating area.
The second phase will extend this section of the terminal building on two levels, adding retail along the southern apron façade, with food & beverage facilities located on a mezzanine above.
The character of the space has been designed to be “contemporary and elegant” with a number of elements that reflect local history, culture and character.
There will be eight 3m-high custom-made “˜Chinese’ lanterns, with integrated lighting and projectors suspended from the ceiling along the full the length of the departure lounge.
Wolfgang Weil heads the Fraport team as the airport’s Chief Operating Officer, and also oversees commercial activities.
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Wolfgang Weil: “It is my team’s intention to create China’s best commercial environment” |
Weil said: “Everybody travelling to a Chinese airport must be impressed by the world-class infrastructure. However, it is also obvious that there is a huge untapped commercial potential within such facilities. Although Xi’an is classified as a so-called “˜second-tier’ airport it is my team’s intention to create China’s best commercial environment, which will host a stunning blend of “˜Western’ and “˜Eastern’ offers.”
According to The Design Solution and Xi’an Airport, this is the first time in China that a specialist commercial planner/designer has been involved throughout such as project in China.
“We have been working in China for nearly ten years, and it has often been a frustrating experience,” said Robbie Gill, The Design Solution’s Director for the project. “Often we have planned really world-class spaces only to find that three years later, through changes during the building process, the project has not lived up to its full potential. We believe Xi’an to be the first airport in China to follow the principles that have been so successful in many airports around the world.”
Gill said the Xi’an approach was different, because of the influence of Zeng Shen Fu, President of the airport’s majority shareholder China West Airport Group, as well as Wolfgang Weil.
Gill said: “President Zeng has always had a vision for the airport. We have worked with him for over eight years, going back to the development of Xi’an’s Terminal 2 in 2003. However at that time it was too late in the construction process to make a major impact. He has made sure that this would not happen in Terminal 3.”
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