MAD Architects has been named the winner of an international competition for the design of the Changchun “Longjia” International Airport Terminal 3 in Jilin Province, China. The 2.9 million square foot terminal will contain 54 aircraft gates and is expected to accommodate 22 million annual passengers when operational.

The fan-shaped airport is imagined by its designers as a “floating feather,” reflecting the movement of airplanes ascending and descending from the terminal throughout the day. The airport’s setting among forests, lakes, and undulating terrain are also echoed on the interior, with an indoor garden system combining trees and water features.

Natural light is brought into the departure hall through the feather-shaped roof to create a “bright and warm” interior space. The dominant lines of the roof’s ribbed structure are also expressed on the timber ceiling in an effort to naturally guide the flow of passengers toward departure gates.

“The future large-scale transportation junction is first of all an important public space in the city,” said MAD founder Ma Yansong about the scheme. “Art, synthesis, diversity, and humanity are all important.”

For the scheme’s design, MAD worked in collaboration with the China Airport Planning & Design Institute and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design.

News of the scheme comes months after Archinect spoke with MAD founder Ma Yansong on the firm’s work and culture to coincide with the completion of the firm's Quzhou Sports Park. Other recent projects from MAD to feature in our editorial include the Aranya Cloud Center in China, the MoLo commercial complex in Milan, and a social housing development in Beijing.