Taipei Taoyuan Airport not only serves both Taipei and northern Taiwan, but it is also Taiwan’s busiest and largest airport. The airport is located about 25 miles west of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city, and goes by several names, including Taoyuan International Airport (and formerly Chiang Kai-shek International Airport). For locals it is often called just TPE, its official airport code.

© Studio Millspace, Courtesy of RSHP

A colorful new design for the North Concourse of Terminal 3 has now been completed by London-based RSHP Architects. RSHP will also continue to work on other areas of Terminal 3 until the project’s expected completion in 2027.

RSHP has brought together the flexibility of the single span, loose-fit volume of London Heathrow’s Terminal 5, where the span for that terminal’s unique banyan columns is 36 feet, with the warmth and human qualities of the flowing interior spaces of Madrid’s Barajas Airport Terminal 4. The result for TPE’s Terminal 3 is a unique, dynamic and fluid architecture that allows for easy adaptation and future transformation of airport functions without compromising the passenger experience or architectural integrity.

© Studio Millspace, Courtesy of RSHP

The design used for the terminal’s North Concourse is inherently simple in its concept, as the rolling roof is often used by the flight of migratory birds which use Taiwan as a vital midway resting point. The undulating, delicate and translucent space, with its light-scattering cloud ceiling, creates a range of interior spaces which can be grand, intimate, uniform or dramatic, and whose activities can be curated and changed over time.

This adjustable scaling will give about 45 million annual passengers spatial clarity in all areas, whether large, small, busy or quiet, and will reduce stress and improve well-being and comfort. The project’s flexibility ensures the airport is always at its best and suitably presented as the principal gateway to and from Taiwan to its many global destinations.

© Studio Millspace, Courtesy of RSHP

Terminal 3 is the first of a new generation, a highlight in the journey for both new and seasoned travelers. It will also offer arriving passengers the same colorful experience to those departing. The new terminal also means connection times of just 40 minutes, with simple directions and airside connectivity.

The three priorities for Taiwan’s airport plans include completing Terminal 3 by 2027 so the third runway can be built; finish supporting the airport’s infrastructure, including the A14 Airport MRT train station; and reaching long-term goals of 83 million passengers, 3.85 million metric tons of cargo, and 435,000 aircraft movements by 2045, generating $70 billion in economic benefits.