The terminal follows the concept of a central processor serving adjacent linear piers. The form of the building clearly expresses its function and the simple and efficient layout provides passengers with convenient and instinctive routes from the landside roads to the aircraft and vice versa.

The modular design was intended to allow the terminal to be extended without disrupting operations and this was tested rather earlier than expected, when a rapid increase in passenger numbers brought the programme forward. An extra seven contact gates were added in 2004, bringing the terminal’s design capacity up to 20 million passengers a year.

Both the terminal and piers are arranged on three levels, with a spine of service and circulation cores marking the landside-airside boundary in the terminal. On the airside, a series of distinctive departure lounges with fully glazed sloping elevations reveal panoramic views of the aprons and allow plenty of natural light into the interior.

External elevations are clad in silver anodized aluminium panels and blue tinted double-glazing. Solar gain and glare are controlled by deep roof projections and external solar shades.

The departures area is the defining space of the project. Its 240 by 168 metre roof structure, the ‘fifth elevation’ of the terminal, is easily identifiable from the air and clearly expressed in the interior. The roof is a grid of steel and glass pyramids supported on reinforced concrete columns at 24-metre centres. The space beneath is lit by diffused daylight through north-facing triangular skylights and perimeter glazing. This emphasis on natural light has been carried down to the arrivals level with fully glazed corridors along the piers and landscaped courtyards in the terminal.

An innovative and award winning design feature is the use of seismic isolators placed between the column heads and the large roof structure, which are designed to protect the building in the event of an earthquake. The roof structure houses a grid of service spines incorporating fresh air supply ducts with jet diffusers, return-air plenum and other mechanical, electrical and public announcement systems.

In the first phase of construction, the 190,000 square metre terminal and the adjoining 180,000 square metre multi-storey car park with space for 7,000 vehicles were completed in 23 months.