Taiwan’s main international airport has a daunting design for the new Terminal 3 that’s scaring off potential bidders for the project. Not only do the blueprints present huge engineering challenges, the high cost of materials is also making contractors think twice.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is currently operating well past capacity. To alleviate the strain, authorities are looking to build Terminal 3, which would nearly double the airport’s capacity to 45 million passengers. However, the blueprints pose many challenges, some so big that they’re scaring off bidders.
The engineering firms behind the ambitious design are London-based Arup and Taiwan-based CECI. The roof of the building resembles ocean waves, while 130,000 aluminum tubes hanging from the ceiling evoke clouds. The metal tubes not only look impressive, they also absorb sound.
But the airport has failed to attract bidders for the third time in a row, mainly because firms are skeptical of the design’s feasibility.
Authorities are also concerned that even if completed, roof maintenance would be difficult. They have requested a simpler design, but the firms are unwilling to adjust.
Terminal 3 was originally slated for completion in 2023, but now that seems unlikely. The original budget of NT$74.6 billion has also climbed to NT$79 billion (US $2.5 billion). Airport Chairperson Wang Ming-Teh is hoping the original engineering firms can offer solutions, otherwise airport authorities may turn to Japanese engineers for help.