Arup team awarded Taiwan Airport contract

expat network

Arup team awarded Taiwan Airport contract

A joint venture with British architect Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Arup and Taiwan engineering firm CECI and architect FCA has been appointed by the Taoyuan International Airport Corporation for the design and construction of the new Terminal 3.

The appointment follows an international design competition which shortlisted three impressive architectural firms including UN Studio and Foster + Partners Limited.

The project is the largest single investment following Taiwan’s 10 Major Construction Projects and a flagship among the 12 iTaiwan Construction Projects, comprising the new Terminal 3 building, boarding gates, concourses, a multi-function building, a network of service roads, aprons, taxiways and an automatic people mover system.

In a joint effort with our offices in Hong Kong, Taipei and London, we will provide a full range of services including airport planning, structural engineering, building services, façade design, building sustainability, fire engineering, aviation fuel, lighting and acoustics.

Our design is inspired by Taiwan’s beautiful landscape and surrounding sea and its natural rhythm and life which combine to create a series of unique interior spaces designed for their individual purposes all protected beneath an elegant hard shell roof. The freedom of planning within the building is analogous to the earth on which it sits. The ceiling, a soft malleable surface, is of the sky with clouds that roll around and over a landscape of internal building functions, shaping the spaces over which it passes. This terminal will be of the highest quality and uniquely identifiable as the gateway to Taiwan which will make it a joy for passengers to use, and a world-class hub in East Asia.

Our proposal inverts the traditional arrangement of departures over arrivals. It sets the ceiling free from the roof above which gives a spatial experience and level of service unequalled in airport terminal design anywhere in the world. The main roof structure is supported by a series of four-legged towers, called ‘banyan columns’ along the spine of the building with alternating regular 36m and 72m spans in the west-east direction.

Upon completion in 2020, the new terminal will be able to host 45 million passengers a year.

Source: www.arup.com

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.