Abu Dhabi Airport's stunning Midfield Terminal

The 700,000-sqm Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) at Abu Dhabi International Airport is planned to open in 2017. Within the next few years, 20 million people are expected to use Abu Dhabi International Airport as their origin, destination or transit point for international and domestic journeys. As part of the Governments Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, the UAE capital is aiming to boost business and tourism.

The centrepiece of Abu Dhabi Airports Companys (ADAC) multibillion-dollar investment programme is the Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC), which will provide a full terminal building, passenger and cargo facilities, and duty-free shops and restaurants for a total capacity of 27-40 million people a year. The MTCs terminal building will be the largest in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and one of the regions most architecturally impressive structures. It will be between 630,000 and 702,369sqm in size, and visible from more than 1.5km away.

The central space of the terminal building could hold three full-sized football pitches and features a ceiling 52m tall at its highest point. The complex will include 20,000-25,000sqm of retail and F&B outlets, roughly equivalent to the current size of Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi.

Solid cladding has also been integrated in the design, further reducing the impact of the sun. Environmental design initiatives that are being pursued also include water conservation using waste water for irrigation of outdoor plants. The MTC team is working closely with Masdar, whose zero-carbon city is being developed adjacent to the airport.

Passenger facilities and duty-free retail will include high-end commercial offerings across more

than 18,000 square meters, including internationally renowned luxury goods and designer outlets, and almost 10,000 square meters of international restaurants and cafes, offering a wide range of styles and cuisines.

The building will be constructed using approximately 69,000 tons of steel, more than 680,000 cubic meters of concrete, and nearly 500,000 square meters of steel and glass cladding, 135,000 tons of rebar, 360,000 square meters of suspended ceilings and 325,000 square meters of natural stone flooring.

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