..VOYAGE ECHOES (minus WIND)

The baggage claims area of the Beijing International Airport, just like many parts of the building is nothing to shout about & typical. No baggage of mine was lost, most importantly. It is as though the mind set of the Chinese government is reflected in the architecture. Make it simple, functional, give a modernistic form to it, & save cost whenever possible. For my self, arrival to the airport back in September 2006 was without hassle & long queues.

It is the departure from the airport that gave me some shivers. Overall I did expect a whole lot more from the Beijing International Airport considering that Beijing was holding the 2008 Olympics. Of course, there was a new airport terminal being built when I was there & I did not get an opportunity to see it. Folks who visited Beijing in 2008 for the Olympics sure did as there was no way the current airport with its original size & function could support the influx of so many people from around the world during an intense month like the September 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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The above is another photo of the roof section above the immigration check area at the Beijing International airport. You can see the branch formed column that support the roof trusses at various points of the roof. There is no roof cladding applied like what you see at the KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) – see the previous blog post. The lack of roof cladding exposes the metal roof sheets which makes it look cheap like the kind of construction you see in general warehouses. In tropical countries, having no insulation of the roof like that in between the external roof material (especially metal or zinc) & the roof interior cladding will result in rising temperatures inside a building & increase cooling costs. In Beijing, however, the weather is rather cool hence they can get away with no interior roof cladding & ultimately lowering building costs.

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After you arrive & step off the plane at the Beijing International Airport, you will walk towards an immigration check hall. Depending on the frequency of arrival flights to the airport when you arrive, the queue will be a long one. Do note that long queues prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the Beijing International Airport are something you may want to expect. The immigration officer that attended me was good mannered & did not ask any questions as he probably could not speak any English & I did not look like a man who could talk mandarin.

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