Construction Photo © H.G. Esch, Hennef

Construction Photo © H.G. Esch, Hennef

Construction Photo © H.G. Esch, Hennef

Construction Photo © H.G. Esch, Hennef

Video Footage of Midfield Terminal Shows KPF Project’s Size and Complexity

For the past year, Abu Dhabi Airports Company has been monitoring the construction of its Midfield Terminal Complex from a unique vantage point.  On January 31, the company released a three-minute video of footage from the site, which presents sequential clips of its progress over a 12-month span. 

At the beginning of 2016, the structure shown is mostly steel and scaffolding. By the new year, the entire shell had been fabricated, showcasing its dynamic X-shape. A combination of aerial, time-lapse, and in situ shots illustrate the meticulous process of assembly. 

Conceived as a gateway to Abu Dhabi, the design raises the terminal building up from the road level to give it the appearance of sitting on its own plateau. In this context, the building is the dominant and most impressive structure on the horizon with its profile silhouetted against the sky. At night the building’s illuminated interior will be visible from the highway over 1,500 meters away.

In 2006, Kohn Pedersen Fox won a competition to design the terminal, which has been noted as integral to the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan transforming its desert into the “Garden of the Gulf.” Even prior to its opening, the project has won numerous accolades, including recognition by MIPIM Architectural Review and MIPIM Asia. The 7.9-million-square-foot complex is slated for completion by December 2017.

Watch the video here.