Plans revealed for commercial area at Tianfu International

China Duty Free Group and The Design Solution has collaborated on the project, with plans to open the airport mid-2021

China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and London-based architectural firm, The Design Solution have revealed a preview of the new plans set for the airside commercial area at Chengdu’s Tianfu International Airport.

This announcement follows CDFG’s success after winning the contract to operate the new site.

The airport is expected to open this summer, in time for the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Chengdu Summer World Games in August.

The Design Solution
Photo The Design Solution

Each manufactured element implemented by The Design Solution has been sourced and constructed from local materials.

Included within the new commercial area are two walk-through duty-free stores with a spacious layout. The interior is also split into categories, with perfume and cosmetics, liquor and tobacco, contemporary fashion and a ‘Chocolab’ – a bespoke confectionary concept.

“This design scheme has been a unique and fascinating challenge – bringing to life China Duty Free Group’s vision to distil the essence of Chengdu and the province of Sichuan, both culturally and physically, as an authentic expression of its DNA,” said Nick Taylor, director of The Design Solution.

“A fast-paced project delivered from start to finish during the pandemic, our team in London has had to manage all aspects remotely working in close conjunction with China Duty Free in Beijing. We have achieved an incredibly speedy turnaround thanks to the support of Yuming Zhang, our representative in China, acting as a valuable conduit with the local design institute and the airport.”

Consisting of two terminals and three runways, the first phase of construction is expected to service around 60 million passengers by 2025. Upon full completion, the hub will have six runways and four terminals – expanding its capacity to 90 million.

It is also expected to become Southwest China’s major international air facility, meaning Chengdu will be the third Chinese city to operate two international airports, after Beijing and Shanghai.