Paul Andreu has a passion for designing airport terminals. From Shanghai Pudong to Cairo and Dubai international airports, his stunning architectural feats are filled with millions of travelers experiencing their first and last impressions of a city. Because of this, Andreu argues that airport design is important and terminals should be as impressive as a city's museums or concert halls.
The 72-year-old architect has designed more than 50 airports around the world. His passion for airports pushes him further from merely building functional structures to designing visually striking, passenger-friendly terminals.
As an example, Andreu explains the reason behind the garden that lines the two passageways linking the concourse and main terminal at Pudong International Airport.
"I put in the garden because Pudong is meant to be the green gateway. And I added water because I want there to be a balance between the nature and sophistication," he said.
Inside Pudong Airport, skylights illuminate the ceiling, resembling "a shower of comets falling from the sky", said the architect.
Similar ideas of providing a transforming experience are also reflected in one of Andreu's most controversial buildings, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, commonly known as the "egg". A lake surrounds the building and to enter, people walk through a tunnel beneath the water.
"I was always attached to the idea that you don't enter an opera house as you might push open the door of a supermarket," explained Andreu. "You need time to enter the world of opera."
The eye-catching design took Andreu 10 years to complete, not only because it cost $300 million, but also because of doubts and concerns after the collapse of his terminal 2E building at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2004.
The collapse killed four people, including two Chinese tourists, and injured six others. The Chinese authorities immediately halted the construction of National Center to double-check the models. A panel of 100 Chinese engineers questioned the Center's French engineering team for a week.
Looking back on all different comments he faced during the decade-long project, Andreu is happy it's done.
"Sometimes there is doubt and sometimes we have difficulties. It's like a child who has grown up," he said. "If I had to do it again, I will try to do it even better, but the same way."
In March, Andreu came to Shanghai with his new book, La Maison, now published in Chinese. It is the second time that one of his books has been translated into Chinese. But the great architect still regards himself as a novice writer.
"My architecture might be big but my writing is small. It's the same person with two lives," said Andreu. "I began writing about 15 years ago. It is not that easy and it is not even a pleasure. But instead of being the head of 400 people, having plans and schedules and everything, I am alone and I do what I want. That's a kind of release."
With the accent of poetry and including drawings, Andreu shows a Frenchman's subtle perceptibility in his writing. "I wrote poems when I was young. I keep writing and started to do more drawing. It's just natural to do so, I use the same instrument to write and draw, as I am an architect."
When asked to name his favorite pavilion at the Expo 2010 Shanghai, Andreu shifted from the role of writer back to architect. "As a Frenchman, I have to say 'I love the France Pavilion.' But the United Kingdom Pavilion and the Spain Pavilion impressed me with the imagination involved in the design."
