Building the Future - Terminal 3 Menu

Piers H and J
All of the Highlights

The Vision

Between them, Piers H and J boast a total surface area of about 103,000 square meters. The smaller of the two, Pier H, is 400 meters long while Pier J extends even further to a length of 600 meters. But that’s not a problem for travelers, who can use the many moving walkways to quickly cover the distances involved. The piers also differ in height: Pier H has two levels while its big brother, Pier J, has three. It’s designed for flights taking off for and landing from destinations outside the Schengen Zone and therefore includes an extra level for arriving passengers.

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Many Parts Merge to Form a Whole

The carcasses of the piers are special in one respect: unlike the approach taken in concrete housing construction, they aren’t cast in one go. Instead, many smaller, almost indistinguishable structures are made huddled close together. Pier H consists of identical septuplets, while Pier J comprises eight units like peas in a pod. As soon as all of each pier’s substructures are in place and the concrete has cured, they are joined.

More on construction of the carcasses

Everything Under Control

To ensure safe, orderly operations while lots of planes are taxiing around the apron, a control tower integrated in Pier H gives its crew of flight controllers a good view. Its first four levels are fully integrated in the pier, and above that the tower looms skyward to a height of nearly 70 meters.

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Adding Value Inside and Out

As soon as the carcasses of the piers have been completed, work begins to install the required technical systems and equipment. They include, for example, circadian lighting control that emulates the natural daylight cycle to reduce jetlag symptoms. But before the special lighting can be installed, large cranes lift heavy equipment into place, including state-of-the-art plumbing, ventilation, heating, and security systems. Some of this equipment is accommodated on the roofs of the piers.

More on the buildings’ technical systems