US practice Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) is winner of the competition (finalists included Richard Rogers Partnership, Cesar Pelli and Ove Arup) to build the new airport at Kitakyushu City, near Fukuoka in southern Japan. The building will sit on an artificial island (4 km long and 900m wide) in the Suou sea and at a cost of around 47 million dollars could be ready by autumn 2005. The project was chosen for its energy efficiency and use of materials and finishes that take into account local and renewable sources. Tradition was also a consideration, the main terminal is made up of a modular roof which is inspired by the typical floating lanterns used in the local Gion Festival. Kitakyushu Airport is expected to receive a traffic of 5 million passengers a year.
