The design of Harbin Airport T3 Terminal responds to the vast and undulating northern plains of China, as well as the extreme icy and snowy geographical environment. MAD's design for the T3 terminal resembles a snowflake gently falling onto the northeastern land, sparkling and crystal-clear, perfectly mirroring Harbin's "Ice City" characteristics. At the same time, it evokes the image of a surreal, interstellar space base, exuding a strong sense of futurism.

As the capital of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin occupies a key strategic position at the heart of Northeast Asia, with significant influence extending to Europe and North America. The Harbin T3 terminal is located southwest of the existing T1 and T2 terminals. The overall planning covers an area of approximately 3,300 hectares, with a building area of around 920,000 square meters. This includes the terminal building, ground transportation hubs, hotels, parking lots, and a range of other airport-related facilities.

MAD's design avoids the drawbacks of traditional airport terminals, which often suffer from excessively large scales and inconvenience for users. Instead, it creates a human-scale, "warm" and inviting atmosphere while achieving green and energy-efficient goals. The T3 terminal, with 89 near-gate positions, is shaped like a snowflake with five finger-like piers, significantly shortening the time passengers need to walk to the boarding gates. The design of multiple taxiways in the central concourse also effectively increases gate utilization.

The multiple gardens within the terminal serve as both indoor landscapes and welcoming public spaces, acting as wayfinding markers that guide passengers to different areas. The glass skylights above the gardens bring natural light indoors, allowing passengers to experience the rhythm of nature even while inside the terminal. This design also helps reduce the reliance on artificial lighting.

The Ground Transportation Center (GTC) integrates high-speed rail, city metro, airport buses, and other urban transportation options. Passengers can travel directly from the city to the terminal and hotel along the same axis, providing the foundation for green travel. The GTC features a stepped, garden-like layout, where landscapes are perfectly integrated with various functional areas, offering passengers comfortable and relaxing spaces. Once completed, the T3 terminal will significantly increase Harbin Airport's capacity for both passenger and cargo handling.

By 2030, the T3 terminal will achieve an annual passenger throughput of 43 million people and approximately 320,000 aircraft movements per year, making Harbin Airport a truly competitive international hub airport.