The passenger terminal is 1.3 km long; its roof is equivalent in size to 35 football pitches. The airport's total area is 570,000 sq. m., nine times the size of the old Kai Tak terminal. The terminal has eight levels, three levels open to the public including arrivals and departures, a basement level housing support functions, such as the passenger shuttle train, baggage handling and mechanical and electrical equipment.
The most recognisable feature of the terminal building is its unifying wing-like roof, symbolic of flight and movement. The shape of the roof, with its 45 degree slope, flows down in a noticeable wave from the east hall to its scalloped tail at the west end of the building.
