It is about twice the size of Heathrow’s Terminal Five, cost half the price and has been planned and built in almost a third of the time.

The Chinese capital's new gateway to the skies was given its first international airing this month after a three-and-ahalf- year sprint to construct the world's biggest airport complex for next year's Olympics.

With 245 acres (99 hectares) of floor space, Terminal 3 of Capital Airport is bigger than all five Heathrow terminals combined. Once it comes into operation, Beijing expects to strengthen its position as a transport hub. With 66 million passengers forecast next year, it will jump from the ninth to third busiest airport.

The main building is reminiscent of Lord Foster's other airports, though even more spectacular. It has the same light and airy glass wall entrance and high ceiling as Stansted and Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok. The doubleskinned aluminium canopy - silver slats under a russet roof - shimmer for half a mile.

Airport authorities reportedly asked Lord Foster to incorporate the bright tones found in the Forbidden City. They are evident in the tapering red pillars and the browngold roof shaped like the back of a dragon.

Guides reel off statistics on an epic Chinese scale. The three buildings of Terminal 3 are home to 445 lifts, 1,800 miles of cables and a car park for 7,000 vehicles. There is a road network and a light railway under construction which ends at a terminus shaped like a giant glass turtle.

The pace of construction is unimaginable in most other countries. Building work started on August 7 2004 and is expected to be finished by the end of this year.

Managers say 10,000 people have been resettled. A promotional video boasts that there have been no appeals over land acquisition.

Even with the mass resettlement and the huge new terminal, Beijing does not believe it has enough capacity. Aworking group is now searching for a second airport site.