Abu Dhabi, the largest of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is known as the ?Garden of the Gulf?. Over many years, an impressive program of tree planting has transformed the city?s ecology. The design of the airport embraces this tradition. The 450,000 square meter project forms a modern gateway to the capital of the UAE. The building is expected to add 40 million passengers to the airport?s handling capacity by 2011. The facility will also process more than two million tons of cargo each year. The structural solutions adopted for the building create large, column-free zones that enhance passenger experience and maximize the flexibility for future space planning. The X-shaped plan produces a generous ticketing hall. Framed by a series of long-span steel arches that support a soaring roof, the hall leads passengers into a central space containing a large garden, a reference to regional architecture. The undulating roof curves downward at the concourse piers to provide protection from the sun and to define a series of departure lounges arranged along the length of the building. Wayfinding is enhanced by the use of natural light throughout the terminal. The building?s complex geometry has been developed through the application of cutting-edge computational and analytical parametric technology that facilitates the reconfigutation of three-dimensional forms and volumes. This technology optimizes efficiencies in the modularization and prefabrication of various components. Standardized structural elements, roof cladding panels, and ceiling tiles minimize the cost impact of the building?s organic form.