When visitors fly into Beijing for the Summer Olympic Games this year, they might not want to leave the airport. The scale and drama of the airport (the largest construction project in the world) more than matches the Chinese government's ambitions for the Olympics.

Designed by Norman Foster, this Herculean project was built in just four years and merges technology with good design. To get an idea of its sheer size, consider these numbers: Two miles long, 292 check-in desks, 179 elevators, 98 moving sidewalks, and 55 million passengers per year by 2020. Its soaring aerodynamic roof and dragon-like form celebrates the thrill of flight and evokes traditional Chinese symbols and colors (the skylights change from red to yellow as you progress through the building).

Worth a look!