Heathrow’s Terminal 2, The Queen’s Terminal, designed by Spanish architect, Luis Vidal + Architects (LVA), will open on June 4, 2014, when a United Airlines flight from Chicago is scheduled to land at the new building early in the morning, the airport said.
The £2.5 billion project includes the main Terminal 2 building, a monumental new sculpture by internationally-renowned artist, Richard Wilson RA, a 1,340-space car park and an energy centre and cooling station. The terminal is one of the UK’s largest privately funded construction projects and has provided jobs for nearly 35,000 people.
Terminal 2 will house 22 Star Alliances airlines as well as Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic Little Red and Germanwings air carriers.
In line with Vidal’s earlier airport designs, Terminal 2 will feature a bold undulating steel-framed roof that will control the flow of natural light. The roof will feature three large waves signifying the three main parts of the passenger journey: check-in, security control and boarding.
Construction of the new building, which took five years, has been completed without disruption to the daily operations of what is considered to be the world’s busiest airport. As Heathrow’s most sustainable terminal, Terminal 2 reduces CO2 emissions by 40 percent compared to the previous building and will be the UK’s first airport to be awarded a BREEAM rating for its sustainable building design.
John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow development director, said: ‘Terminal 2 has been designed with the passenger at the heart. Building on the success of Terminal 5, it will bring together technology, architecture and human touches.
Our goal is to make every journey better for our passengers and bringing together 25 airlines in this light and airy space is just one more step in the transformation of Heathrow.’
Luis Vidal commented ‘Airports are the Cathedrals of the 21st Century; they are the gateways to nations, and serve a public function.
Putting passengers first and making it easy for airlines and workers have been our drivers at Heathrow; but above all, making it welcoming and comfortable; pragmatic and functional; flooded with natural light and providing for intuitive orientation for everyone.’
