Terminal 2, Heathrow. An exciting, futuristic building
2009-09-28
Terminal 2, Heathrow will cost a billion Pounds and from the look of artist's impressions, it will be a fantastic building with a bold and futuristic appearance. And it is designed to meet the latest rules and regulations for energy efficiency and carbon emissions. Terminal 2 will house Star Alliance airlines and it is expected that some 20 million passengers will use this spacious and modern airport facility each and every year.
Mike Brown, who is Heathrow Airport's Chief Operating Officer, is quoted as having said:
“These exciting plans will be a reality for millions of Heathrow's passengers, making every passenger journey a better one and underlining Heathrow's pre-eminent position at the heart of international travel and the global economy."
“The new Terminal 2 is part of a major programme of work already underway. Passengers travelling through Heathrow will be using new and extensively refurbished facilities which provide us with an excellent platform from which we can provide a better service to our customers than ever before.”
Terminal 2 is only one part of a very important £4.8 billion investment across the entire airport, and it will provide travellers using the hub airport of the UK with new, improved facilities and better levels of service. The funding is privately acquired, and as a consequence, will not cost the taxpayer a single penny. Passengers departing from Terminal 2 will discover some 11,300m2 of floor space, which will accommodate self-service check-in machines, fast-bag drops, traditional-style check-in desks and 15 security search lanes. There will be a two-level departure lounge, windows of ten-metres in height which will give passengers superb views of not only Heathrow airfield, but also of the nine new aircraft parking stands. Importantly a third of these will be configured to accommodate an entire new generation of aircraft, like the A380.
Terminal 2 will create 40% less carbon than the buildings it will replace. There will be large north-facing windows in the roof, which are cleverly designed to flood the building with natural daylight, thus cutting down on the need for artificial lighting without generating what would be uncomfortable levels of heat within the building. There will also be solar-gathering panels on the roof, aimed at further reducing the dependency on external energy supplies. Plus there will be a new energy centre, which will, in part, be fuelled by renewable resources, and will provide heating and cooling services for the building.
To minimise disruption to passengers, construction will take place in two phases. Stage 1 will see witness the creation of a terminal building with 180,000m2 of floor space on the site of the existing Terminal 2 and the Queen's Building. Both of those buildings are scheduled for demolition later this year. The construction on phase one is planned for completion in 2013. Phase two is scheduled to run consecutively and will extend the new Terminal 2 into the existing Terminal 1 site. This phase, which is also to include the building of a second satellite building, should increase the capacity of Terminal 2 to 30 million passengers a year. Terminal 1 will close when phase two is completed in 2019. But it is to remain open throughout the construction programmes.
Terminal 2 is one important part of a massive £2.2bn investment on the eastern part of the airport. A satellite pier for the new terminal has been under construction since 2008. It will provide Heathrow with 16 additional stands and will be linked via an underground facility to the main terminal building.
