Landing at Heathrow was quite the architectural experience. (We also left from Heathrow a month later, so these pictures are a mix). It’s huge; and terminal 5 handles all the international traffic.
This is a photo of the main terminal 5 building. taken from one of the two remote concourses reached by underground train. Not many terminals dwarf 747’s. Since we arrived at one of these remote concourses we rode the train and then took escalators and elevators to customs and then to the transit level again.
It’s initially overwhelming but also remarkably open and clear. Everything’s clear and well signed. We found our way to this level, bought our “Oyster” cards (for use on the tube, bus, and light rail systems) and located the tube station.
This turned out to be a minor adventure – mostly because we were tired. But before showing that I thought I’d walk you around the terminal. The nature of the terminal 5 buildings is that they are big, open glass boxes, held up by sculptural columns and girders.
Within this framework, but held away from it, are the various floors with the various arrivals and departures functions. Open escalators and glass elevators move you through the spaces. The effect is impressive but not confusing because you can see the path. And when you arrive, at ticketing for instance, the space is open and well lit.
The daylighting highlights the structure which clearly articulates the space and at the same time reflects the light into the space. Getting to the departures area includes navigating the requisite shopping mall,
but even this is handled fairly well in the way it opens up to the main waiting and circulation areas.
And the curvature of the roof focuses your view towards the windows and the airplanes. It was interesting to me to see how some of the smaller functions were handled. Here, the departure lounges are woven into the sculptural columns.
You can decide if you think this is an intrusion, but I liked it. And again, the skylights are used to articulate the building structure. It helps break down the scale of what is a very long building. Here’s a larger waiting area at one end of the building – different treatment. I couldn’t tell if the white discs had a function other than visual. They weren’t lighting or speakers and didn’t look like acoustical treatment.
The sculptural columns line the two long sides of the building. The structure is more straightforward. And here’s a small café where we had lunch – in one ‘corner’ of the building.
It shows clearly how the ‘regular’ floors to the left are held away from the glass wall to the right so the sculptural columns can rise freely up to the roof.
Finally, both arriving and departing, the system of escalators provides views at apron level.
This is very cool in today’s air travel world where the apron level is normally off limits. You really get a sense of the planes and their scale.
Travel Design Impressions 