Almost 60 years after Her Majesty the Queen opened the original Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport in 1955, HM and The Duke of Edinburgh officially opened the new Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal at a prestigious ceremony attended by over 1, 000 people.
The new terminal, which is complete with an incredible expanse of world class paving products from Tobermore, is a £2.5 billion project and marks the latest phase of an £11 billion private sector investment that has transformed Heathrow.
Heathrow’s Terminal 2 is steeped in airport history, and so, it was inevitable that the exciting development of the new Terminal 2 would earn a wealth of media attention.
The original building, designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, was Heathrow’s first passenger terminal and cost over £21 million to construct, a considerable amount of money in 1955. During the terminal’s 54 years of service, approximately 316 million passengers passed through. There has always been a sense of glamour associated with the terminal with famous faces such as The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, to name but a few, passing through its doors. However, despite renovations and upgrades in later years, the terminal no longer met the demands of a modern airport, and consequently, on 22 November 2009, Terminal 2 closed its doors.
The spectacular redevelopment plan at Terminal 2 has taken place over a period of four hectic years. The amazing new terminal has been designed by Grontmij, the leading European Consulting & Engineering practice and the landscape masterpiece was devised by global architecture and design practice, Aedas. The incredibly renowned Zaha Hadid Architects also designed the breath-taking glass roof incorporated on the building. The project was then constructed by Laing O’Rourke, the privately owned international construction and civil engineering enterprise.
Chief Executive at Heathrow, Colin Matthews, has noted, “The closure of Terminal 2 marked an important moment in the modernisation of Heathrow. We look forward to the new Terminal 2 providing a better experience for our passengers, with less impact on the environment.”
There are four elements to the extraordinary Terminal 2 redevelopment programme; the new terminal itself, a satellite pier, a new multi-storey car park and the refurbishment of the associated road system. Officials at Heathrow believe the incorporation of these elements in the £2.5 billion project, is a vital step in launching Heathrow as Europe’s hub airport of choice.
An extensive expanse of Tobermore’s fabulous Sienna and Sienna Duo block paving in sparkling Silver has been installed on the grounds at Terminal 2. Sienna complements the new Terminal 2 building perfectly and has achieved a sharp, contemporary look. Sienna encompasses a coarse textured surface, exposing glittering granite aggregates which produce a sophisticated, distinctive appearance, similar to natural granite. The aesthetic qualities of Sienna permit incorporation on any type of application.
