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One of the key goals for luis vidal + architects (LVA) was to create a destination airport, as Luis Vidal

explains: “Terminal 2 is much more than a building conceived for planes and passengers to take off and

land: LVA has created this terminal as a destination unto itself, attracting passengers to the terminal

earlier than their departure time in order to spend time, enjoy the welcoming atmosphere and have

experiences with the wide range of amenities, services and retail the airport has to offer.

As such, T2 has a total of 33 shops and 17 restaurants with free WiFi. The 'destination' offerings include a

restaurant headed by world-renowned chef Heston Blumenthal and a personal shopper on hand to help

travellers pick up any last-minute essentials.

 

In terms of size, the footprint of terminal is approximately 40,000 sq m, making it four times larger than

Buckingham Palace. This incorporates 28 gates, 66 self-service kiosks, 29 security lanes, 60 check-in

desks, 634 toilets and 8 A380 piers.

 

A 50,000 sq m undulating wave roof graces the top of the terminal, punctured with skylights which flood

the cavernous space below with natural light. These generous skylights are coupled with 10m-high floorto-

ceiling windows which add to the bright and airy feel of the new terminal.

The grand roof system is only one of many eco-friendly features incorporated into LVA’s design. 20% of

the energy used by T2 will come from renewable resources and an onsite renewable energy centre

generates heat and power from woodchip, efficient gas boilers and cooling stations. The use of woodchip

alone is estimated to save the development 13,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.

 

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