“The most refreshing interchange” – this is the motto under which the new Terminal 5 development in Heathrow is being built. It will present the gate to England and Europe for travelers from throughout the world. About 36 million passengers per year are expected to come through here, a total area of 250 hectares – which roughly equals the size of the Hyde Park in London. One may speak of a superlative project which includes – among 18 airport gates – a new London underground station, an express train station and much more.

The design presented by the Richard Rogers Partnership Architects focuses on transparency, light and a clear structure for the 40m (132ft) high, 386m (1,300ft) long and 176m (580ft) wide main building. It enables the travelers to find their way around all areas without difficulty. The transparent design provides impressive panorama views, which create a sense of vastness despite areas being clearly structured.

Within the scope of the whole project Seele is responsible for a large number of building components. Glass walls – all together roughly 11,000m²  (118,106ft² ) – separate the passengers who have already passed the security check from those who have not yet been checked. The glass walls must meet the same high technical requirements as the more than 8km (5 Miles) of glass balustrades: the glass must function as a guardrail even with the impact of a fully loaded airport trolley (up to a 18.5m/60ft fall). In addition, Seele’s scope includes just under 2km (1.25 Miles) of glazed stair balustrades, approximately 137 glass doors and 13 glazed elevator shafts.

Twenty-six glass corridors offer transparent functionality as they act as a valve guiding the flow of the passengers into and out of the airplanes whilst imparting a sense of vast space. About 17,000m²  (182,530ft² ) of profiled two-toned aluminum panels – so-called Fascia Panels – round off the optically high-class design and create a unitized system along with the balustrades and screens.

The project is being supervised by Seele Austria.

Architect: Richard Rogers Partnership, London

Pictures © BAA, London