Heathrow Terminal 2 (The Queen's Terminal) Main Terminal Building Roof
London Heathrow Airport, UK · 2009–2014 (opened June 2014) · £2.5 billion (overall T2 project cost)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe roof's design allows natural light to flood the concourse below through skylights, enhancing the passenger experience. - The use of Vierendeel trusses provided the required structural integrity while contributing to the aesthetic of the undulating roof. - The project aimed for high levels of sustainability and efficiency, including advanced building performance modelling.
Key engineering challenges
Designing and constructing a complex 50,000 sq m undulating wave-form roof using 18m long curved Vierendeel trusses. - Integrating the roof structure with the overall terminal design to emphasize the passenger journey (check-in, security, departure). - Working within a live airport environment, requiring careful planning and execution to avoid disruption to operations. - Managing the logistics of fabricating and assembling large, complex steel roof sections.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA)
- Lead contractor
- HETCo (Heathrow Terminal 2 Construction) joint venture (Ferrovial Agroman and Laing O'Rourke)
- Lead designers
- Luis Vidal + Architects (concept architect), Grimshaw (lead architect for detailed design), Arup (structural engineer)
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- 50,000 sq m undulating wave roof; 18m long curved sections forming Vierendeel trusses; 5,000 tonnes of steel in the roof structure.
- Disciplines
- Civil; structural; architectural; mechanical; electrical; systems; airport planning
- Standards & frameworks
- UK Building Regulations; airport operational standards; British Standards
Sources: RIBAJ: Terminal 2, Heathrow Airport (https://www.ribaj.com/buildings/terminal-2-heathrow-airport/) - Luis Vidal + Architects: Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 (https://luisvidal.com/en/proyecto/heathrow-airport-terminal-2/) - Steelconstruction.info: STEEL FOCUS HEATHROW TERMINAL 2 (https://www.steelconstruction.info/images/5/55/Steel_Focus-11.pdf) - Wikipedia: Heathrow Terminal 2 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathrow_Terminal_2)