FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0547.PDF
FLIGHT, 15 April I960 547 Frederick Gibberd, architect of London Air-port's new £3m long-haul terminal. The "Flight" photograph (right), from the west, shows its location. Other landmarks:— (1) BOAC. (2) London Airport North (which the new building will replace). (3) BEA. (4) Pan American. (5) Runway No 2, 05R/23L. (6) London Airport Central. (7) Queen's Building. (8) Control tower. (9) BEA freight hangar. (10) Runway 1, 10L/28R. (11) Runway 4, 15L/33R. (12) Runway 6, 15R/33L. (13) Run- way 7, 05L/23R. (14) Runway 5, 10R/28L (showing proposed extension). (15) Southern ATC and radar. (16) Tunnel. (17) Fuel farm. NEW FRONT DOOR "London Airport is Britain's front door . . . First impres- sions are important, and the 'shantytowri on the north side is to be replaced by an entirely new modern air station."— Duncan Sandys, Minister of Aviation. TWO years and eight months after the Millbourn Report onthe development of London Airport, and 14 years alter theerection of the "temporary" shantytown so notoriously familiar as London Airport North, the Ministry has approved plans for the long-awaited new long-haul terminal. Construction has started. The basic recommendation of the Millbourn Report, namelythat a new terminal for long-haul traffic should be built on the south-west face of the central area, has been accepted. Some ofthe detail Millbourn recommendations are not accepted, the most significant being the decision not (for the moment anyway) toconnect the terminal with aircraft by means of fingers. The proposed building, designed by Frederick Gibberd andapproved by the Royal Fine Art Commission, is—from a first appraisal of the model—likely to be aesthetically pleasing andcomfortable, though the very big question—the means by which passengers should be conveyed to and from aircraft—is left open.Asked last week to comment on the new building, a BOAC spokesman said: "The scheme has been worked out in consultationwith us, and although—as is natural in any enterprise of this kind —we are not wholly satisfied, we think that a reasonable com-promise has been reached." The building is designed to allow for the adoption of any ofthree possible loading methods: (1) Fingers, at least to connect nearer aircraft, and perhaps as extensions of the initial stub piers;(2) gangways or bridges, telescopic or otherwise, from the terminal direct to the aircraft doors; and (3) "mobile lounges," as proposedfor Washington Airport (Flight, December 18, 1959). At first, departing passengers will have to go up and thendown, all "processing" being on the first floor. But, as the architect says, they have to ascend to (or descend from) aircraft anyway;and it seems that either a mobile lounge or a bridge system would provide the logical answer in the long term.To begin with, however, passengers will issue from, or enter, two short piers, each terminating in two flights of stairs. Theterminal building is flanked by two three-storey office blocks, the upper storeys of which will house airline offices, and the floorlevels servicing equipment. The terminal itself is divided through the middle into two completely separate parts, one for arrivingand the other for departing passengers. "Flight" photograph All baggage will be handled on the ground floor with the aid ofconveyor belts. It is not expected that departing passengers will have to go through Customs—though Customs obviously reservethe right to require this. The main restaurant will be on the second floor of the south office block, giving a good view of theairport; there will be a snack restaurant and bar within the main terminal on the first-floor concourse. Banks, post offices, car hirefirms, etc, will have facilities in the entrance hall on the ground floor, and there will be various types of shops both in the entrancehall and in the concourse, where there will also be a nursery. The foundations of the new building are well advanced, and thefirst half of the passenger building is expected to be ready by the second half of 1961, and the southern office block by the endof that year. The second half of the passenger building is due for completion early in 1962, and the northern office block by the endof 1962. BOAC, who handle about half the passengers at the existing north terminal, will move in during the late summer of1961. Other operators will follow between six and 12 months later. The Director-General of Works, Air Ministry, is respon-sible for the construction, and the consulting engineers are Sir William Halcrow & Partners and G. H. Buckle & Partners. The following figures, actual and estimated, were used informulating the requirements for the building: — 1958 1960 1965 1970 Yearly Total of Passenger Arrivals and Departures 720,000 970,000 1,655.000 2,430.000 Aircraft Arrivals and Departures 23,000 24,000-27,000 25,000-29,000 30.000-35,000 "Standard Busy Hour Rate" of Movements'" 1958 1960 1965 1970 Passengers 341 460 785 1,150 Aircraft 10 10 to 12 11 to 13 13 to 15 This is the hourly rate of movement equalled or exceeded during 30 hours in the peak summer months. It gives a measure of near-peak conditions. Left, general view of the model. Right, removal of the roof shows: (1) Spectators' gallery. (2) Final departure lounge. (3) Arrival lounge. (4) Snack restaurant and bar. (5) Customs (provision for) and immigration "comb." (6) Immigration. (7) Departures hall, and stairs up to concourse. (8) Arrivals hall, and stairs down to Customs and arrival hall. (9) Bridge to restaurant and south office block. (10) Balcony lounge. (11) Bridge to north office block. (12) Lifts "Flight" photographs
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
