Innovation as the Queen opens terminal

Amongst the many varied and interesting innovations in the new T2 Queen’s Terminal, which Her Majesty officially opens today (23 June) one clearly stands out.

Strung up above the Caviar House dining bar is a lighting sculpture named “Emergence” and, with playful reference to its sponsor, captures the re-imagined movement of a school of fish moving underwater.

The audacious structure consists of LED arcs spiralling nearly 13 metres up to the ceiling, utilising a transfer of technologies from other industries, borrowing heavily from the engineered carbon fibre composites, as found in the latest aircraft.

Carbon fibre is ideally suited to such a structure as it can be moulded into many forms, is extremely light, yet very strong and the laminated finish looks stunning combined with the LED lighting.
 
“We’re extremely proud to have played a key part in the production of this high profile and complex project,” says Mike Harris, Managing Director of PML, a Norfolk-based engineering company.  “It was extremely challenging and had to be manufactured, then built on site by our team, to meet a very tight deadline.  However, we believe anything is possible!  We’re delighted with the result and proud of the result.  It’s a great example of what British design and engineering can achieve.” www.heathrowairport.com/heathrow-airport-guide/terminal-2

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