Balfour Betty has just awarded Fabric Architecture Limited a new project at Heathrow Airport.

Phase II of Terminal 2B is being designed with travellers in mind. To help deliver a modern, bright and state-of-the art terminal, Fabric Architecture has designed a series of bespoke floating acoustic fabric fins with integral lighting.
 

Fabric fins will be connected to steel beams suspended from the ceiling, forming the terminal shell of the new building.

Between the beams is a series of hidden glass skylights to flood the terminal with natural light.  Fabric fins will act as light diffusers as well as improving the acoustics of the vast space. The acoustically rated tensile fabric will offer significant noise reduction.  In addition, each fabric fin will have LED lights integrated, allowing fins to become a light source during the evening or on cloudy days.

BAA Chief Executive Colin Matthews said: “the new terminal puts us within touching distance of a future where Heathrow has some of the best passenger facilities in Europe.” When this terminal opens in 2014, it will transform passenger’s experience of Heathrow Airport.

Fabric fins were first seen at Ferrari World, Yas Island, where Fabric Architecture installed over 2,000 bespoke acoustic rated fabric fins on the wall façade of internal buildings around the 86,000 m2 plaza level.

The benefit of using fabric as an internal building medium includes:

•    Lightweight and cost effective
•    Fire rated to class 0
•    Bomb-blast approved material
•    Maintenance free
•    Acoustic performance
•    Light refraction and luminosity
•    Rapid installation
•    Minimal disruption
 

Having completed 15,000 m2 of tensile fabric and aluminium framed ceiling panels at Dublin T2, Balfour Beatty was confident in our ability to deliver the Heathrow project.
 

We are pleased to receive comments from David Shorey of Balfour Beatty regarding the tender process. He said: “We recognise the high quality of your response, the investment in time and resources, and the personal commitment required to support your response.”
 

Stay tuned for updates and images as the project progresses.