Following the Department of Transport’s request for proposals to expand Heathrow Airport, the Arora Group have this week submitted a proposal for a new Terminal 6 building and a 2,800-metre runway. Designed by Scott Brownrigg with delivery partner Bechtel the proposal is referred to as ‘Heathrow West’.
The proposal supports the economic growth ambition set out by His Majesty’s Government, with a focus on achieving better performance and lower charges for airlines and passengers, making Heathrow more competitive globally.
Heathrow West offers robust and deliverable solutions for this site; minimising the land required to help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the build, whilst achieving the required hub capacity. Crucially, the shortened runway will avoid the additional cost and disruption associated with crossing the M25 motorway.
The design proposals capitalise on Scott Brownrigg’s long-standing history and wealth of experience in designing and delivering significant airports across the globe, which stretch back to the BOAC Terminal at JFK Airport in New York in 1963 and Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 for the British Airports Authority which opened in 1986, to the more recent award-winning Istanbul Airport in Turkey. The practice is currently involved with airports across Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East, including the ongoing expansion of the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Inherently flexible, the campus will be able to flourish and adapt to changing passenger expectations over time. A 300-meter-long bridge will connect the new terminal to a satellite pier, offering a unique passenger experience as it traverses above a live taxiway below. Proposals also create the potential for an integrated public transport hub and interchange which incorporates a railway station, hotels and below ground parking, providing safe and convenient access to the terminal by car, bus, taxi, bike or train.
Designs for Heathrow West will target a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ sustainability rating for the construction and operational phases of the project. Close collaboration with key stakeholders, such as the Environmental Agency, will ensure proposals respect the needs of the environment, enhance local amenity and leave a positive social legacy.
Recognising the importance of resilience and affordability in Heathrow's expansion, an efficient construction programme will enable the scheme to be delivered within just 10 years and with most of the activity contained within the airport boundary.
Darren Comber, CEO of Scott Brownrigg, said: "We have been working with the Arora Group for over 8 years on the design of an alternative proposal for the Heathrow airport expansion and I am delighted that Arora have now submitted them to the Government for consideration. Our designs fully support Arora's determination to provide a more cost-effective solution that will benefit Britain"
Heathrow West is an opportunity to deliver on the UK Government’s ambition to unlock economic growth and to offer consumers greater choice, with significantly improved levels of efficiency, service and resilience for both airlines and passengers.
If given the go-ahead, the new runway could be operational by 2035, and the first phase of the new Terminal 6 could be complete and open as early as 2036.
