

transport for london unveils proposals for heathrow city

image © hawkins\brown

all images courtesy of heathrow city / the mayor of london’s office

three leading british architecture practices have unveiled proposed plans for the redevelopment of london’s heathrow airport, transforming the existing site into a new town. transport for london commissioned the design teams to find solutions that would cover several options for the reprogramming of heathrow airport if a new hub airport to the east of the capital is agreed by the government. the mayor of london believes that important infrastructure decisions, such as airport expansion, must contribute towards a wider and longer term plan for london that takes into account the challenges posed by rapidly growing population levels.

the mayor of london, boris johnson, explained: ‘the demand for new homes and jobs in the capital is such that we must be ready to start redeveloping heathrow the moment it moves to its new site. and the sooner we start planning the better. we asked our architects to be as creative as possible and these designs illustrate strikingly different visions of a heathrow of the future. however the key point is that all these scenarios would potentially create some of the many thousands of new jobs and homes this city will require given london is expected to increase in size by a fifth within the next 15 years. how we deal with that is something we need to be planning for and debating right now. those discussions must not be delayed.‘

the various plans – submitted by hawkins\brown, rick mather architects and maccreanor lavington – include proposals for lush park land, scientific research centers and a factory for modular housing units, enabling residents to build their own homes.

each of the designs will be displayed at are at new london architecture until august 9th, 2014. read more about each proposal below.

hawkins\brown



‘romance of the sky’ by hawkins\brown aims to increase the rate of new housing being built

image © hawkins\brown

entitled ‘romance of the sky’, hawkins\brown’s proposal aims to increase the rate of new housing being built by creating a factory for building homes. online customization would allow citizens to order homes to match their own specifications, while digital fabrication technology would make endless possible iterations no more expensive than standard products. intended to capture the public’s imagination, the scheme also includes an airship port and an expansive area of greenery, where the airport’s existing runways are turned into a continuous linear park.

‘a big site like heathrow needs big ideas. heathrow city should be a platform for innovation on a massive scale. we want to capture the same pioneering spirit and romance that characterized heathrow’s first airborne adventures. we hope our vision inspires other new ideas about heathrow’s and london’s future’, commented darryl chen, partner at hawkins\brown.



online customization would allow citizens to order homes to match their own specifications

image © hawkins\brown



digital fabrication technology would make endless possible iterations no more expensive than standard products

image © hawkins\brown

rick mather architects



‘the transforming city’ by rick mather architects uses the existing heathrow site as a generator for development

image © rick mather architects

rick mather architects has put forward a scheme where the existing heathrow site evolves to become a hub city, using the structure and the terminals as generators for development. former runways would define the city’s urban plan, connecting ten distinct local centers, all of which would provide a cluster of retail, education and community uses. developers would look to create a research, technology and manufacturing hub that might specialize in housing production, hydroponics, anaerobic digestion and biofuels. a wide range of new housing types would include 21st century reinterpretations of successful models of individual houses, terraces, mansion blocks and communal squares.

gavin miller, partner at rick mather architects, explains: ‘our proposal, ‘the transforming city‘, explores the natural emergence of a vibrant and integrated new hub city from the existing airport structure, embedded in its setting and wider landscape, singular and distinctive, at one with its immediate setting and locality, yet fully tuned for regional, national and international opportunity.’



former runways would define the city’s urban plan, connecting ten distinct local centers

image © rick mather architects



developers would look to create research, technology and manufacturing hubs

image © rick mather architects



a wide range of housing types would include 21st century reinterpretations of successful models of accommodation

image © rick mather architects

maccreanor lavington



the ‘livable city’ by maccreanor lavington aims to develop a fully functioning city within the metropolis

image © maccreanor lavington

the ‘livable city’, developed by maccreanor lavington architects, aims to develop a fully functioning city within the metropolis, characterized by a rich mix of ecology, culture and employment. existing buildings are used to establish fresh development and new forestation is laid down. a technology campus to satisfy london’s global status for scientific research and development would be built to the east of the current site with good links to the thames hub and to existing technology industries. new housing would be influenced by emerging trends that might include self build, community-led development, temporary housing, a development corporation and developer-led housing delivery. the former terminal 2 building would be renovated to become a civic center and retail hub that would form the heart of the community at heathrow city.

‘heathrow has outgrown its location. it is not only a nuisance for many of the residential neighborhoods in west london but it is also a hindrance for growth. if london is to maximize its influence from coast to coast then the airport should move and this site should be the future catalyst’, said gerrard maccreanor, director of maccreanor lavington.