design et al are delighted to announce luis vidal + architects as a shortlisted company at the International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2015. The newly opened Terminal 2 “The Queen’s Terminal,” at Heathrow Airport will compete for the Airport Lounge/Terminal Award.

Designed to be an extension of the city of London, like cathedrals of the past, Vidal intended for the terminal to be a destination in itself—an iconic building where people can relax, enjoy the welcoming atmosphere and experience the wide range of amenities, services and retail the airport has to offer.

Natural light, acoustics, textures and colors, intuitive way finding and retail and amenities are all elements in which Vidal incorporated into the terminal to enhance the passenger experience.

Consistent with many of Vidal’s previous airport designs is Terminal 2’s striking roof, soon to be an iconic image of London. Oriented to the north, it supports the environmental credentials of the building by providing a generous presence of natural light, while also benefiting from a reduction in solar gain and energy consumption.

As Heathrow’s most sustainable terminal yet, Terminal 2 reduces CO2 emissions by 40 percent compared to the buildings it replaces and will be the world’s first airport to be awarded a BREEAM EXCELLENT rating for its sustainable building design.