Heathrow Airport’s new-look Terminal 2 is tipped to become a destination in itself

THIS terminal has undergone such a transformation, it’s claimed it will make travel faster - but people will want to stay.

The departure lounge of Heathrow airport’s new Terminal 2. Picture: Getty

THE rundown, overcrowded Terminal 2 at London’s sprawling Heathrow Airport is long gone, about to be replaced by a spacious new building built to handle 20 million passengers each year.

The new facility has been hailed as a cornerstone of Heathrow’s revitalisation ahead of the June 4 opening.

Lead architect Luis Vidal said its extensive use of natural light and high quality acoustics should make it a calm space for travellers accustomed to high anxiety at dark, noisy airports.

A sculpture in the under-construction departure lounge of Heathrow’s new Terminal 2. Picture: Getty

“If you make it intuitive, pleasant, joyful, you can take away a completely different memory of the terminal,” he said.

“You can never completely erase your memory of the former Terminal 2, because it was a dreadful experience. This will be completely the opposite. This will be a destination. People will want to come here.”

British artist Richard Wilson’s artwork “Slipstream” in the new Terminal 2 is suspended 18m above the ground, weighs 77 tonnes and is 78m in long and is inspired by the flight path of a stunt plane. Picture: Getty

Part of the rebranding strategy calls for the new Terminal 2 to be known as The Queen’s Terminal.

The plan has Queen Elizabeth’s blessing - and she plans to officially open the facility, just as she did the original Terminal 2 in 1955.

Construction work continues on Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2. Picture: Getty

The $4.55 billion building, in conjunction with the relatively new Terminal 5 that opened in 2008, gives Heathrow two modern terminals.

The major construction is part of an almost $20 billion refurbishment designed to keep Heathrow competitive with other major European hubs including Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris.

Boarding pass checking machines are ready to go in the new Terminal 2. Picture: Getty

Heathrow officials say they are still pushing to build a controversial third runway, which is opposed by London Mayor Boris Johnson and influential environmental groups.

John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s development director, said the new terminal’s completion shows Heathrow has complied with the last Labour government’s directive that the airport should improve without growing.

The departures hall in the new Terminal 2. Picture: AFP

“Our challenge now is to make the case to expand,” he said, admitting that getting permission would be “politically complex”.

He also claimed the new Terminal 2 would reduce the “stacking” problem over Heathrow that often causes delays as planes await permission to land.

The view from above the huge installation artwork “Slipstream” in the new Terminal 2. Picture: AFP