Introduction
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
Gavin Miller, Partner at Rick Mather Architects
Client
TfL/ GLA/ Mayor of London
Location
Heathrow, UK
Size
1,215 hectares
This vision for Heathrow City will see it grow and evolve naturally from the existing airport structure to be a genuine piece of city, defined by its whole context, both present and future, achieving a real sense of place, while accommodating a multiplicity of scenarios. Through working with the existing structure and by seeing the terminals as generators to development, the site can be sequentially and naturally transformed. It will be a model for a city embedded in its setting and wider landscape; singular and collective, tuned for local, regional, national and international opportunity, and composed of distinctive areas, a main centre, with a wide range of building types, held together as a whole.
The former runways define the structure of the City, connecting the various elements together while at the same time acting as orientation devices to define the different neighbourhoods. Each of the ten distinct character areas are connected by these linear runway parks. These seams can absorb more specialist and varied activity along their length, from leisure, education to specialist building types. Each local centre provides a traditional cluster of retail, education and community uses focused around the transport connection and retained airport buildings. By recognising the potential of its position to connect the London and UK economies and addressing the capital's housing shortage, Heathrow City can and must meet these needs, and beyond, being instrumental to how the UK performs for future generations.
BBC News London
'Heathrow City' designs unveiled by architects
Financial Times
Futuristic 'Heathrow City' Visions
Mail Online
Welcome to Heathrow City: Architects reveal 190,000-home town that would spring up if UK's current main hub airport closes
London Evening standard
Architects' design for 190,000 home 'Heathrow City' unveiled
The Courier
'Heathrow City' designs set out
News Letter
Plan for city to replace Heathrow Airport
Londonist
Architects reveal heathrow city designs