VCR Air Traffic Control Tower
A new Air Traffic Control Tower is being provided at Heathrow Airport. It is needed because the existing tower is not adequate to cover the airport once the new Terminal 5 is in operation. The tower is due to be in operation before Terminal 5 is brought into service in 2008.
The design was developed by Richard Rogers Partnership and was intended to provide an iconic image which would be associated with the Terminal 5 project.
The tower consists of a ‘cab’ located approximately 90m above ground level and a ‘base building’ located at ground level. The two areas are connected by a spiral staircase located within a central shaft. The cab is also supported by three sets of cables which extend to ground level around the outside of the base building.
The design itself is highly innovative and presented a number of challenges. The function of the tower is to control airplane movement throughout the terminal and surrounding area. As such, it would not be possible to immediately evacuate the building even if a fire occurred because this would present a major risk to the aircraft.
The tower is an essential part of the operation of the whole of Heathrow Airport. Any disruption to the operational continuity of the tower has enormous financial consequences for the airport.
Exova Warringtonfire consultants won an award for their work on this project. For more information on that click here. For more information on the submission for the award and a detailed background to the project, click on the link below to download a pdf synopsis of the work.
