Passengers flying from London Heathrow’s Terminal 3, Gate 25 will now be treated to a garden of 1,680 plants, including the English native Ivy and Peace Lily.
Heathrow’s “Garden Gate,” installed by urban greening specialists Biotecture, will be trialed for the next 6 months. If the trial is a success, Heathrow will explore implementing Garden Gates across the airport.
Heathrow’s Garden Gate is its latest effort to make every journey better, following a record-breaking first half of 2016 which saw the highest passenger satisfaction scores to date. It will provide an eco-sanctuary within Britain’s busiest airport. Academic research points to a correlation between calm, comfort and relaxation and exposure to plants.
On average, 287,274 passengers go through Gate 25, Terminal 3, every year.
Emma Gilthorpe, Strategy Director at Heathrow says:
“We are proud to have received our best ever passenger service scores to date this summer, but we are always keen to make our passengers’ journeys better. With our new Garden Gate, our passengers can enjoy a natural sanctuary of rest and relaxation as they make their way through the airport, with 1,680 plants ready to see them on their way.”
Richard Sabin, Director of Biotecture, said:
“The Garden Gate at Heathrow is the latest, and perhaps most iconic, living wall representing the advancement of eco-technologies in the UK. The world’s major cities are increasingly investing in green infrastructure, and the Garden Gate, both technically and ecologically, is cutting edge for its ease of installation, unique plant selection and LED lighting system. As the nexus of transit and technology, transportation hubs are ideal locations for green infrastructure to become an investment in public health and wellbeing.”
Heathrow has once again received recognition for high service standards, being named the ‘Best Airport in Western Europe’ for the second consecutive year at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2016. The award, voted for globally by passengers, came in addition to Terminal 5 being voted the world’s ‘Best Airport Terminal’ and Heathrow ‘Best Airport for Shopping’ for the fifth and seventh consecutive years respectively. For the first time, Heathrow has also received the prestigious award of ‘Europe’s Best Airport’ (with over 40 million passengers) in the 2016 ASQ Awards. Finally, Heathrow also received ACI Europe’s Best Airport Award for the third time.
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