Queens Building, Heathrow

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
The Queens Building was built as part of a new central area for London Airport (as Heathrow was known at the time). It was designed in 1950 by <a href="/facts/Frederick_Gibberd/orCR6cUD">Frederick Gibberd</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a> Though it was initially going to be named "Eastern Apex Building", upon opening by Queen Elizabeth II it was announced it would be named the "Queens Building" after the Queen.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> The office buildings held the airport's administration, as well as airline offices and the only business and conference centre on airport property.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a> In 1956, it was one of the most visited attractions in London due to its runway viewing platforms and rooftop gardens.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a> It was a very popular location with <a href="/facts/Plane_spotter/UYdhae4M">plane spotters</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> The Queens Building was also constructed with an immigration detention facility designed for holding immigration offenders short-term for up to five days.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a> This facility was in use until 1994 when a new immigration detention centre was opened at Cayley House on the Heathrow campus.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a>
In 2005, BAA announced that the Queens Building would be demolished alongside the old Terminal 2 building before rebuilding Terminal 2. BAA chairman <a href="/facts/Sir_Nigel_Rudd/m3SjQAPN">Sir Nigel Rudd</a> said "The Queens Building has long sat at the heart of Heathrow, but the past must make way for the future...".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a> Despite this, the Queens Building was expanded in 2006 to include new offices.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> All airlines gradually moved out and BAA moved their offices to the <a href="/facts/Compass_Centre/2xKRVJKQ">Compass Centre</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a> Demolition started in 2009, with Terminal 2 flights being diverted to help facilitate the demolition.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">"1955: Queen opens London Airport terminal". BBC News. 16 December 1955. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_4035000/4035801.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_4035000/4035801.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"Airport demolition work beginning". BBC News. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8280021.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8280021.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"BAA Corporate Office location map" (PDF). BAA. Archived from the original on 2 May 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2018 – via Wayback Machine.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060502040537/http://www.baa.com/assets/B2CPortal/Static%20Files/corporateoffice_location_map_2004.PDF" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20060502040537/http://www.baa.com/assets/B2CPortal/Static%20Files/corporateoffice_location_map_2004.PDF</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Queens building at Heathrow is demolished". Get West London. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/queens-building-heathrow-demolished-6005828" target="_blank">http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/queens-building-heathrow-demolished-6005828</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"1955: Queen opens London Airport terminal". BBC News. 16 December 1955. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_4035000/4035801.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_4035000/4035801.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">"Lufthansa flies back to Scotland". The Herald. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180104013910/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23729744.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20180104013910/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23729744.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">"Queens building at Heathrow is demolished". Get West London. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/queens-building-heathrow-demolished-6005828" target="_blank">http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/queens-building-heathrow-demolished-6005828</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Heathrow's Myrtle Avenue: A plane spotter's paradise". BBC News. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18817472" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18817472</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Rose, David (21 May 1985). "Detention centre at Heathrow 'better than the police cells'". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1985/may/21/immigrationpolicy" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1985/may/21/immigrationpolicy</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">Bosworth, Mary (2014). Inside Immigration Detention. Oxford University Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-0199675470. <a href="978-0199675470" target="_blank">978-0199675470</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">"Preparations underway for Heathrow Terminal 2". Holiday Extras. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="https://www.holidayextras.co.uk/news/hx-travel/preparations-underway-for-heathrow-terminal-2-11760.html" target="_blank">https://www.holidayextras.co.uk/news/hx-travel/preparations-underway-for-heathrow-terminal-2-11760.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">"Queens Building, Heathrow". 3econsult.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180104013732/http://www.3econsult.com/case-studies/queens-building-heathrow" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20180104013732/http://www.3econsult.com/case-studies/queens-building-heathrow</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">"BAA Project". Graphic Image Solutions Limited. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2018 – via Wayback Machine. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110516160433/http://www.graphicis.co.uk/project_baa.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110516160433/http://www.graphicis.co.uk/project_baa.html</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">"Airport demolition work beginning". BBC News. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2018. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8280021.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8280021.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Queens Building, Heathrow open-in-new

Queens Building, Heathrow