| Summary : Underground railway station. With the introduction of larger aircraft to Heathrow Airport in the 1970s saw a pressing need for more terminal buildings. After a 1978 public enquiry, the Government approved the building of a fourth terminal at the airport, in December 1979. A working party considered every possible form of public transport to the new terminal. The scheme that would attract the largest proportion of air passengers to public transport was a single-tunnel Piccadilly loop, diverging from the present line at Hatton Cross, serving a new single-platform station at Terminal 4, and then swinging round in a large loop, eventually to split into two tunnels and make end-on junctions with the over-run tunnels at the then Heathrow Central station. Work started on the 9th February 1983 with the new loop fully equipped and signalled by 3rd November 1985. The station was formally opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 1st April 1986, with the public opening following on the 12th April. It was designed by LUL Architectural Services with cream coloured reconstructed marble as the predominant material, in a restrained style - for the period - looking ahead to a move away from decoration which emerged at the end of the decade. The numeral '4' was cut into the platform walls, and inlaid with its mirror image into the floor to form an arrow at the exit. Much of the signage was fabricated from laminated plastic. This station is unique in that the spacious underground concourse with services and travel shops immediately adjoins the single platform. The concourse plan is based on two adjoining half octagons. |