1:400 Scale Model Airport Kit Design

Since a child I have had a fascination with aircraft and the associated airport environment. It's always been a passionate hobby of mine, but it's not just the aeroplanes themselves that have been of interest, it's the corporate identity of the airlines that operate them. In the 1970's - 1980's, the strong visual identities, which were decadent and colourful, were at their peak and design agencies such as Negus + Negus, Landor Associates, Saul Bass and Massimo Vignelli were responsible for some of the most memorable and iconic designs of major international carriers, which are now design classics and a stark contrast to the contemporary "Euro-White" schemes which are minimalistic and economic. I have collected 1:400 model aircraft of the retro era for quite some time and I have a childhood affection for the old Heathrow Airport, which has all but disappeared in a raft of redevelopment, expansion and modernisation. The old 1950's Central Area, designed by architect Sir Frederick Gibberd & Partners, has been swept away, along with Queens Building and the viewing terraces on the old Terminal 2 building. To bring the atmosphere of that era alive again, I have taken on a personal project to recreate the entire airport, including roads, car parks, terminal buildings, maintenance hangars and associated infrastructure, produced in 1:400 scale to compliment the die-cast models in my collection, which is all set during the 1970s - 1980s. Every detail, down to the correct number and type of windows in each of the period buildings, nearly all of which have been demolished, are being recreated from scratch using digital art to create a working model for a traditional card assembly kit. Old working drawings and photographs from a wealth of sources are being used to reference the details and produce an accurate digital interpretation of Heathrow Airport as it appeared during this era, even down to the correct British road markings. I have started with the old British Airways Maintenance Area, a huge complex of hangars and workshop buildings, and so far I've completed two key blocks, part of which survive today; the former BEA Hangar blocks, built in 1955 by Cubitts Ltd., and the enormous "Cathedral Hangar" extension built in 1972 by Murray Ward & Partners, for the new wide-body aircraft then being introduced. All this work has been done during the lockdown in my own spare time, and the sheer size and complexity of these buildings has made it a challenging but interesting (and perhaps quirky) project. The end result will hopefully convey the unique atmosphere and character of the all combined architectural styles of these industrial, technical and functional buildings which developed and grew over many decades from the early Post-War era: the once ubiquitous UK standard "kit built" system designs met Brutalist design and new concept open plans for new Terminal buildings and expansion. Alex Barison 2020