Show Navigation
A Week at Heathrow book All Galleries
Add to Cart Download

Heathrow Book, the best of

50 images Created 6 Oct 2009

The best 50 images from 'A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary'.

In the summer of 2009, photographer Richard Baker and essayist Alain de Botton were commissioned by London Heathrow Airport's owners to become their first ever writer and photographer in residence.

With the creative freedom to say and photograph what they felt and saw, they have created an uplifting and unique journey through the days and nights of the UK's largest airport.

While de Botton was installed in the middle of Terminal 5 on a raised platform with a laptop connected to screens, enabling passengers to see what he is writing and to come and share their stories, Baker was given free reign to experience one of the world's busiest airports from the perspective of both passengers and of those workers who daily keep the aviation hub up and running. Despite excellent credentials, access was bureaucratically complicated but areas where signs indicated 'No Photography' were places where Richard was eventually allowed to wander largely unhindered.

At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year though its controversial public consultation took 19 years, opening in 2008 to chaotic baggage mishandling.

From the British Airways crews and aircraft; refuellers and baggage handlers; the security teams; in-flight meal kitchens to peddling Paramedics it also covers the everyday emotional reaction of parting lovers and reunited families; the glorious cathedral-like architecture and the night time quiet.

The resulting book is a meditation upon the nature of place, time, and our daily lives. It explores the magical and the mundane, personal and collective experiences and the interactions of travellers and workers all over this familiar but mysterious site. Like all airports, Heathrow is a 'non-place' that we by definition want to leave, but it also provides a window into many worlds - through the thousands of people it dispatches every day.

Loading ()...

  • A young girl in transit between India and the US, entertains herself by throwing her pet toy tiger as far as the ceiling in a departure window of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. In front of a Boeing 777 jet airliner's nose and cockpit, the girl is a silhouette against the large windows that allow in the natural light. Behind the parked aircraft, another British Airways passenger jet taxies past, its tail at right-angles to the stationary airplane although they both look like the same plane. With her family baggage next to her, the child is enjoying some hours of freedom before another long-haul flight westwards. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport443-14-07-2009.jpg
  • A wide night view looking down on the rubber-stained of runway 27R at Heathrow Airport. During a time-exposure and partially-lit by the headlights and spotlights of an airfield emergency vehicle, we see the giant numbers 27 that landing pilots will see from a mile away as they descend towards the airport's threshold. The numbers relate to the compass bearing that the line of the runway takes: In this case 270 degrees from north and has a parallel southern twin. Across the number two we also see a set of taxiway lights that help the steering pilot navigate across the airfield and line-up on the departing runway. .From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1105-11-08-2009.jpg
  • A female security officer has spotted an abandoned bag with the words 'Giraffe To Go' on the side, inside a lift of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. The woman talks urgently but calmly using her walkie-talkie. She needs to report it to her controllers as a suspicious package but may turn out to be an innocent lunch bag left by a hurrying and absent-minded passenger, realising their flight is about to close, instead of a bomb left by a malicious terrorist. The lady bends down to give as accurate description as she can before airport police arrive to determine how serious the treat is and possibly order a costly evacuation. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport505-14-07-2009.jpg
  • Out of focus, anonymous passengers pass-by against strong backlight in Departures at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport1444-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Looking up through a transparent floor, we see motionless passengers standing and waiting for a lift to arrive at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 'Heathrow Express' train link to central London. With their possessions of wheelie bags and a trolley laden wuth luggage, the unseen peoples' feet make a hard impression on the flooring with strong diagonal lines of this industrial design by architects HOK International in conjunction with Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ...
    heathrow_airport813-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Roof architecture showing Torso Node engineering strength at Heathrow airport's terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport685-17-07-2009.jpg
  • Honeymooners kiss before their round-the-world adventure departing from Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5B
    heathrow_airport1525-19-08-2009.jpg
  • A departing lover hugs her boyfriend farewell before her long-haul flight in the Departures concourse at. Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. While embracing her young man, she gazes off into the distance amid the otherwise busy airport terminal where the emotions of parting as well as the joys of reunited loved-ones are played out in various parts of aviation hubs around the world. They are both in their own worlds, removed from the noise and confusion of other passengers. Her departure is brief and yet their sadness of being separated is plainly too much to bear. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1483-19-08-2009.jpg
  • Female security operative feels around a lady passenger's back for suspect items during search at Heathrow Airport's T5
    heathrow_airport1462-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Passengers read flight departure information in the departures concourse at Heathrow's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport624-15-07-2009.jpg
  • A parked British Airways aircraft is seen through the window at departures level at Heathrow airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport743-22-07-2009.jpg
  • Wing tips and tails from British Airways 747-400 jet airliners are almost touching during their respective turnrounds while on the apron outside Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 building. A passing aircraft taxies past on the left and the other two planes have wingtip devices increase the lift generated at the wingtip which smooth the airflow across the upper wing near the tip and reduce the lift-induced drag caused by wingtip vortices. This improves lift-to-drag ratio and increases fuel efficiency, in powered aircraft. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport1593-20-08-2009.jpg
  • A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340 crosses the perimeter fence at Heathrow Airport on its way to an international destination. Seen from below, the passing Jumbo takes-off and climbs under full take-off power over the surrounding airfield security fence. Its razor-wire is an effective deterrent against protesters or terrorists and symbolises the lengths that airport authorities (in this case BAA) need go to to ensure their property is safe. The aircraft is seen almost entangled in the secure wire as if passing through the mesh. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1053-11-08-2009.jpg
  • WH Smiths Berlitz travel literature on sale in departures shopping area of Heathrow airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport956-10-08-2009.jpg
  • Travel shoulder bags on display in the Paul Smith shop window at Heathrow airport's terminal 5
    heathrow_airport1001-11-08-2009.jpg
  • Individual trays for airline baggage in the Early Bags Store where 4,000 pieces are held. 50-70,000 pieces of British Airways baggage a day travel through 11 miles of conveyor belts which were installed in a 5-storey underground hall beneath the 400m (a quarter of a mile) length of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Here we see items of luggage spending 4 hours in transit, held in a fully-automated parking lot for bags. Computers decide when to fish the item out and re-introduce it into the system and load it on to the appropriate aircraft. T5 alone has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year and was completed in 2008 at a cost of £4.3bn. The system was designed by an integrated team from the airport operator BAA, BA and Vanderlande Industries of the Netherlands, and handles both intra-terminal and inter-terminal luggage. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009).
    heathrow_airport1187-13-08-2009.jpg
  • A lady employee of the world's largest independent provider of airline catering and provisioning services, Gate Gourmet, reaches out to add the last items in the company's factory on the southern perimeter road at Heathrow Airport, West London. Gate Gourmet serve more than 200 million meals on 2 million airline flights a year to their 250-plus airline customers at more than 100 airport locations around the globe. Apart from creating the bespoke meals for an airline's culture and ethnic demands, that pack the pre-flight carts, deliver and load into the aircraft galleys and afterwards, they dispose of the waste and strip, wash and sterilize the equipment. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1349-18-08-2009.jpg
  • Fragrance male model advertising images on screen matrix at World of Duty Free at Heathrow's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport361-13-07-2009.jpg
  • A male security operative uncovers forbidden bottle of Vodka among a passenger's hand baggage during search at Heathrow T5
    heathrow_airport1470-18-08-2009.jpg
  • NHS Paramedic Janet Greenhead attends to a lady passenger in Heathrow airport's terminal 3 who has tripped on escalators and badly gashed her leg. Janet applies a dressing and cleans the deep wound before advising the lady to visit a local hospital. Paramedics 'Responders' are with the cycle response unit (CRU), part of the London Ambulance Service whose job is to attend injuries within Heathrow, cycling through the terminals on mountain bikes. She answers radio calls from those with a cut finger, a baggage handler who's injured an arm, a child who's fallen over with cuts and bruises or a much more serious incident like a cardiac arrest which are common in an airport where passengers feel under stress or who forget to take their medicines while jet lagged. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1207-13-08-2009.jpg
  • We look down behind an airline passenger who is alone on seating in the departures concourse of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. Mourning the death of a mother, the lady sits with a floral tribute to the recently-deceased relative whose name 'Mum' is laid out next to her in pink flowers. On her lap is the organic Soil Association's magazine Living Earth. Perhaps the woman is on her way to a family funeral and is flying from T5 on this sad flight. Amid the otherwise bustling international airport, the woman seeks solace and tries to sleep before her check-in zone opens. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport1122-12-08-2009.jpg
  • A young mother holds up her daughter to insert a letter into a post box at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5. The girl half-climbs up the red pillar box and tries to get the postage item into the narrow slot which is an even tighter fit because of security considerations - avoiding larger and potentially dangerous packages from entering the airport's postal system. In the background we see the bustle of a departures concourse where British Airways passengers walk past after having checked-in at BA's hub terminal. At a cost of £4.3 billion, Terminal 5 has the capacity to serve around 30 million passengers a year. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). ..
    heathrow_airport684-17-07-2009.jpg
  • Seen from an aerial view far above the ground level, is a young boy who leaps across a fountain water feature landscape outside Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 building .created by the Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners). The highlight of a high sun glints off the wet pavement as 55 Choreoswitch waterswitches made by Ocmis are linked to 11 pumps located in a purpose built basement plant room beneath the Plaza. The switches are linked to a unit that also controls the 110 colour changing LED lights integrated into the nozzle housings. Displays can be fast and energetic with dramatic colours or subdued and gentle. From writer Alain de Botton's book project "A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary" (2009). .
    heathrow_airport395-13-07-2009.jpg
  • Club Class passengers enjoying luxurious facilities at the British Airways Galleries Club lounge at Heathrow Airport's T5
    heathrow_airport924-10-08-2009.jpg
  • Wearing kilts, boys from a Scottish scout group sit and in the departures concourse of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.
    heathrow_airport490-14-07-2009.jpg
Next
View: 25 | All
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Richard Baker Photography

  • Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Blog