The brilliance of Stansted Airport is in simplicity. Requested to design somewhere that was energy efficient and discreet against the landscape, Norman Foster went back to the oldest and earliest styles of airport, realising that, originally, airports presented a straight route from arrival, through the terminal and onto the plane. Stripping away excessive floors and roundabout wandering, it has been claimed as the "reinvention of airports". All service distribution systems are contained within the structural 'tree trunks' which rise up from the undercroft through the main concourse floor. These trees support a lightweight roof, which just keeps out rain and lets in light. The concourse is entirely daylit on all but the most overcast of days, meaning running costs are half those of elsewhere.

Written by  George Monkhouse.

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