Malaysia Airlines lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3

Design: Czarska

Specialist airline designer Czarska is designing and implementing the Malaysia Airlines lounges Europewide. At Heathrow Terminal 3, the consultancy had 950m2 to work with. ‘It’s an in-fill building tagged on to an extension,’ says Czarska principal Isobel Czarska, and achieving the right quality of services was difficult. As water features play a prominent role in the lounge, mechanical and electrical work accounted for 68 per cent of the value of the contract.

The concept for the lounge is taken from the elements of fire, earth and water to provide a restful, serene environment for long-haul travellers. ‘We don’t want to rev them up, we want to calm them down for their journey,’ says Czarska. The colour palette is cream and soft beige, with flooring in pale bamboo and natural teak, with pale limestone on walkways and walls.

Etched glass doors to the right of the reception desk open into a daylight-flooded space, the lightness emphasised by the minimal architecture and pale-coloured finishes of wool-andleather upholstery. ‘Business lounges are more like first class hotels these days, and rightly so,’ says Czarska.

The business class section lacks the floor to ceiling windows, but this is compensated for by the large water features, which reflect dappled light on the ceiling and produce a soothing sound. Even at the back of the business class area, which lacks natural light, there is no sense of claustrophobia, because throughout the space the architectural elements have been designed to ensure that there are always glimpses through and beyond the immediate environment. A touch of colour is brought into the business areas with several chairs upholstered in mid blue. Furniture is designed by Czarska and Davison Highley.

Facilities in the lounge include seating and hospitality areas, business centres, a bistro, bar, dining area, shower-rooms, a nursery, prayer and relaxation rooms.

see also “DW200012010053”