London 2012 athletes and officials departing from the temporary Games Terminal at London Heathrow Airport were treated to a memorable farewell, with the terminal being transformed into an Olympic Park.
The Games Terminal included plants, park benches, replica gas lights, trees and model stags, while some members of staff dressed up as park wardens. The walls displayed London’s skyline and the ‘park’ was also filled with iconic London designs, such as the red telephone box and Routemaster bus.
Athletes departing from London Heathrow – the official host airport of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – were also invited to write down their favourite memory of the Games and hang it on a tree, which will be displayed in the airport after the event. These comments will also be collated into books that will be presented to the 1,300 volunteers who have worked at the airport during the sporting showpiece.
The Games Terminal is part of London Heathrow’s £20 million investment in handling London 2012 passengers and was constructed specifically for the processing of departing athletes and officials. Offsite check-in and bag drop facilities were also installed in the Olympic Village to ease processing.
