THE LOCATION

Heathrow's Terminal 5 is the airport's flagship terminal. Opened in 2008 and designed by Sir Richard Rogers, it cost about £4.2 billion to build and was engineered to handle roughly 30 million passengers per year. In 2018 it served over 32 million travelers, making it Heathrow's busiest terminal. The facility features vast, sunlit halls with high ceilings and sweeping glass facades. The Embrace project took place in the main check-in and departure lounge – a long concourse under a soaring glass-and-steel roof. Here, dozens of digital screens hang above the check-in desks, and thousands of passengers transit every day. Because Terminal 5 operates continuously, even small visual distractions stand out. Any visible scaffold would clash with the terminal's polished aesthetic, so hiding the structures completely was essential.

THE BRIEF

Mace (the project construction manager) and Palmers Scaffolding needed all seven working scaffold towers concealed safely and efficiently. The client's brief called for full-wrap coverings in Heathrow's corporate purple, ensuring the frames were totally disguised. Each wrap had to use fire-certified material (TS62 rating) to meet indoor safety regulations. Crucially, all installation work had to be done overnight or during very low-traffic periods to avoid disrupting flights, passengers, or security checks. Embrace's task was to design, print, and install the seven wraps under these tight constraints – delivering on time and on budget while preserving the Terminal 5 experience.

THE SOLUTION

Embrace devised a turnkey solution using PVC-free, flame-retardant materials. The team chose Kavalan Sunlight Weldable – a heavy-duty, certified banner material – in the exact purple hue required. Each of the seven scaffold frames was measured and a custom panel printed to fit perfectly. The wraps were printed in-house and finished (hemmed with reinforced edges and attachment fittings) before deployment.

This case demonstrates the benefits of building wraps for airports and other high-profile sites. Embrace's Heathrow project proved that a construction zone can maintain a polished appearance, meet all safety standards, and stay on schedule. The successful delivery – on time, on budget, and compliant with Heathrow's requirements – reassures aviation and construction clients that Embrace provides a practical, eye-catching, and reliable wrap solution, even under the most demanding conditions.