London's Heathrow Airport has unveiled a transformative, Grimshaw Architects-designed masterplan proposal that could reshape the airport as well as its immediate surroundings. 

As part of the plan, airport authorities aim to open a third runway to the north of the London airport by 2026, followed by incremental improvements due to come online over the following two decades. Ultimately, the plan is expected to be fully implemented by 2050.

According to the plan, the runway will be placed atop an existing highway and will also extend across a nearby river. In order to construct the runway, the airport will also need to demolish 750 homes, including the entire village of Longford, CNN reports. 

The plan envisions completely transforming and reprogramming the airport's facilities to incorporate new stacked parking facilities, new cargo hubs, additional mechanical areas, new hotels, several new terminals, as well as the new runway. The designs will include a focus creating a series of "third spaces" that bridge indoor and outdoor environments with leisure and gathering areas, according to planning documentation. 

The concept was formally approved by the British Parliament in 2018. In May of 2019, Britain's High Court struck down environmental challenges to the project. With those hurdles overcome, planning and community outreach can continue for the expansion.