People-focused
Our attention to the passenger experience was paramount in the design. We incorporated improvements to the functional operation of the station, considering the end-to-end passenger journey. Located in a conservation area, the design of the above ground infrastructure was equally as important as the complex routes and spaces below. We created free standing urban sculptures to mask the vent shafts and emergency escape shafts, with mirrored stainless steel surfaces to reflect the surrounding environment.
The apparent simplicity of the design approach reflects the modernist preoccupation with a reduction of the design problem to its bare essentials.
Richard Burdett, Chairman of the Architecture Foundation
Inventive
Cast iron cladding panels take an old technology and update it; they show how the construction works are more cost effective as a repetitive element manufactured off-site. The cladding system incorporates a sound absorbent quilt behind the panels, which also serves as a light reflector for the uplights mounted on the service boom.
There is no need for elaborate graphics or sophisticated signage. They have allowed the space to speak for itself – to go with the flow
Richard Burdett, former chairman of the Architecture Foundation
Responsible
Much of the original Victorian structure was incorporated into the new station. Existing openings in adjoining tunnels were retained and reused wherever practical. Any required new openings were made within the existing arches wherever possible. Not only did this enhance the station’s significant heritage features, but it reduced the amount of new material needed for construction.