New Pockets of a City Three Elizabeth Line Stations London

New pockets of a city Three Elizabeth line stations London BD Architect of the AJ100 Award 2016 Playing a major part in Europe’s Year Award 2016 Architectural Collaboration Infrastructure of the Year (shortlisted for largest infrastructure project Tottenham Court Road station upgrade and Civil engineering projects as colossal as working on Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth line station with Crossrail don’t come about too often. Underground Station over two decades TFL’s Arts team) Crossrail is building 42km of tunnels, 10 ago, we’ve learned what’s required to new stations and improving 30 more. integrate high quality infrastructures into The finished railway, which will be named the communities they serve. We also the Elizabeth line, will be a series of 40 understand what’s needed to ensure accessible stations from Reading and every project is buildable, robust and 6 Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and safe. Success can only be achieved times bigger than before Abbey Wood in the east. Delivering three through careful partnership. Listening and the new ticket hall at of the line’s ten central London stations asking questions of all the stakeholders, was a huge design opportunity. Here and working side by side with the client, Tottenham Court Road was the potential to make a difference authorities, consultants and contractors, Station will serve London to the lives of thousands of passengers are fundamental factors. Underground and daily. It was also a unique chance to Elizabeth line passengers. connect the station designs at Tottenham Building beneath a city is expensive. Court Road, Bond Street and Liverpool Engaging with the entire construction Street with their neighbourhoods: some supply chain is particularly important. of London’s most historic, cultural and Alongside multi-disciplinary engineering industrious districts. teams, we pioneered 3D software that coordinated the design process cost From design through construction effectively. Pushing technology also to delivery, working on the Elizabeth defined the most efficient construction line has been a monumental task with methodology for structures comprising complex challenges to address. Since largely of pre-fabricated components.

Axonometric view of Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth line station Our innovative 3D modelling solution coordinated all of the site’s components before construction. Project: Tottenham Court Road Station, Bond Street Station Designing and delivering (with John McAslan), Liverpool Street Station (with Wilkinson Eyre Architects) Location: London, UK a first for transport Client: Crossrail, London Underground Service: Architecture, urban design, working with artists Scope: Regeneration, new build, mixed use Value: £3bn approximately Crossrail is the first major transport project Local character to integrate public realm with station \Cr ossrail’s stations are truly public The Elizabeth line station entrances at Status: Construction design. Putting vast, complex machinery the Tottenham Court Road interchange in the ground will inevitably have an impact spaces, with a staggering footfall. Good celebrate the diversity in character above. Our wider role as infrastructure between the various locations. The lower architects was to knit the complex design must happen here, so it can be concourse to the west entrance on Soho engineering into the city’s fabric. (shown below) is dark and cinematic, experienced and enjoyed by hundreds a nod to the nocturnal economies that Our ideas were informed by our team of characterise the area. Special light fittings urban designers and architects, as well of thousands of people every day\ absorb the noise, removing the need for as our dedicated research thinktank, Harbinder Singh Birdi Partner suspended ceilings which get damaged which explores how our future cities will during routine maintenance. look. We also wanted to bring the streets overhead underground, enabling us to make connections between each station’s interior and the character of the area on m the doorstep. 200 projected Elizabeth line passengers per year, upon completion.

Gateway to Oxford Street Artworks by minimalist Daniel Buren grace one of the main entrances to Tottenham Court Road Station, the large ticket hall (see front cover), aiding wayfinding.

Exploiting dynamic design modelling Using the latest technology enabled us to generate curved forms for the 250m long platforms and make use of a novel material, glass-fibre reinforced-concrete, to accentuate the design. Making infrastructure human and hard-wearing

Crossrail is delivering 10 new stations for materiality in such conditions requires Thinking 30 metres below and the Elizabeth line, all designed to create an tenacity. The result makes the effort several storeys above excellent passenger experience. worthwhile; moments of joy on a unique Crossrail’s central London stations are In the underground spaces, from station scale. We collaborated with world- the foundation stones for some of the platforms to the top of the escalators, the renowned artist Daniel Buren to create one city’s most high-profile real estate. To architectural forms and materials will be of the largest permanent art installations the Tottenham Court Road over-site recognisably consistent to give passengers found in any transport environment. development, we brought our experience a sense of familiarity all along the route. of building both residential and commercial As passengers move upwards, into the Our architects also worked closely with spaces, optimising the design potential. ticket halls and surrounding streetscape, our interior designer team from the outset, each new station will have its own, distinct not just to please the eye, but to point the character that reflects the environment and way ahead. The use of a varied colour heritage of the local area. palette inside the stations aids wayfinding, helping passengers pass through swiftly, Our approach as infrastructure architects is particularly at peak times. The choice of to ensure that these complex engineering materials was also key; the Elizabeth line projects are also shaped by the users’ is made to last with minimal maintenance. experiences. Crossrail magnifies this The civil spaces, tunnels and station boxes thinking in some of the world’s most highly are designed with a 120-year lifespan in regulated spaces. Tottenham Court Road mind, and each station’s internal fabric will had the additional challenge of keeping still look good into the 2070s. the existing underground station operational. Adding colour, art and

Bond Street Creating clarity Elizabeth line amongst the station escalators complexity The introduction of Cutaway of bronze on the ceiling Tottenham Court Liverpool Street and walls makes a Road Station Elizabeth line historical link to past showing the nature station lower London Underground of the space, concourse station interior designs including the Soho Precast concrete and bronze used in entrance concourse. ceilings and surrounding buildings. metal cladding accentuate the design’s triangulated geometries and deliver a high-quality, robust finish. The ceilings double up as structural support for the station’s over-site development. 120 year lifespan Making the most of your site Hawkins\Brown is a modern British architectural practice with an award- winning approach to design. We put our hearts and minds into realising your project’s potential. You’ll discover creativity, commitment and a desire to collaborate to reach the best solution.

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