Farringdon Station West Ticket Hall Design & Access Statement West Ticket Hall Design & Access Statement ISL/2/2 C136-SWN-A-XST-M123_WS096-00001 P02 Farringdon Station West Ticket Hall Design & Access Statement This Design and Access Statement (DAS) has been prepared in support of the Plans and Specifications application ISL/2/2, made under Schedule 7 to the Crossrail Act, for the West Ticket Hall (WTH) site at the junction of Cowcross Street and Farringdon Road forming part of the Crossrail Farringdon Station. This relates specifically to the construction of a part-double storey, part-triple storey block housing the interchange concourse to connect the Integrated Ticket Hall (currently under construction as part of the Thameslink Programme (TLP)) to the Crossrail platforms, the means of escape and emergency access core, and tunnel ventilation and chiller plant enclosures. The East Ticket Hall (ETH) element of Crossrail station at Farringdon is covered by a separate Schedule 7 Plans and Specifications application to the City of London. The WTH site is bounded by Cowcross Street to the north, Caxton House to the south, the TLP Integrated Ticket Hall (ITH) to the east, and Farringdon Road to the west. The station‟s key design objectives are to: Provide a world class passenger experience along with efficient access to Crossrail platforms; Integrate with Thameslink‟s Integrated Ticket Hall; Provide efficient station function; Maximise active street frontages; Provide capacity to integrate with the proposed Over Site Development (OSD) Enhance local amenity values; and Respect, and minimise the impact of the development on, the setting of nearby Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. The WTH provides a new interchange concourse to the Integrated Ticket Hall which will be shared between Crossrail and Thameslink services, together with the Crossrail station services structure which provides for critical functional requirements including tunnel and station ventilation plant and air ducts, emergency services access and means of escape, and service access for both the station and OSD. The WTH layout has been developed to provide: A layout designed to accommodate station facilities critical to the operational needs in such a manner so as to maximise the area available for active street frontage and ground floor uses. A structure designed to fully integrate with the larger mass of the eventual OSD, limiting the station‟s street presence to fire escape stairs and ventilation louvres. A structure that allows for the future OSD façade treatment and over-cladding of the station to enable the ultimate development to be read as one. The station‟s currently proposed external finishes (prior to future OSD development) have been selected to provide functional weather-proofing to the station structure whilst maintaining an appearance consistent with the palette of materials used elsewhere in the area on other modern commercial buildings. Accesibility has been carefully considered throughout the design development of the WTH. The station has been designed to provide clear, efficient and safe access for all, including step-free access and lifts for passengers and station staff with restricted mobility. The completed Farringdon Station complex will be a major interchange hub linking Crossrail, Thameslink and London Underground networks, becoming one of the busiest stations in the country and a destination in its own right. Page 3 of 51 © Crossrail Limited C136-SWN-A-XST-M123_WS096-00001 P02 Farringdon Station West Ticket Hall Design & Access Statement Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 3 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Scope of the Statement ................................................................................... 7 1.2 Schedule 7 Structure for Approval ................................................................. 7 1.3 Introduction to Crossrail ................................................................................. 7 2 Context ........................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Historical Context .......................................................................................... 11 2.2 Built Context .................................................................................................. 12 2.3 Planning Context ........................................................................................... 13 2.4 WTH Site Development Constraints ............................................................. 15 3 The Design Objectives & Vision ................................................................... 19 3.1 Design Objectives .......................................................................................... 19 3.2 Design Vision ................................................................................................. 20 4 The Proposal .................................................................................................. 23 4.1 Farringdon Station Overview ........................................................................ 23 4.2 Integrated Ticket Hall .................................................................................... 26 4.3 Integrated Ticket Hall and Crossrail WTH .................................................... 27 5 The West Ticket Hall Design ......................................................................... 29 5.1 Layout ............................................................................................................. 29 5.2 Scale ............................................................................................................... 31 5.3 Appearance .................................................................................................... 32 6 Access Issues ................................................................................................ 37 6.1 Paid Concourse Accessibility ....................................................................... 37 6.2 Specific Access Issues in relation to the Crossrail WTH ............................ 37 6.3 Access Summary ........................................................................................... 38 7 Over Site Development.................................................................................. 41 8 Landscaping and Indicative Public Realm ................................................... 45 9 Summary & Conclusions .............................................................................. 49 Page 5 of 51 © Crossrail Limited C136-SWN-A-XST-M123_WS096-00001 P02 Farringdon Station West Ticket Hall Design & Access Statement "With the completion of the Crossrail and Thameslink programmes, This Design and Access Statement (DAS) has been produced to provide supporting information compiled in accordance with Crossrail Planning Forum Note 5 as required by the planning regime established under passengers can look forward to better, faster journeys from a station set to Schedule 7 of the Crossrail Act. This statement provides Islington Council with information to assist with the become the busiest in Britain. determination of the Plans and Specification submission reference ISL/2/2, and is not in itself for approval. The scope of this statement is limited to the above-ground structures that form the West Ticket Hall (WTH) at Under those plans, the fully redeveloped station will act as an elegant gateway Farringdon Station. to London, Britain and the continent.” Former Transport Minister Theresa Villiers The scope of this Schedule 7 submission is limited to the design and external appearance of the WTH above- ground structures. Below-ground structures and internal spaces on the paid side of the ticket barriers are not for approval. This DAS provides further information on the station design to assist the Council in determining the Schedule 7 application. Crossrail is a major new cross-London rail link project that has been developed to serve London and the southeast of England. Crossrail will support and maintain the status of London as a world city by providing a world class transport system. The project includes a twin bore tunnel on a west-east alignment under central London and the upgrading of National Rail lines to the east and west of central London. The project will enable the introduction of a range of new and improved rail journeys into and through London. It includes the construction of seven central area stations, providing interchange with London Underground, National Rail and London bus services, and the upgrading or renewal of existing stations outside central London. Crossrail will provide fast, efficient and convenient rail access to the West End and the City by linking existing routes from Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, with Maidenhead and Heathrow Airport in the west. Crossrail will be a significant addition to the transport infrastructure of London and the southeast of England. It will deliver improved services for rail users through the relief of crowding, faster journeys and the provision of a range of new direct journey opportunities. The project will also have wider social and economic benefits for London and the southeast of England. Figure 1: Crossrail route map and interchanges Figure 2: Destinations from Farringdon Station Page 7 of 51 © Crossrail Limited