Posted 18th September 2008 | 4 Comments
New look for Birmingham New Street unveiled
Visionary new design for New Street station. For more images please see New Street New Start (right) and click on the link.
STRIKING concept designs clad in shimmering, reflective metal - the new look Birmingham New Street station - have been unveiled to reveal the city’s gateway of the future. The iconic design is the work of the renowned Foreign Office Architects which beat dozens of rivals to win an international competition to land the prestigious project.
The new station will be covered in reflective sheets of carefully crafted and finished metal and will incorporate three high-technology digital displays which will make entrances to New Street clear and easy to find. Passengers will also enjoy the benefits of a re-designed altrium area which will flood the station with light.
The £600 million Gateway project, a joint scheme between Birmingham City Council, Network Rail, Advantage West Midlands and Centro, will double passenger capacity and create a concourse three-and-a-half times larger than at present and more accessible, brighter and cleaner platforms serviced by 42 new escalators and 14 new lifts. Also, better links to and through the station will be provided for pedestrians with eight new entrances.
Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher said: “We listened to the people of Birmingham and made New Street a top priority – with this new design we can be sure of a top class station for the millions of people who use it every year,”
The concept designs will now be developed by an integrated team which will be led by Network Rail and include Foreign Office Architects, WS Atkins as lead consultant and Mace as delivery partner.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
John Giddins, Brierley Hill, UK
A reporter from a British railway publication was told recently by a Network Rail spokesperson that he couldn't take photographs at New Street without permission because it was private property. This new station is to be built with money from Birmingham City Council, i.e. the ratepayers of Brum, Advantage West Midlands and Network Rail - so all paid for by thee and me just as the original station was in the mid-60's. I don't see much private money or property there!
PE, Brighton
The website for this glorified greenhouse does not mention one word about the environmental aspects of this station, probably because there is nothing positive to say, it is, sadly, good old ego architecture. A project like this should be an exemplar of good environmentally responsible design, if you can't do it on a project of this size then why should anyone else bother? The railway industry needs to pull its environmental socks up pretty quickly as we will be losing our low carbon crown as other modes of transport sort out their act.
Pete, Ostrava, Czech Republic
Shame that the roof does not incorporate solar panels either...
Rich, Calais, France
Shame that arrivals board doesn't include trains from Paris :)