New pockets of a city

Three Elizabeth line stations London

Playing a major part in Europe’s largest infrastructure project

Civil engineering projects as colossal as Crossrail don’t come about too often. Crossrail is building 42km of tunnels, 10 new stations and improving 30 more. The finished railway, which will be named the Elizabeth line, will be a series of 40 accessible stations from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. Delivering three of the line’s ten central London stations was a huge design opportunity. Here was the potential to make a difference to the lives of thousands of passengers daily. It was also a unique chance to connect the station designs at Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Liverpool Street with their neighbourhoods: some of London’s most historic, cultural and industrious districts. From design through construction to delivery, working on the Elizabeth line has been a monumental task with complex challenges to address. Since

working on Tottenham Court Road Underground Station over two decades ago, we’ve learned what’s required to integrate high quality infrastructures into the communities they serve. We also understand what’s needed to ensure every project is buildable, robust and safe. Success can only be achieved through careful partnership. Listening and asking questions of all the stakeholders, and working side by side with the client, authorities, consultants and contractors, are fundamental factors.

Building beneath a city is expensive. Engaging with the entire construction supply chain is particularly important. Alongside multi-disciplinary engineering teams, we pioneered 3D software that coordinated the design process cost effectively. Pushing technology also defined the most efficient construction methodology for structures comprising largely of pre-fabricated components.

AJ100 Award 2016Architectural Collaboration of the Year (shortlisted for Tottenham Court Road station upgrade and Elizabeth line station with TFL’s Arts team)

Axonometric view of Tottenham Court Road Elizabeth line stationOur innovative 3D modelling solution coordinated all of the site’s components before construction.

BD Architect of the Year Award 2016 Infrastructure

6times bigger than beforethe new ticket hall at Tottenham Court Road Station will serve London Underground and Elizabeth line passengers.

Crossrail is the first major transport project to integrate public realm with station design. Putting vast, complex machinery in the ground will inevitably have an impact above. Our wider role as infrastructure architects was to knit the complex engineering into the city’s fabric.

Our ideas were informed by our team of urban designers and architects, as well as our dedicated research thinktank, which explores how our future cities will 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 the doorstep.

\ Crossrail’s stations are truly public spaces, with a staggering footfall. Good design must happen here, so it can be experienced and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people every day\ Harbinder Singh Birdi Partner

Designing and delivering a first for transport

Exploiting dynamic design modellingUsing 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.

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

Local characterThe Elizabeth line station entrances at the Tottenham Court Road interchange celebrate the diversity in character between the various locations. The lower concourse to the west entrance on Soho (shown below) is dark and cinematic, a nod to the nocturnal economies that characterise the area. Special light fittings absorb the noise, removing the need for suspended ceilings which get damaged during routine maintenance.

Project: Tottenham Court Road Station, Bond Street Station (with John McAslan), Liverpool Street Station (with Wilkinson Eyre Architects)Location: London, UKClient: Crossrail, London Underground Service: Architecture, urban design, working with artists Scope: Regeneration, new build, mixed useValue: £3bn approximately Status: Construction

200mprojected Elizabeth line passengersper year, upon completion.

Crossrail is delivering 10 new stations for the Elizabeth line, all designed to create an excellent passenger experience.In the underground spaces, from station platforms to the top of the escalators, the architectural forms and materials will be recognisably consistent to give passengers a sense of familiarity all along the route. As passengers move upwards, into the ticket halls and surrounding streetscape, each new station will have its own, distinct character that reflects the environment and heritage of the local area.

Our approach as infrastructure architects is to ensure that these complex engineering projects are also shaped by the users’ experiences. Crossrail magnifies this thinking in some of the world’s most highly regulated spaces. Tottenham Court Road had the additional challenge of keeping the existing underground station operational. Adding colour, art and

materiality in such conditions requires tenacity. The result makes the effort worthwhile; moments of joy on a unique scale. We collaborated with world-renowned artist Daniel Buren to create one of the largest permanent art installations found in any transport environment.

Our architects also worked closely with our interior designer team from the outset, not just to please the eye, but to point the way ahead. The use of a varied colour palette inside the stations aids wayfinding, helping passengers pass through swiftly, particularly at peak times. The choice of materials was also key; the Elizabeth line is made to last with minimal maintenance. The civil spaces, tunnels and station boxes are designed with a 120-year lifespan in mind, and each station’s internal fabric will still look good into the 2070s.

Thinking 30 metres below and several storeys above Crossrail’s central London stations are the foundation stones for some of the city’s most high-profile real estate. To the Tottenham Court Road over-site development, we brought our experience of building both residential and commercial spaces, optimising the design potential.

Liverpool Street Elizabeth line station lower concoursePrecast concrete ceilings and 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.

Making infrastructure human and hard-wearing

120year lifespan

Bond Street Elizabeth line station escalators The introduction of bronze on the ceiling and walls makes a historical link to past London Underground station interior designs and bronze used in surrounding buildings.

Creating clarity amongst the complexityCutaway of Tottenham Court Road Station showing the nature of the space, including the Soho entrance concourse.

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.

To find out more about our practice or talk to us about your project, contact:

Harbinder Singh BirdiHarbinderBirdi@hawkinsbrown.com+44 (0)20 7336 8030

London\159 St John StreetEC1V 4QJ+44 (0)20 7336 8030

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