London Bridge Station
London Bridge Station
The centrepiece of the £6.5bn Thameslink Programme was the radical £800m reworking of London Bridge Station, conceived by our engineers, conservation advisors and urban design team.
The former layout and facilities at the existing London Bridge Station were inadequate and seriously congested. The concept of our design - which has since created a vastly improved transport interchange with the underground, buses and taxis - was to cut a major swathe through the complex of brick vaults.
Based on our original and subsequent GRIP3/RIBA 2 stages in collaboration with TP Bennett, the station’s relationship to the surrounding area has been significantly improved, with the barrier it once created between north and south Bermondsey now addressed. The flow of passengers from the platforms to the station has been carefully considered so that the station does not feel overcrowded, even during rush hour. Permeability and accessibility to the station have been significantly improved through the introduction of large, welcoming new entrances which enhance connectivity from the south to the north.
Our design also reconfigured the track and platform arrangement to accommodate the additional through lines required for Thameslink as well as conceiving of a new deck which would enable major commercial development over the station. The new concourse now cuts through the existing brick viaducts and is connected to the Underground station by the retail-lined Western Arcade, historically a site of a market when the station was first built. Our development of this proposal resulted in this link being extended to over three times its original length with board marked concrete quadripartite arches inspired by the original brick arches.
Through our GRIP3 appointment to Network Rail we also explored other redevelopment schemes and options. These included undertaking investigations and assessments of the complex viaduct structures and developing a concept for a simplified street-level concourse with platform canopies and roofs.
Subsequently undertaken by a team led by architects Grimshaw, the project went on to be shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize.
Selected awards:
World Architecture Festival 2019, 'Transport–Completed Buildings' Category Winner
British Transport Awards 2019, Station of the Year Winner
RIBA London Award 2019, Winner
RIBA London Building of the Year Award 2019, Winner
RIBA National Award 2019, Winner
RIBA Client of the Year 2019, Winner
RIBA Stirling Prize 2019, Shortlisted.
Client: Network Rail
Architects: Grimshaw