New Street Station

Birmingham

Reserved matters application for the redevelopment of New Street Station. Designed by Foreign Office Architects and Atkins.

Proposed eastern elevation

Summary

We fully support this planning application, which has significantly improved on many aspects of the approved outline scheme. The proposal demonstrates integrity and rigour and all elements are well coordinated, working together to generate a single, unified design. However, while we are confident that this has the potential to be a world-class piece of architecture, we caution the client and local authority to guard against erosion of design detail that could lessen the impact of this impressive proposal. We are pleased that the concept architects have already been appointed to develop construction details for the façade and atrium but recommend their ongoing involvement in all aspects of the design, in particular, the concourse and public realm. This will help to ensure that the strong design concepts are not diluted and that materials and construction details are consistent with the overall design approach.

The façade

The design of the wrapping façade is an elegant and ingenious response to the brief. We think that the station entrances will be clear and distinctive from all approaches to the station. We are very encouraged that the concept architect has been appointed for the development of the construction details of the cladding through to RIBA stage E/F, and that a full scale mock-up has been commissioned to test key details and surface treatments. It is important that the wrap is not a disappointment when viewed at close range and can achieve the quality of surface illustrated in the images. The termination of the top and bottom of the cladding, how it is jointed and the fixing method, are all key details. Quality of detailing will have a huge impact on the appearance of the skin and, because the surface will be so reflective, the potential for misalignment of the joints must be carefully considered. We have confidence that the right design process is now in place for the skin to be well executed and consistent with the concept. However, we urge the local authority to condition key design details, and testing of the façade mock-up, within any approval.

We are pleased that cleaning and maintenance of the stainless steel façade has also been considered. Not only must it be practicable but an appropriate cleaning regime must be put in place.

The station interior

Passenger movement within the station is clear and legible. The thinking behind the layout of the concourse is rigorous and rational and the position and alignment of the atrium in relation to the concourse, while still compromised by barriers between the ticketed and un-ticketed concourse areas in the short term, is compelling and intelligent in the long term. The design approach clearly prioritises the passenger experience over the demands of retail partners; it is important that this approach is maintained during the life of the new station and we suggest that controls against future cluttering of the concourse are put in place.

The architectural treatment of the station interior is complementary to the overall station design proposal, and the rigour of the design of the façade is clearly evident in the design of the interior. The layout is based on a geometric system that has a clear rationale and works with other elements of the design to generate a coherent composition.

We urge the team to protect the clarity of the overall design approach generated by the concept architects. We can see evidence of some potential dilution of the clear concept of the station concourse as part of the public open space of Birmingham in the change to the internal floor finishes. While we acknowledge practical constraints on the design of such a complex physical environment, we recommend that continued involvement of the concept architects in responding to any design issues that might arise out of the design development would be desirable in maintaining the consistency of all aspects of the design.

The atrium

We welcome the commitment to the creation of an atrium that will bring natural light down to the concourse. We are pleased that this concept will be followed through to its logical conclusion by allowing natural light to penetrate down to platform level; this has the potential to transform the experience of arrival at New Street Station. The concept of reinforcing the centrality of the space that is created by the atrium and allowing it to penetrate through the thinking about the design of the concourse, public realm and column cladding is powerful. However, we are concerned that the artificial skylights, to match and supplement the natural skylights at platform level appear to be missing from the application drawings and we urge the local authority to satisfy itself that they will be included.

The detailing of the continuous cladding of the existing and new structure will be a challenge. However, we are very encouraged that the concept architect has been appointed for the development of construction details through to RIBA stage E/F and have confidence that it can be achieved. Again it will be important for the key construction details to be conditioned within any approval.

The public realm

The design of the public realm relates well to the design of the station as a whole, and responds successfully to the context within which it sits. The geometry reflected in the paving works well with the design of the building and is are based on a geometric system that has coherence and a clear rationale. The provision of two new public spaces is welcomed and we applaud the consistency of the approach and the rigorous thinking behind the consideration of how people will move through and use the spaces.

Although we understand the logic of an interim landscape solution to Stephenson Street, until the Metro works have been completed, we urge the local authority to ensure that the proposal to extend the banded paving across Stephenson Street and Lower Temple Street is not lost in the long term. The concept of radiating ripples might also be extended into New Street to strengthen further the legibility of these approaches to the new north-west station entrance.

As in the design development of the concourse, we see some evidence of potential erosion of the design concepts in the landscape in the north-east corner at the Moor Street Link and Odeon Walkway and the Southern Plaza. While we appreciate that there are financial constraints and security measures to be incorporated, we recommend the continued involvement of the concept architects in responding any necessary design development to ensure consistency of all aspects of the design.

Conclusion

We are impressed by the transformation of the design from the approved outline scheme and wholeheartedly support the reserved matters application which resolves many of our reservations about the original scheme. We applaud the client for appointing the concept architect to design the construction details for the façade and atrium, and to develop the concept design of the station interior and public realm. However, the ultimate success of this project will be dependent on this concentrated and coordinated design work being followed through from concept into the detailed design and construction and will be very sensitive to any reduction in quality. We can already see signs of some slippage and are concerned that the cumulative effect of many minor changes could result in a significant loss of quality. We, therefore, urge the client to reappoint the concept architect to provide executive design guidance over all aspects of the station design so that design development of the station interior and public realm are fully coordinated with the overarching design concepts. The local planning authority should also apply conditions to ensure that an appropriate level of control on materials and design details is maintained.