Crossrail 1 Elizabeth Line\

To accommodate the predicted growth in London’s population the city needs major investment to upgrade and expand its current transport infrastructure. The proposals for the Tottenham Court Road station upgrade at St Giles, Camden for example, are to increase the passenger capacity from 100,000 to an anticipated 200,000 in 2018, and to increase the ticket hall to six times the size of the original station. All, whilst keeping the station operational for passengers.

We are working in collaboration with Arup/ Atkins, to develop the design for Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station in Soho, Westminster. The new station and ticket hall delivers passengers to 250m long platforms, 30m below the pavement, integrated into the existing London Underground transport network, all within a historically sensitive context.

The different station entrances that make up the Tottenham Court Road interchange are designed to accentuate the diversity in character between the different locations. The east entrance in St Giles is bright and well lit to reflect the 1960s iconography of the landmark structure, Centre Point. The west entrance in Soho is dark and cinematic, reflecting the nocturnal economies that characterise the area.

In 2013 we were also appointed to design both Liverpool Street and Bond Street Crossrail stations, and it has been interesting developing a unique visual identity for these stations enabling passengers to navigate the transport hub more comfortably and instinctively.

The interior design of the stations plays a fundamental role in enhancing the user experience for passengers and station staff. A varied colour palette aids way finding, and the effective movement of passengers through the station during peak times.

Crossrail is the first major transport project to integrate public realm and station design. On Dean Street, the highway will be pedestrianised, and at St Giles a new traffic-free area around the station will improve the experience for the 200,000 people using the station daily.

Building on the legacy of Eduardo Paolozzi’s pop art mosaics at Tottenham Court Road station, we have collaborated with Daniel Buren, one of the worlds most influential minimalist artists, to create an artwork for the new ticket hall interior, designed to bring passengers ‘joy’ on their daily commute. We are also collaborating with with the Crossrail Art Programme, supporting the delivery of site-specific artworks by Turner Prize-winning artists Richard Wright and Douglas Gordon at the new Elizabeth line station at Tottenham Court Road. These include an intricate geometric pattern painted in gold leaf on the concrete ceiling above the station’s eastern escalator and a digital art installation in the western ticket hall reflecting the history of Soho.

As part of Crossrail 1 the Elizabeth Line, Europe’s largest infrastructure project, Hawkins\Brown are currently delivering three new Crossrail stations at Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Liverpool Street, all due for completion in 2021. Tottenham Court Road is a significant interface for the new Crossrail line and London Underground network; in addition to the new Crossrail station here, we recently completed an upgrade to the Underground station and we are also designing a new build over station development.

Read the Crossrail Case Study