The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Post WW2 Railway Station Architecture

[whole diary]

[chuffed]

Curzon Street had grand plans made for it by the Royal College of Organists who were going to turn it into their UK^▸ (United Kingdom) HQ^▸ (Headquarters) .
In 2003 plans were announced for more permanent purpose-built premises around the Grade I listed former Curzon Street railway station in Birmingham, a notable piece of monumental railway architecture. New facilities designed by Associated Architects included a new library and 270 seat concert hall. However, in 2005 the RCO announced that this move would not be taking place and subsequently that it would no longer be looking for a permanent home of this kind, focussing instead on activities such as education, events, examinations and member services.
I wonder how much the RCO were offered by HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) for such a prime site!. Almost 15 years on , and has anything actually happened ?

[Reading General]

1950's Banbury station is great, well built utility, 1930's modernism with the detail removed.
Oxford is the most ugly, inadequate arrival to a town/city above 100 000 in the U.K. I find it fascinating that a city famed for it's classical architecture never got, and will never have, a railway station to match. Even before the prefab build of the 1970's, from what I can tell from the little amount of photos that exist online, the station was another average GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) local station like those at Goring or Pangbourne.

From different viewpoint, in the early 1980's as a child I used to find Birmingham New Street quite an exciting entrance to a city.

Portsmouth and Southsea high level is bloody awful.

[TonyK]

Having gotten myself used to the quieter life, I have come to appreciate the minimalist structure that is Tiverton parkway. Not many stations have such a gentle approach, through countryside, farm land, golf course and by a country park that is a canal, to a station weith the highest count of hanging baskets per passenger kilometre travelled, and a fishing lake in the corner. It's a shame the last bus to Tiverton is before 8pm. The building is, of course, nothing to mention, but I like the setting of what was previously Sampford Peverell station.

[Bmblbzzz]

Sampford Peverell is a lovely name! Shame they changed it - it's not even as if Tiverton is such a massive or well known place. Mind you, I don't really like the whole Parkway name and concept, so I'm biased even without having been there.

[eightonedee]

To add to the above..

Firstly, too many post war stations seem to suffer from a lack of maintenance. Oxford is a good example, although the fact that it is manifestly too small does not help. But it would be better if someone kept it regularly repainted. Similarly the "last" Wokingham station looked neglected for years. They are made from materials that show neglect much quicker than traditional brick or stone structures, where you have to look more closely to see details such as rotting window frames or neglected ironmongery.

I wholeheartedly agree with the verdict on Exmouth - what a dreary end to a pleasant estuary side journey. It feels like being taken into an old industrial building.

One station that struck me as grim when I traveled through it a couple of times some years ago was Manchester Oxford Road. However I thought I had better check it out before condemning it in a post, in case my memory was being unfair to it, possibly as it seemed to suffer by comparison to the newly refurbished Leeds Station also passed through on the same Trans-Pennine journeys. I was a bit surprised therefore to find a picture of a rather striking structure not visible form the train on the platform, but reading on it appears this too deteriorated rapidly requiring major works at the beginning of the last decade.

As an almost daily user of Reading, I am more conscious of some of the shortcomings than those who use it irregularly or occasionally (from whom most of the adverse comments I get to hear relate to the truly awful signage), and needed to change trains at Southampton Central earlier this summer to be reminded of how impressive, at least aesthetically, the new Reading station is. But the comments above about how draughty and cold it can get are well made, and the dramatically upswept roofs give too little shelter. See elsewhere for comments on diesel fumes accumulating in the overbridge in certain wind conditions, its floor turning into an ice rink when it gets damp etc. I do hope someone learns form this when Network Rail rebuild their next major station. And it has to be said that I was able to make myself as comfortable for a late snack lunch at Southampton while waiting for my connection as I would have been in the much grander surroundings at Reading.  

[Trowres]

Newport (South Wales) is a stunning example of how to combine dreariness and inconvenience.

[johnneyw]

Newport (South Wales) is a stunning example of how to combine dreariness and inconvenience.

Crossing platforms on the new station bridge does seem to be a rather slow and circuitous experience compared with many other bridges covering similar distances between platforms.

[TonyK]

Sampford Peverell is a lovely name! Shame they changed it - it's not even as if Tiverton is such a massive or well known place. Mind you, I don't really like the whole Parkway name and concept, so I'm biased even without having been there.

It's not a bad little place either. there is a pleasant stroll to be had along the towpath of the canal, with the Globe strategically placed for refreshments. Tiverton is what passes for a sprawling conurbation 7 miles away. It is soon to gain that symbol of growth that marks the change to a proper town - a Lidl!

If only the Tiverton line had remained - I live a matter of a two-minute walk to what was the only intermediate station between town and junction. Part of the alignment remains, and forms a pleasant walk between the Grand Western Canal and the outskirts of the town, at Great Western Way. The site of the station is now occupied by a Travis Perkins store.

[stuving]

1970s or 1980s revamp of High Wycombe is horrid

Its old friend is going to be prettied up, according to the architects Hawkins\Brown:

Hawkins\Brown wins planning for refurbishment and expansion of 1854 Brunel Engine Shed \ 17/04/2020

Sensitive refurbishment of the grade II listed Victorian building in High Wycombe will create space for a mix of new commercial uses. A CLT and Glulam extension with zinc cladding will mirror the form of the existing building and add a mezzanine level, almost doubling the floorspace on site.

Hawkins\Brown has won planning consent for the 13,560 sq ft refurbishment and extension of an 1854 railway shed in High Wycombe built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway. Working with engineers Heyne Tillett Steel on behalf of the former Wycombe District Council, now Buckinghamshire Council, which acquired the site in 2019, the practice has designed a scheme to breathe new life into the historic structure with a range of flexible commercial uses.

The Brunel Engine Shed sits on an island site directly in front of High Wycombe railway station, at a key location within the council's plan to regenerate the eastern district of the town.

The shed will be sensitively refurbished, with a welcoming new main entrance facing High Wycombe Railway Station and improved landscaping. A new roof will restore the original character of the building and major improvement will be made to access: including step-free access from the main entrance, accessible toilets and a new lift for the mezzanine level of the extension.

A new extension to mirror the form of the existing building will add 6,000sq ft to bring the whole scheme to 13,560 sq ft. Standing seam zinc cladding will be applied to the CLT and Glulam structure of the new building to create an extension that expresses modern structural engineering in the same spirt that the Victorian building reflects its own era.