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PROJECT REPORT: TRANSPORT FACILITIES & PUBLIC REALM
Station masterplan all part of its repertoire, alongside other leading roles on HS2 and Transport for the North. As such, it was in no small part because of this experience that Atkins was commissioned by Newcastle City Council to develop the project, which, in the first phase alone, saw a total of £24.5m invested.
The practice was reportedly introduced to the project at the initial stages, right through to the recent stage three – when the practice published its last report on the project – on the realisation of the ambitious brief to create “a new gateway for Newcastle.”
As the principal railway station for both this key city, and, arguably, the wider North, Vafeiadi tells me the project’s stakeholders were aware that any restrictions in accessing the station would in turn restrict the wider growth of the area. “To combat this, we had to make sure we were creating something central to the city,” she says, “and provide a catalyst for the growth of the entire area – bringing wider economic benefits and employment opportunities.”
A warm welcome Practically, the new design offers a range of functional improvements to the station, including the improvement of traffic
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movement around it, the enhancement of pedestrian and passenger experiences, as well as access through it to the nearby developments.
The capacity has of course been increased, being the initial goal of the project, which itself raised a number of design challenges that required “ongoing consultation.”
The team were also required to reduce congestion through design, achieved in a number of ways, not least by relocating vehicle movement around the site, and in “rethinking” the car parking to best suit both pedestrian and vehicle traffic – the main vehicle interface with the station previously shared space with a busy pedestrian gateway.
“The design intent was to provide generous public space which is attractive, high profile and welcoming,” says Vafeiadi, “framing the sense of arrival, and guiding users away from areas designated for vehicles, while maintaining sightlines in and out.”
The practice specified an expansive, canopied entrance to deliver this welcome, Vafeiadi describes how the new design allows for a “seamless flow” between the surrounding neighbourhoods and the station, as well as shortening journey times to key areas of the station and avoiding cross-traffic.
ADF DECEMBER 2022
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