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PROJECT REPORT: TRANSPORT FACILITIES & PUBLIC REALM
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The roof lights are angled towards the north to bring diffused natural light down into the concourse
simplify operation. Circulation from the control lines to the platforms is via the ‘paid concourse gallery.’ The concourse is designed “predominately off-trace,” says the architect, i.e. not aligned with the track, thereby “simplifying its structure and improving constructability.”
Automated People Mover The Automated People Mover (APM) system will transport passengers and visitors between HS2’s Interchange Station, the NEC, Birmingham International rail station, and Birmingham Airport. The design aims to make it environmentally friendly as well as “efficient, accessible, and reliable.” With the capacity to carry up to 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction, it will complete the journey in just six minutes. The APM system has been designed
with a “pinched loop configuration,” accommodating vehicles equipped with cable or self-propelled technology. The terminus stopping points, namely the Birmingham Airport Stop and Interchange Station Stop, are situated on a single-track viaduct, each featuring one platform. The stops at the International Station and NEC each have two platforms, with the People Mover diverging around them. Within these stopping points, one platform caters to westbound travel, while the other facilitates eastbound journeys. An additional double track is included connecting to the maintenance facility,
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allowing two rail cars to pass each other “gracefully” along the viaduct. To ensure the APM system seamlessly integrates with the main station, the station points and maintenance facility were developed by a similar core team of designers and both projects replicate the same architectural and engineering design methodologies and approaches.
Design vision: working with nature The overall design vision for the station and surrounding site is “rooted in an ambition to work with the nature that surrounds it,” explains Quazi. The station’s form has been carefully designed to reflect the rural landscape while strategically positioned to maximise views of the nearby valley. It focuses on merging with the existing natural landscape by working with the existing topography, and is situated on the site to minimise regrading of the ground levels. The North West Plaza and the station’s front are positioned at the natural edge of the Hollywell Brook Valley, with the land descending a gradient toward the brook. “This allows the podium level accommodation to be fitted under the concourse while remaining outside the brook’s flood zone,” says Quazi. The concourse level’s south-facing terrace provides a “panoramic view” of the valley’s gradual descent. At the platform level, the design eliminates the necessity for retaining walls to support the eastern drop-off
ADF OCTOBER 2023
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