094 CROSSRAIL
THE SENSE OF ANTICIPATION for the opening of the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) is intoxicating. At its peak, this was Europe’s biggest infrastructure project and, as it has forged its way beneath the city where the world’s first underground railway arrived in 1863, expectations are high.
Its reach will span the Essex commuter belt, south-east London suburbs, Heathrow and Reading, but its glory will be its subterranean journey through London clay and its calling card will be its bespoke Central London stations. Built for the purpose of revolutionising mass transit across Europe’s most densely populated region, some of these are their own works of art and their presence spans whole neighbourhoods. Te project is an incredible witness to extraordinary planning and collaboration between architects and engineers across decades. Te Elizabeth Line is truly something to be proud of in a time that is short on feel good and optimism. Difficulties with issues like signalling systems have created well-publicised delays but all that will be forgotten when the first section between Paddington and Abbey Wood opens in the coming weeks.
Te project is inevitably a reflection of our times, and issues such as accessibility, environmental concerns and the need to create a safe and calm environment are paramount. Te seven principles behind the Elizabeth Line are laid out further down in a short Q&A with Crossrail’s head of architecture, Julian Robinson.
In any case, the aim is that the Elizabeth Line will be fit for purpose for 120 years and that an estimated 200 million passengers will use the line each year. Once the line starts operating, the billions spent and the many years invested will slip away to a forgotten place but it is the hope and firm belief that the smoother flowing of London’s transport system, and the many benefits that brings to people, will be a deserving and lasting tribute. FX asked Crossrail’s Robinson a few questions to learn more about this gargantuan £18bn project that is set to change the face of London’s transportation network.
CASE STUDY CANARY WHARF
Mention must be given to the Elizabeth Line station at Canary Wharf. This station was the work of Adamson Associates. Sitting below a five-storey mixed-use development, this station connects this key business district to the City of London, Heathrow and the West End.
The 250m-long box station is surrounded by the water of the West India Quay dock and designing a
station to be built 18m below water level presented a major design challenge but has yielded optimum access to and through the Canary Wharf estate while retaining a navigable channel for boats within the dock.
The ticket hall is accessed via eight long-rise escalators at either end of the building. More than 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space sits above the station, providing easy access for shoppers, while a 310m long timber lattice roof, sheltering a roof top garden, lets in light and rain for natural irrigation.
TOP RIGHT: UYEN LUU BELOW RIGHT: JEFF DILLON-RUSSELL
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