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Passengers and the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands were shown
visionary new designs for New Street station today.
The striking concept designs, clad in shimmering, reflective metal, will
create a bold, modern gateway to the city for the millions of people
using the station each year.
The iconic design is the work of the renowned Foreign Office Architects.
They beat dozens of rivals, including many of the world’s top practices,
to win an international competition and land the prestigious project.
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Speaking at the launch event, Cllr Mike Whitby, chairman of the New
Street Gateway Funders’ Board, said: “The Birmingham Gateway, which will
support over 52m passengers a year, demands a world class architectural
vision to embody the rebirth of New Street station.
“With the world looking on, this breathtaking design firmly places
Birmingham on the international map for very high quality, daring design.
“Alejandro Zaera-Polo’s bold architecture symbolises Birmingham’s
arrival over the last few years as a globally relevant city looking to
its future, as a connected international hub, to the advantage of
citizen and investor alike.
“I would like to thank Foreign Office Architects and the selection panel
for their hard work. The Gateway project will enrich the continuing
regeneration of Birmingham, and enhance our reputation as a truly world
class city.”
Alejandro Zaera-Polo, principal architect for Foreign Office Architects,
stated: “We were inspired by the movement of people and trains at New
Street and the beauty of the skyline. Our concept reflects all these
components. We are proud to work on such an important project and I look
forward to being part of the integrated team which takes this vital
scheme from concept to reality.”
The station will be covered in reflective sheets of carefully crafted
and finished metal and will incorporate three high technology digital
displays which will make the entrances to New Street clear and easy to
find. Passengers will also enjoy the benefits of a redesigned atrium
area which will flood the station with light.
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The £600 million Gateway project, a joint scheme between Birmingham City
Council, Network Rail, Advantage West Midlands and Centro, will double
passenger capacity and create:
 | a concourse that is three-and-a-half times bigger than at present and enclosed by a giant, light-filled atrium | | more accessible, brighter and clearer platforms, serviced by 42 new escalators and 14 new lifts | | an iconic new station façade, adding to Birmingham’s growing reputation for good design | | better links to and through the station for pedestrians with eight new entrances | | the stimulus for the physical regeneration of the areas surrounding the station leading to the potential creation of over 10,000 new jobs across the city. |
Sir Bernard Zissman, chairman of the judging panel to choose the design
commented:
“It has been a huge privilege to chair a panel of committed and
experienced people dedicated to choosing a design which will bring to an
end the tired and outdated image of New Street station giving such a
poor impression of the City of Birmingham.
“Most rewarding of all was to experience the talented presentations of
six leading global architects which made the choice one of the most
challenging decisions of my career and I suspect of the entire panels
too. We hope the chosen design will not just add to the revitalisation
of the station and city centre but will give a sense of excitement and
pleasure to the passengers who start or finish a journey as well as
those who visit it to shop and enjoy themselves.”
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Iain Coucher, chief executive of Network Rail stated: “Passengers have
come to expect better, quicker and more reliable journeys, and stations
fit for the 21st century. We listened to the people of Birmingham and
made New Street a top priority – with this new design we can be sure of
a top class station for the millions of people who use it every year.”
Mick Laverty, chief executive at Advantage West Midlands, said: “This
region has a proud track record of reinvention and ingenuity – and you
only need to look at the impressive design unveiled today to realise the
ambition we have not only to create a memorable gateway into the region,
but also to regenerate the south side of Birmingham city centre.Our £100
million contribution is the largest investment in a single project by
any regional development agency in the country. “It is an investment
that will have real impact – New Street Gateway has a vital role to play
in fulfilling the vision of the West Midlands as a global centre where
people and businesses choose to connect.”
Cllr Gary Clarke, chairman of Centro, the region’s passenger transport
authority, said: “This exciting design will see New Street station
become an iconic landmark for the city. It is also an important step in
our efforts to transform public transport in the West Midlands and
create a truly world class system.”
The concept designs will now be developed by an integrated team which
will include Foreign Office Architects, WS Atkins (Lead Consultant) and
Mace (Delivery Partner). The team will be led by Network Rail.
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The New Street Gateway Steering Group is made up of representatives from
Birmingham City Council, Network Rail, Centro and Advantage West
Midlands.
The international design competition was coordinated by RIBA, on behalf
of the funding partners. The final design was chosen by a panel of
representatives from each of the funding partners, chaired by Sir
Bernard Zissman.
The announcement marks the end of an international design competition
which attracted 48 entries from around the globe.
Foreign Office Architects was formed in 1995 and has emerged as one of
the most innovative practices of architecture and urban design in recent
years. FOA’s award winning work includes the Yokohama International Port
Terminal in Japan.
New Street in Numbers:
| 35m – passengers who use New Street every year. They are delivered to the heart of the City, with direct access to the Bullring and other businesses | | 120,000 – people who pass through the station every day | | 60,000 – the amount of passengers per day New Street was designed to cater for when it was rebuilt in 1967 | | 20 – the amount of times individual platforms at New Street have had to be closed in the last 12 months due to overcrowding | | £398m – the cost to the public purse of building New Street Gateway | | £2.3bn – the economic benefits of New Street station redevelopment | | £350m – the amount Network Rail is investing in renewing the signalling systems through New Street and the West Midlands over the next ten years |
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