Connect Integrated design for enhanced transport experience Transport projects represent a major investment to significantly define the character and quality of life in today’s city. An opportunity of this scale should not be wastedTransport infrastructure is often built to serve passengers for 100 years or more – yet the focus on serving the customer is sometimes lost before opening day. In the context of complex delivery programmes, high costs and challenging interfaces between stakeholders, the humanistic aspects of station design (ie, architectural quality and placemaking) are often seen as superfluous – the low-hanging fruit of value engineering. The built result is the type of station environment that many cities have today – utilitarian at best, though falling short of its full potential to enhance quality of urban life.Whilst passenger safety, operational efficiency and cost/risk control are undoubtedly the building blocks of any transport project, these criteria are not the end game. What distinguishes a great transport hub or system is its ability to address not only functional needs, but to respond to and shape the emotional cues we have as humans. A sense of convenience, the ease with which we can transfer from mode to mode, a feeling of calm and control – perhaps even a sense of delight – are examples of the subtle but important responses we have as passengers in well-designed station environments. Designing stations with the right spatial characteristics, materiality and urban integration informs these humanistic cues and can be the difference between a station that is routinely lamented by residents and visitors versus one that is a coveted urban place, elevating the senses and reinforcing the identity of the city. These examples show that transport assets, when thoughtfully designed, operated and maintained to serve the long-term wellbeing of people, can enhance our experience and quality of life in the cityAt their best, transport hubs can be amazing places where we look forward to spending time. Among the best transport hubs in the world, St. Pancras in London and Grand Central Terminal in New York have leveraged their roles as central nodes of people movement to become destinations in their own right – attracting visitors to shop, dine and connect with others, even if they are not there to take a train. Curiously, both of these exemplary station environments are contrasted by other major transit hubs nearby (London Euston and New York Penn Station) that have the opposite impression on passengers, making transit users feel weary and dragging down the image and commercial potential of nearby development.These examples show that transport assets, when thoughtfully designed, operated and maintained to serve the long-term wellbeing of people, can enhance our experience and quality of life in the city. And if backed by a well-structured business model, stations as destinations can be lucrative for cities and commercial developers – a win-win for both public and private sectors.St. Pancras Station, LondonThe key to achieving an enhanced station experience is to design with the customer at the forefront – addressing both their hard ‘needs’ and their softer ‘wants’. Essentially, cities and transport agencies must aim to deliver a transport experience rather than simply a ‘train’ or a ‘station’. A benchmark for passenger experience must be set early in the project, and integrated design should be used to develop solutions that are both technical and aesthetic – the kind of design where the sensory qualities are inherent in the solution, not an ‘add-on’ or ‘extra cost’. Throughout the design process, the project team should always refer back to the intended transport experience as the basis of evaluating design options, within the context of practical factors such as cost, programme and constructability. Partnerships with private entities – particularly from those who are likely to benefit commercially from satisfied customers in the form of retail revenues or office rent – can help to provide funding and a development-oriented point of view that enables transport hubs to cater more holistically to customer needs.The result of such an integrated design process is a station offering a cherished experience – the kind of place we enjoy passing through on our daily commute, or where we choose to meet a friend for a coffee. It’s perhaps a relatively simple ambition, but it ultimately indicates how well our transport facilities are designed – not for trains or for cities, but for people.Penn Station, New YorkWHAT MAKES A STATION A GREAT STATION?The topic of what makes a ‘great station’ is widely discussed, with several key themes repeatedly identified as important to making a station successful. The One Works London team recently conducted a research exercise to study a potential upgrade to the London Underground Station at Finchley Road which highlights our approach to creating a great station. The study takes into account the challenging context of expanding rail infrastructure in London today, where cash-strapped authorities are increasingly encouraging private participation to support infrastructure enhancement and station area development.The existing station, built in the 1860s, serves approximately 10 million travellers a year today. The station does not offer step-free access and has poor connectivity to adjacent uses – with only a single entry from a congested arterial road. Next to the station is a neighbourhood shopping centre operating below market potential and brandishing a blank wall facing the station platform. Considering the high value of land in the surrounding neighbourhood of Hampstead, land utilisation in the station area (particularly the surface car park behind the shopping centre) is also well below its potential. London Underground Station at Finchley Road, detail London Underground Station at Finchley Road, plaza render London Underground Station at Finchley Road, satellite map London Underground Station at Finchley Road, station renderTo improve both the station and shopping centre, our study proposed new step-free access to the platform via a new concourse extending from the shopping centre, enhancing connectivity to the station and retail footfall. The new concourse also opens access to the land at the rear of the shopping centre, which is proposed to be redeveloped into a new mixed-use urban quarter. Given the commercial benefits of the new concourse, it is proposed that the shopping centre owner finances the upgrades to the station in exchange for tax credits and enhanced development rights.The station area masterplan transforms a corner of the former surface car park into a vibrant new public square – a welcoming outdoor place to linger for a coffee or to meet a friend. The office tower, iconic station roof and landscape design give the plaza a distinct energy and character, making it a highly-legible new place in the community. 620 units of co-living and student accommodation are also part of the masterplan to address the growing demand for affordable housing close to the centre of London.The proposal also includes a new station canopy which orients views from the platform to a series of new display windows punched into the back wall of the shopping centre, giving greater exposure and visibility of commercial activity whilst in the station environment. Enabled by investment from the shopping centre owner as a significant beneficiary, Finchley Road Station adapts to – and enables – needed changes in the neighbourhood, becoming a great station and community destination.Key features of a great stationSENSE OF PLACE. A great station provides a clear sense of arrival, orientation, and identity – creating a people-oriented place where transport users feel welcomed and connected.CONNECTIVITY AND INTEGRATION TO ADJACENT USES. Once out of the transit zone, a great station offers seamless connectivity to a mix of uses – including retail, commercial office space, residential and community functions. ECONOMIC SYNERGY WITH ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT. A great station offers comprehensive integration with surrounding development, made possible by economic synergies between transport and adjacent uses. INTUITIVE AND LEGIBLE ACCESS. A great station offers efficient and convenient access by public transport and soft mobility, improving urban mobility and quality of life. ADAPTABILITY. Stations are a long-term investment in the future of a city, and over time the needs of the city change. A great station can be adapted over time to accommodate change and enable sustainable urban growth.Article by Lucas London, Architecht, Associate Director at One Works back to top
