Planning consent has been granted to Chares Graddon Lewis for the redevelopment of the northern part of Ealing Broadway station under the current Crossrail upgrade scheme.
Last month, a revised scheme by Bennetts Associates Architects was approved; a controversial decision following pressure from campaigners over the design quality of outer London stations which were not considered innovative nor made use of interesting materials.
CLG was asked for their involvement in the scheme in a community consultation during which Bennetts’ original design – submitted in December last year - was heavily criticised by locals and renowned architects, causing Crossrail to withdraw its planning application with a view to introducing significant design changes.
The design has since been reworked in close consultation with Ealing Broadway Council, local developers and land owners in order to improve proposals and broaden the scheme into one which is “brighter, more spacious, easier to get around and more visually prominent.” The revised design includes a larger ticket hall to accommodate 17 barriers and increased covered public space at the front of the station.
CGL will work on upgrading retail units and an entrance to the 1960s Villiers House office block which is situated nearby. The current entrance will be replaced by a full structural bay with frameless glazing set within a bronze effect canopy.
A Crossrail spokesperson said: “Everyone recognises that these designs have come an awfully long way compared with the original designs submitted in December.”
Construction work is expected to start in summer 2015 and to last approximately 18 months.
