Last summer it was announced, at long last, that Toronto’s Union Railway Station would be seeing a long-overdue makeover. Many an architect and planner has cited Washington D.C.’s own Union Station as a pinnacle of how these old facilities can be infused with new life. (Never mind the fact that it took a train crash in 1953 to collapse the upper level platforms and create the great opening where today the retailing area is in the Washington DC station). I certainly hope we achieve what was achieved in Washington, but I also hope we don’t have our blinders on to what the rest of the world has been doing in terms of renewing old railways infrastructure.
I’ve been to Washington D.C. and, yes, their train station is nice. And, yes, it probably is one of the best North American examples of a revitalized railway station, but it wasn’t until I was visiting France last year before I discovered a station regeneration project that really grabbed my attention. I am very interested in railways and wanted to experience the Eurostar high speed trains and so, I boarded a 6:30am train (with a return ticket in my pocket for that evening) and zipped through the Channel Tunnel to London. The Moment that I stepped off the train into St. Pancras Station, the London Terminus for the Eurostar, it immediately struck me as one of the finest railway station regeneration projects to date. It is beautiful; it is efficient and easy to move through; it has become a true destination within London; it connects local bus and underground service to destinations across Europe in a matter of hours; and it was seen as a tool to create value in the local economy, for citizens, and as an investment to re-energize an entire district of London.
When London’s Channel Tunnel Rail Link was to be constructed into London the British Secretary for the Environment directed that it approach London from the east. The Secretary believed that new clean, fast rail could be leveraged as catalyst to drive investment back into a long neglected portion of the city, and placed the importance of this above the wide range of challenges associated with an eastern approach to the city. By this time, St. Pancras had long become redundant and had fallen into disuse and disrepair. There had even been a campaign in 1966 to tear it down that had thankfully failed due to the efforts an activist Poet Laureate. It was subsequently turned into government office space with walls knocked down so it could be divvied up as per government space usage guidelines. But the Environment Secretary’s eastern approach for the line suddenly made St. Pancras a viable candidate for the terminus of all international rail travel into London and as the London home for the Eurostar and a range of new domestic rail services.
From what I understand, this lower concourse was carved out from the main train shed hall during the regeneration — it was not an original feature of the building.
In the redesign of the train shed a lower concourse retail floor, and passport processing area for international travelers, was carved out of the main train shed hall– a bold and beautiful move reminiscent of the Boston disaster and revitalization. The public art is incredible. A replica of the original clock by the original clock maker, DENT, hangs in the train shed proudly. A large statue of a couple in an embrace reminds those passing through that railways stations are meeting places and hold significant emotional value also. But the most incredible piece of art is a very modest sculpture of the man who saved the station from demolition in 1966, Britain’s poet Laureate Sir John Betjamen, who stands looking out over the train shed, coat blowing in the wind as if it were still open to the elements as it was in those days. This piece is a lovely reminder of the heritage of this majestic building. It is also a reminder that cultural heritage is an important component of any community, city, civilization and is worth fighting to save.
As I was learning about the history of St. Pancras Station what I didn’t realize, in my daytime round-trip visit to London from Paris was the history behind the magnificent Midland Hotel. The Hotel, attached to the station itself, was revitalized 100% with private money after an Act of Parliament was past ordering that it be restored for its original use when HS1 (High Speed 1), Britain’s domestic high speed rail service, was given the responsibility of restoring the railway terminal.
In conclusion I think what the most impressive thing about this project is, is that they let the original building sing. The original architecture is the showcase, not new architectural features — those have been added with a huge amount of taste and are all very subtle. Even the overhead power cables for the trains themselves are supported by beautifully sculpted, but subtle structures that double as stands for platform lighting. It is a brilliant revitalization and there is much for the world to learn from this project.
While I’m just an interested urbanist, and was at the time an interested tourist, I highly recommend that you read journalist Peter Watts’ fantastic article, The Man Who Saved the Midland Hotel. I first read this article on the Eurostar on the trip but only found it online recently. He’s got some wonderful photos of the inside of the Hotel on his site (link below). Do check it out.
Of the six major London stations, strung out like new gates to the old city along the Euston Road, there is none quite like St Pancras, where all Eurostar journeys begin and end. Much is made of the station’s emblematic steel-and-glass roof, but that delight will soon be upstaged by the refurbished wonder that lies outside the station walls. The Midland Grand Hotel – even when sheathed in scaffolding and protective hoardings – is a breathtaking sight. ‘It’s a fantastic building,’ says a besotted Harry Handelsman, the property developer. ‘It’s amazing, such a legacy, such an important structure.’
A vast red-brick neo-Gothic vision of spires, arched windows, clock towers and weathervanes, the Midland Grand looms over the Euston Road more like a Transylvanian castle than a hotel. But guests have not been welcomed since 1935, when the hotel was converted to offices, desecrated internally and left to rot. Renaissance has been a long time coming, but will be confirmed when the hotel reopens after 76 years of neglect and near destruction….
All Photos are Copyright (c) Iain Myrans, 2010. All Rights Reserved.
