The Elizabeth Line Officially Opens

Today we are celebrating the opening of the Elizabeth Line, the most ambitious infrastructure project in London of the 21st Century providing accessible and sustainable transport for generations to come. We have been involved with the development of the Elizabeth Line station at Liverpool Street since the initial phase of the project dating back to the mid-1990s and were re-engaged when the project started up again in 2002. Our appointment has taken the scheme through design stages, including safeguarding the design intent on behalf of the client.  

The design of Liverpool Street Station comprises two platform tunnels stretching 245m connecting Moorgate and Liverpool Street Stations as well as new ticket halls and escalator boxes to street level with connections to existing LUL and Network Rail services. The planning of the new tunnels had to work around numerous subsurface constraints that included the existing Northern and Circle Lines, Post Office Railway, piling and foundations of existing buildings as well as anticipating new over-site development. The platform facings and low level connecting tunnels have a common design GRC panelling system for the subways and platforms, shared with the other stations on the route, all other design and spatial planning elements at the station are by WilkinsonEyre. 

Our architectural approach is driven by the desire to maximise height in constrained spaces and introduce as much daylight as possible to the subterranean areas. A shallow, geometric folded ceiling plane formed by ribbed pre-cast concrete soffit panels breaks the perception of the low flat ceilings to create a greater sense of space, scale and movement.

Watch the video below to learn more about the design of Liverpool Street Station.