Breathing new life into New Street
We spent seven years transforming one of Britain’s worst stations into one of its best by building a stunning, cathedral-like atrium that floods passengers with daylight.
Birmingham New Street station refurbishment Project summary
Client
Network Rail
Key partners
Alejandro Zaera-Polo & Maider Llaguno, Atkins, Faithful & Gould
Services provided
Construct, Construction management, Cost consultancy, Consult
Sectors
Locations
UK and Europe, UK - Midlands, south-west England and Wales
Project timeline
- Start date
- August 2008
- End date
- September 2015
Project story
Stations are increasingly becoming destinations in their own right, acting as a catalyst for inner city regeneration. Birmingham New Street station and Grand Central’s redevelopment has boosted daily passenger capacity from 170,000 to 240,000 as well as dramatically improving the overall passenger experience.
Every week the team had to solve challenges due to the complexity of a station located in the city centre with trains arriving or departing every 37 seconds, as well as issues such as crumbling 1960s concrete and the presence of significant asbestos. As Network Rail’s Delivery Partner we built ‘one team’ with us, our client and the design team collaborating to overcome these and many other challenges.
The new station concourse is five times the size of the original station with a striking triple height atrium topped with a ‘bubble’ roof made from ETFE, a fluorine-based plastic. Sitting above the station, is Grand Central, Birmingham’s newest premium shopping destination housing more than 60 new stores and a major new 23,000 square metre John Lewis store.
Project stats
Image Gallery
“Passengers using the station are ‘significantly happier with their station experience’.”
“The station redevelopment has been a key project for the city, stimulating economic growth and regeneration. This is sure to have a catalytic effect on further regeneration of the city centre and attracting businesses to Birmingham.”
“The work Network Rail has done with Mace to develop Birmingham New Street station has been extraordinary. Together we have transformed a dark, unwelcoming and overcrowded station with poor access for passengers beyond recognition.”
