黑洞社区

The design of 27 surface stations on the 拢15bn Crossrail project is not being reviewed by independent experts, sparking warnings from leading architects and local authorities that rail bosses are missing a once-in-a-century chance to produce well-designed stations that will stand the test of time.

Since 2009, a dedicated Crossrail design review panel, set up by Design Council Cabe, has provided independent oversight on the eight new-build central London Crossrail stations, plus new stations at Abbey Wood and Woolwich.

Crossrail says the central London stations - by architects including Foster + Partners and John McAslan - feature 鈥渨orld-class design鈥� and build on a legacy stretching back to Charles Holden鈥檚 pre-war Tube stations and Brunel鈥檚 Paddington.

However, 黑洞社区 has learned that Crossrail has chosen not to employ the design panel on the 27 redeveloped stations on the main surface section of the line, which stretches from Maidenhead in the west to Shenfield in the east and is managed by Network Rail as well as Crossrail.

This has sparked warnings that rail bosses are missing a once-in-a-century chance to produce well- designed stations.

Mark Lucas, head of planning and regeneration at the London Borough of Redbridge, which will have four Crossrail stations, said it was 鈥渧ery concerning鈥� that such developments would not be independently design reviewed.

He said: 鈥淭here is still time, but the door is closing. We鈥檙e in the last chance saloon.

鈥淭he last time stations on this branch of the tracks were created was in 1839, when the Victorians built them.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e talking about something which should be lasting a century and a half, we really should be applying the greatest possible design scrutiny.鈥�

Architect and Labour peer Richard Rogers said he was deeply concerned that Crossrail would not live up to the country鈥檚 鈥済reat railway heritage鈥� and vowed to lobby MPs on the issue.

鈥淭here has to be somebody who knows something about [design] looking at this,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is immensely serious because [poor design] could scar the community which uses a station for a century or so. 

鈥淭hese are very important public buildings, which millions will travel through.鈥�

A spokesperson for Cabe said the design panel 鈥渨ould welcome the opportunity to be involved in planning the remaining stations鈥� so that 鈥渢he vast knowledge that we built up around Crossrail also [benefits] towns and communities along the entire route鈥�.

But a spokesperson for Crossrail said: 鈥淎 huge amount of time, effort and planning is going into delivering surface station enhancements.

鈥淲e believe that these improvements can be satisfactorily designed and delivered by working directly with local authorities.鈥�