Euston HS2 Station To Get A Gold (Or Bronze) Landmark Roof

M@
By M@ Last edited 24 months ago
Euston HS2 Station To Get A Gold (Or Bronze) Landmark Roof
A huge gold pointy roof structure embedded in the front of a mainline station

Here's a first glimpse of how Euston station should look towards the end of the decade.

New designs by Grimshaw Architects have revealed fresh details of how the HS2 development at Euston will appear in a few years' time.

Surely destined to be sponsored by Doritos, the eye-catching design includes an avenue of triangular roof sections, drawing passengers into the rebuilt terminus. The new look replaces an earlier design that called for a canary-yellow tongue-shaped roof that was a bit too showy for its own good.

The scalene canopy isn't just for eye candy. The shape and open form are designed to draw warm air up and out of the station, providing natural ventilation. But are they gold? Lead architect Declan McCafferty says they're "either bronze or gold... depending on which screen you look on", which feels like a charmingly British ambiguity.

The interior of future Euston, with a yellow triangle-ridden roof and lots of blue departure boards along the edges.
The new concourse. Realistic footfall not pictured.

The reworked designs will also include a huge concourse and a couple of east-west walking routes to help locals cut through the station. Ian Visits has further details on those aspects.

There's no word on any plans to rebuild the Euston Arch — a much-lamented part of the original station that was demolished in the 1960s. The idea attracted many advocates, though we have to admit to not being in their number.

Phase 1 of HS2, linking London and Birmingham, is set to open sometime around 2030 and construction is well under way. Once complete, it will greatly increase capacity on the route, relieving pressure on local commuter trains.

Images by Grimshaw Architects.

Last Updated 15 March 2022

Continued below.