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NewSt Station 2015

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motorman-mike

motorman-mike

Brum visitor who stayed.
Edit. There is a thread for the 1960s New Street Station here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/new-st-station-1960s.20585/


New Street Station would you believe!! Half expected some comment on this photo in the Mail the other night, but nothing on the Forum yet so is it only me that thinks this will be another Selfridges type eyesore. My first thought is of a village of igloos with a king size sunlounge tacked on:(
 
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It does look somewhat weird doesn't it? :rolleyes:

Not the most beautiful of buildings to begin with I don't think
 
I like the new Selfridges. and will be interested to see how the new New Street Station building works out. It sure cannot stay as it is after all.
 
I seem to recall the same negativity to wards the Rotunda when it was built and no doubt the architects of the 'Victoria Law Courts' came in for some stick.
 
Looks like something off another planet and I am wondering if that is where a certain Postie has gone into hiding.:rolleyes::rolleyes:. Thanks for bringing that to our attention mike it is gross. Jean.
 
motorman-mike said:
New Street Station would you believe!! Half expected some comment on this photo in the Mail the other night, but nothing on the Forum yet so is it only me that thinks this will be another Selfridges type eyesore. My first thought is of a village of igloos with a king size sunlounge tacked on:(
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Looks a bit like something from Space 1999 so thats a none starter for 10:redface:
 
Stunning new look for Birmingham's New Street station

Thanks to the Birmingham Mail. Len. Sep 18 2008 By Patrice John, Transport Correspondent
7534F4E1-E2C3-8A69-DA7B5A7A71BBA271.jpg

BOLD and brave, this iconic new gateway to Birmingham will cement the city’s place as one of Europe’s style capitals.
Architects and transport chiefs were today purring over the New Street designs, which they say will put Birmingham in the same league as architectural giants like Barcelona and London.
The new station will be covered in reflective sheets of metal and will include digital displays built in a breathtaking new atrium area designed to flood the station with light.
The £600 million scheme is the brainchild of principal architect Alejandro Zaera-Polo who wanted to create a vibrant and bright hub for a truly world-class city.
The initiative has been driven by Birmingham City Council, Network Rail, Advantage West Midlands and Centro as part of the Gateway project.
It has been designed to double passenger numbers by building a bigger concourse, increasing the number of escalators and lifts and improving pedestrian links with eight entrances.
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Out will go the dark, dingy corridors to be replaced by bright, open areas designed to catch the eye of visitors and regular rail users.
Network Rail chief executive Iain Coucher claimed the design was a result of ‘listening to the people of Birmingham’ and said: “We listened to the people of Birmingham and made New Street a top priority - with this new design we can be sure of a top class station for the millions of people who use it every year.”
Advantage West Midlands pledged £100 million to the project. Chief executive Mick Laverty said: “This is an investment that will have real impact.
"New Street Gateway has a vital role to play in fulfilling the vision of the West Midlands as a global centre where people and businesses choose to connect.
 
Not sure what I think of it - but I was the same when I saw the first plan of selfridges and I've got used to that now.
Polly
 
And how much more are rail fares going up to pay for it? The old New Street Station should never have been knocked down in the first place, just cleaned and brightened up, like St Pancras or Temple Meads. Busy railway stations should be bright and airy, not dark dingy cellars.
This exterior design is just an architect's own ego trip, not a grand and pleasing design. I'll bet Prince Charles makes a comment or two about it!
 
The fact is that the present station cannot cope with the number of passengers or the number of trains currently using it and I do not know what will happen if we ever get High Speed 2 which some people are now saying should bypass Birmingham just calling at International. When you get a popular show on at the NEC every train calling at International goes out absolutely packed. There have been many occssions when for safety reasons the station staff have had to close overcrowded platforms.
 
I like the bright, open insde look of what I take to be the concourse. Where presumably passengers wait until their train is announced and they can then go down to the platform. My memories go way back before what is there now...but I dont remember there being a concourse for large numbers of people; just the various platforms. In fact from the outside New Street station was hard to find, even if you were right on top of it. The entrance seemed to be an afterthought, more like a subway entrance as I recall...then down some stairs and over a bridge with stairways to platforms. If a steam train went under, you had the experience of the noise and smoke curling up by the sides of the bridge. Noise and smoke but no sighting. Still, a wonderful experience for a small child...maybe even terrifying. The Snow Hill buiding made much more of a statement for a main station in my opinion...with it's columns and substantial construction.

The outside appearance of the new concept shown here I am sure is influenced by the Henry Moore-esque style of Selfridges and may well blend in nicely with that start. Still it does not say 'Station' to me and one wonders how this building would be kept clean with glass at seemingly all angles. If those panels are glass. Surely cleaning the building skin and structure is a requirement.

Anyway, I am not a fan of modern architecture. I think that the so called buildings are 'structures' and not places that people can become comfortable with. They do not have the feel of permanence to them and in difficult times maybe we might be seeking the semblance and security in this aspect.
 
Give me the Town hall, Art Gallery, Council House, beautiful buildings,:smile2:
 
I'm coming off the fence. I like it. I liked the old New Street station also, we should have kept that, but it's gone and we have to move on. I love the old buildings we have left and I hope we keep them. I don't believe in building old looking buildings to try and recreate the past.
 
Its not so much i dont like it, i have seen worse ,maybe i prefer the older buildings because i grew up with them,no they are nicer,but a bit of both can work if its done
properly liz
 
Rupert said:
There has to be something in between Victorian architecture and a shrink wrap package surely.
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I prefer the Victorian architecture for Birmingham hotels and railway stations anyday. With regards to the stations, one always felt one was going on a proper journey; with this Lego stuff you don't know whether you are coming or going:(
 
Thnaks Brumgum for posting the pic of the Hill St/Station St view. Seeing that I am quite happy with that compared with the present view from the same site. Only question I would have is does this cater for the car parking. I was at this point a week ago and taxis were queuing both sides of Hill St to get on to the station taxi rank. And last Sunday evening I had a problem getting to New St station to drop someone off as Holloway Circus was blocked with cars queuing for the car parks were backed up all along Smallbroke Queensway
 
Frothblower said:
I'm coming off the fence. I like it. I liked the old New Street station also, we should have kept that, but it's gone and we have to move on. I love the old buildings we have left and I hope we keep them. I don't believe in building old looking buildings to try and recreate the past.
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I'm with you word for word Chris. :thumbsup::)
 
There should be.

Check out New Street New Start

Over 140,000 passengers use New Street every day, more than double the number it was designed to cater for.
The station is dark, unwelcoming and overcrowded with poor access for passengers.
We're transforming it into exactly the kind of station passengers deserve and that the people of Birmingham will be proud of.
Click to expand...
 
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