Latest designs for Birmingham Curzon Street Station focus on passenger experience

Consent for the station was secured in 2020 from Birmingham City Council and Mace Dragados Joint Venture (MDJV) was appointed construction partner. Since then, MDJV has had responsibility for progressing the detailed design and construction of the station, working with design partners Arcadis and WSP Joint Venture along with Grimshaw architects.

The proposed design refinements, which will be submitted for approval to Birmingham City Council before year end, include additional cycle parking, better accessibility, more seating spaces and simplified access between platforms.

The southern entrance of the station’s Eastern Concourse has been enhanced to make it more prominent and provide better links with Digbeth in central Birmingham.

HS2 Ltd said: “The new southern entrance is open and welcoming, with the position of the building edge now set back to create a covered area. The façades have been simplified with washable and graffiti-proof coloured ceramic tiling replacing the original concrete cladding. It will also have an accessible ramp route, as well as steps, which provide a welcoming arrival point.

“The main arrival area features taxi drop-off, pick-up point and taxi ranks, as well as dedicated drop-off and blue badge accessible parking spaces. The design of the surface levels has been improved to avoid the need for steps to improve pedestrian accessibility and connectivity.

“Cycle parking has been prioritised in the design with a large area located prominently along the eastern side of the concourse near the main cycle route from Digbeth. Additional cycle parking will also be provided in smaller areas dotted around the eastern concourse near the cycle routes from the north and west of the station. Subject to funding, space is also safeguarded for a potential future cycle hub.”

The material of the station’s roof has also been changed from timber to aluminium to enhance the building’s fire safety and enable more cost effective maintenance.

In February MDJV revealed that the station will feature precast platforms and a four-part roof slide among other techniques to make the build more efficient.

HS2 said passenger experience has been a key driver in the detailed design process that had resulted in the latest improvements outlined.

“These include additional cycle parking; rainfall capture in planted areas, with landscaping, lighting, paving and seating spaces; better accessibility at pedestrian entrances; durable external ceramic tiling; and a more unified internal layout of the eastern concourse which allows passengers to change platforms without leaving the ticketed area, enhancing the experience of people using the station.

“The building’s design is inspired by the great arched roofs built by the Victorian railway pioneers, and takes that inspiration into the 21st Century, ensuring accessibility and a focus on the open space and landscaping around it,” HS2 said.

Earthworks have begun on the construction site, preparing for foundation work to get underway this Autumn and building work on the main station structure to start next year.

HS2 project client director for Curzon Street Station Dave Lock said: “We’re pleased that these design refinements mark a key step in enhancing the detailed features of Curzon Street Station, which will be an iconic gateway to Birmingham for future HS2 passengers.

“Once built, the station will strengthen Birmingham’s transport connections, support the regeneration of Eastside and Digbeth, and play a vital role in the long-term economic future of the West Midlands.”

Grimshaw partner in charge of the architectural design Neven Sidor said:

“Any design for a major and complex public building needs to negotiate a journey from preliminary concept in the minds of a team of engineers and architects to a much more detailed set of technical drawings embraced by the teams of contractors that will build it.

“We are therefore pleased to announce that the original design vision has not only been maintained but has also been enhanced through the detailed design process. It is more robust, more efficient to build, and just as elegant.”

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