Officially opened on the 24th of May 2022, the Elizabeth Line is London’s newest railway. The new line, designed by Grimshaw Architects in collaboration with Atkins, Maynard, and Equation, brings a cohesive, intuitive, and consistent passenger experience.
Elizabeth Line Stations Technical Information
- Architects1-2: Grimshaw Architects + Atkins + Maynard + Equation
- Location: London, UK
- Topics: Transportation
- Client: Crossrail
- Project Year: 2022
- Photographs: © Hufton + Crow
London has a long history of line-wide design which has always been about creating a common thread to the passenger experience across our dense, highly populated city and our design strategy for the Elizabeth line is no different. Working with Crossrail and the whole design team the line-wide design strategy has delivered a seemingly effortless travel environment that is intuitive, accessible, safe, and enjoyable.
– Neill McClements, Partner, Grimshaw
Elizabeth Line Stations Photographs
Text by the Architects
The new line, which serves 41 stations running 100km east to west across the city through 42km of new tunnels, includes 10 new central London stations and the upgrading of 31 existing stations. It is estimated to ultimately carry 200 million passengers per year, increasing the capacity of London’s underground railway network by 10%.
The line-wide design encompasses the platforms, passenger tunnels, escalators, and station concourses, including signage, bespoke furniture, fittings, finishes, and technology, creating a ‘family of elements.’ Taking its cue from the engineering feat of the new line – the complexity and scale of the project – one of the defining features of the design is the treatment of the passenger tunnels and platforms.
At almost double the length and height of standard London Underground stations, these spaces are clad in glass fiber reinforced concrete (GRFC), which ‘shrink wraps’ the structure – sitting tightly against the sprayed concrete finish of the structural lining. This creates a fluid, vast environment with curved junctions in the passenger tunnels, increasing sightlines, alleviating the below-ground experience, and improving passenger flow and safety.
Elizabeth Line Stations Image Gallery
About Grimshaw Architects
Grimshaw’s work is characterized by strong conceptual legibility, innovation, and a rigorous approach to detailing, all underpinned by the principles of humane, enduring, and sustainable design. They aim to search for optimal solutions to create a built environment that uses the planet’s resources carefully.
- Principal architect: Neill McClements
- Collaborators: Atkins, Maynard
