This page is dedicated to my understanding of 'the site' and how it will relate to my project
The Architect
Philip hardwick (1792 - 1870)
Philip Hardwick was the architect who designed the Curzon Street Station as we see it today. Hardwick was heavily influenced by classical architecture, a style for which is evidently seen through Curzon Streets exterior facades.
Between 1834-39 he worked for the London and Birmingham Railway Company for whom he built the terminus stations and the Euston and Victoria hotels. This company produced the best from him, he designed the great Euston Doric Archway, which has been described by the historian Peter Ackroyd as when London became "the new Rome." It was the first train station in the world to have given a traveller a great sense of entering and then departing. This famous piece of work is now long gone and may be regarded as one of London's most tragic loss's of nineteenth-century architecture.
When Philip Charles reached his early twenties he began assisting his father on work for a new buildings at Lincoln's Inn. They designed The Great Hall which has a wonderful hamerbeam roof. Although it was quite unusual for architects to make obvious signatures on their buildings, Philip Hardwick placed his initials on one external wall of the building with the date 1843.
The father and son also designed a new part or extension of eighteenth-century Stone Buildings. It took two years to complete. These two years proved a long and tiring time for Philip Hardwick, who he fell ill in the very first year, and throughout the rest of his working life he was often confined to working in his own bedroom.
Although illness kept him from practical work, he served on the Royal Academy committee, and throughout that difficult time during his life he acted as a referee for the competition to build the new Royal Exchange in the City. He even received the Royal Gold Medal from Queen Victoria.
From his design of the Goldsmiths Hall in Foster Lane, Philip Senior also gave London the City Club-House, Old Broad Street; The Globe Insurance Company's Office, Cornhill; the Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street. He had contributed massively to St Katherine's Docks in Tower Hamlets and his work inspired the docks of Liverpool. In Limehouse, in the East End of London, Hardwick restored Hawksmoor's wonderful church of St Anne's. But once again it is worth remembering what he really was respected and known for, a piece of work and design that London had never seen before, the propylaeum fronting the London and Birmingham Railway terminus at Euston — the so-called Doric-arch modelled on the entrance to the Acropolis at Athens, only the finest gateway of antiquity being symbolically appropriate for such an amazing achievement as the world's first long-distance railway. He eventually retired to Westcombe Lodge, Wandsworth where he died in 1870. He is buried at Kensal Green.
Between 1834-39 he worked for the London and Birmingham Railway Company for whom he built the terminus stations and the Euston and Victoria hotels. This company produced the best from him, he designed the great Euston Doric Archway, which has been described by the historian Peter Ackroyd as when London became "the new Rome." It was the first train station in the world to have given a traveller a great sense of entering and then departing. This famous piece of work is now long gone and may be regarded as one of London's most tragic loss's of nineteenth-century architecture.
When Philip Charles reached his early twenties he began assisting his father on work for a new buildings at Lincoln's Inn. They designed The Great Hall which has a wonderful hamerbeam roof. Although it was quite unusual for architects to make obvious signatures on their buildings, Philip Hardwick placed his initials on one external wall of the building with the date 1843.
The father and son also designed a new part or extension of eighteenth-century Stone Buildings. It took two years to complete. These two years proved a long and tiring time for Philip Hardwick, who he fell ill in the very first year, and throughout the rest of his working life he was often confined to working in his own bedroom.
Although illness kept him from practical work, he served on the Royal Academy committee, and throughout that difficult time during his life he acted as a referee for the competition to build the new Royal Exchange in the City. He even received the Royal Gold Medal from Queen Victoria.
From his design of the Goldsmiths Hall in Foster Lane, Philip Senior also gave London the City Club-House, Old Broad Street; The Globe Insurance Company's Office, Cornhill; the Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street. He had contributed massively to St Katherine's Docks in Tower Hamlets and his work inspired the docks of Liverpool. In Limehouse, in the East End of London, Hardwick restored Hawksmoor's wonderful church of St Anne's. But once again it is worth remembering what he really was respected and known for, a piece of work and design that London had never seen before, the propylaeum fronting the London and Birmingham Railway terminus at Euston — the so-called Doric-arch modelled on the entrance to the Acropolis at Athens, only the finest gateway of antiquity being symbolically appropriate for such an amazing achievement as the world's first long-distance railway. He eventually retired to Westcombe Lodge, Wandsworth where he died in 1870. He is buried at Kensal Green.
Curzon Street Station Design
The Station opened on April 9th 1838. The building was designed to match the impressive Doric Arch at Euston Square also designed by Hardwick. The station frontage cost £28,000 to build. The station was seen as the jewel in the crown of the London and Birmingham Railway Company and was the first direct railway line linking Birmingham to London.
Above : The Archway at London Euston Station shows a very similar style to the front facade of Curzon Street Station.
Site history
Curzon Street railway station was a major railway station during the 19th century and served as a goods station with another terminus opposite. Unfortunately, it was located too far from the city centre and it was not successful. It failed as a passenger station and shut down in 1966 as a goods station.
Little remains of the original building beyond the facade we see today. The impressive columns remain and still sit on stones weighing 18 tons. To the right of the building there was the goods station and to the left the passenger station. The station site covered 10 acres in all and there were six lines of railway. These lines were covered by a twin spanned wrought iron roof that was 217 feet (66 metres) long and 113 feet (34 metres) wide. The total weight of this structure was 326 Tons. The locomotive sheds were big enough to accommodate 16 engines with their tenders or 32 engines alone. There were stables for 400 horses, warehouses for goods and a variety of administrative offices and suites for staff and company members.
The station closed in 1966, and is, upon occasion, used for art exhibitions, laying empty for the rest of the year. The building has been threatened with demolition several times, however due to its Grade I listing status these attempts have not been successful.
• The line was engineered by Robert Stephenson.
• The London to Birmingham railway line took 20,000 men over 4 years to complete.
• The cost of line was £19,000 per mile (around £1.8million in todays money).
• Once completed the project cost around £6 million (£500 million today)
Little remains of the original building beyond the facade we see today. The impressive columns remain and still sit on stones weighing 18 tons. To the right of the building there was the goods station and to the left the passenger station. The station site covered 10 acres in all and there were six lines of railway. These lines were covered by a twin spanned wrought iron roof that was 217 feet (66 metres) long and 113 feet (34 metres) wide. The total weight of this structure was 326 Tons. The locomotive sheds were big enough to accommodate 16 engines with their tenders or 32 engines alone. There were stables for 400 horses, warehouses for goods and a variety of administrative offices and suites for staff and company members.
The station closed in 1966, and is, upon occasion, used for art exhibitions, laying empty for the rest of the year. The building has been threatened with demolition several times, however due to its Grade I listing status these attempts have not been successful.
• The line was engineered by Robert Stephenson.
• The London to Birmingham railway line took 20,000 men over 4 years to complete.
• The cost of line was £19,000 per mile (around £1.8million in todays money).
• Once completed the project cost around £6 million (£500 million today)
Original Site Drawings
The drawing above show the original layout of the station. The station was separated into two with one section (platforms at the top of the drawing) seeing passenger services whilst the other (goods depot at bottom right of the drawing) was used to ship cargo. The structure that we see remaining today can be seen at the top right of the drawing along 'New Canal Street'.
Above : Plan and Section Drawings for the original ticket office.
Elevation Drawings
West Elevation.
Front Facade of Curzon Street Station
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Front Facade of Curzon Street Station
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South Elevation
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- Scale 1:50 -
East Elevation
Rear Facing Facade
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Rear Facing Facade
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North Elevation
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- Scale 1:50 -
Interior Images
MATERIALITY
From the outside Curzon street station has a roman style look to it made out of huge blocks of stone making it feel cold and quite grand, this would have emphasised the importance of the building back in 1938.
The inside almost mirrored the outside of the building with extensive stonework within the pillars. However it includes large span timber floors and timber windows and a large iron balustraded stone staircase, all of which also make the users feel a grand, rich feeling. In 1938 stone was only used by upper class individuals and was a sign of 'wealth' thus helping to make the building attractive. Stone was also a material of the future being able to withstand the elements and a heavy flow of people , It also resists frost and moisture well making it an ideal material to use within the Curzon street station building. Iron is also very durable.
The inside almost mirrored the outside of the building with extensive stonework within the pillars. However it includes large span timber floors and timber windows and a large iron balustraded stone staircase, all of which also make the users feel a grand, rich feeling. In 1938 stone was only used by upper class individuals and was a sign of 'wealth' thus helping to make the building attractive. Stone was also a material of the future being able to withstand the elements and a heavy flow of people , It also resists frost and moisture well making it an ideal material to use within the Curzon street station building. Iron is also very durable.
Curzon street station today
Curzon street station has been inactive for more than 50 years and its lack of maintenance is clearly shown. The surrounding land once adjoined by buildings and gateways for the station now unused and a breeding ground for weeds and overgrown shrubs. Most of the windows are boarded up and the ones that aren’t are either in disrepair or smashed. The stone facade of the building is covered in green algae and in need of being cleaned, as well as having graffiti on it really degrades the building. Little remains of the original building beyond the facade we see today. The impressive columns remain and still sit on stones weighing 18 tons.
pOPULATION DENSITY AROUND THE SITE
- 'Curzon Gateway' - STUDENT ACCOMMODATION - 716 Residents
- Aston University Village - STUDENT ACCOMMODATION - 2350 Residents
- 'Jennens Court' - STUDENT ACCOMMODATION - 596 Residents
- La Tour Hotel - 174 Rooms
- The Rotunda - Private Residences - 464 Residents
The majority of residents are students with Aston University, Birmingham City University and The BOA Academy in close proximity. The La Tour Hotel is also a 3 minute walk from the station and further ahead being approximately a 10 minute walk you reach the city centre with The Rotunda Apartment Tower being the most notable residential property.
Birmingham is the largest local authority area and city outside of London. The population density is 10,391 inhabitants per square mile - a high density in compared to 976 inhabitants per square mile in England as a whole.
BIRMINGHAM IS A YOUTHFUL CITYLatest Population Estimate - 1,085,400
- The majority of people are in the younger age groups.
- The 'Bulge' around the 20-24 age group is mainly due to students coming to study at the City's universities.
- 45.7% of Birmingham residents are under 30, compared with 36.8% for England.
cURZON STREET TODAY
hOW THE PUBLIC INTERACT WITH THE SITE
Curzon Street Station at 8:30 in the morning. Appears to be very limited interaction from pedestrians.
Above : Photograph taken at around 10am. Shows The building in relation to the city and its close proximity to the main City Centre and the Bullring.
Above : This photograph was taken at around 11:45 in the morning. it was interesting to see how the small space at the front of the building is being used as parking. The footfall was higher along the north elevation (along curzon street) with pedestrians mostly consisting of students, as well as a few who where walking towards the Think Tank Museum at Millennium Point.
ABOVE: This was taken at about 11:45pm. The area around Curzon Station was hardly occupied and there were no pedestrians. To the right of The Woodman however there were some students socialising in groups.
Above: Illustrated map to show traffic, pedestrian path ways and transport bus routes that are within close proximity of the given site.
General Observations of the site
With Aston University, Birmingham Metropolitan College and Birmingham City University within close proximity, the area surrounding Curzon Station is mostly used by students, and the road that travels around and past the station is only used as an interlinking road; no drivers ever feel the need to stop because they have very little reason to. The area to the right of The Woodman is used as a socialising spot during the day for both university students THINKTANK attracts attention from primary school children as they have trips here in the middle of the day, but apart from that there are not many visitors to the area.
The building was vacant until 2006 when the building was used for ‘Hidden spaces’ a project by Associated Architects in association with the Birmingham Post and Birmingham Architectural Association, showing the secrets hidden behind the facades of Birmingham. The Grade 1 listed building displayed art exhibitions within the building and since then the building has now occasionally displayed art exhibitions.
Plans nearly went through when Associated Architects planned to extend the building for the Royal College of Organists, which was put down for two reasons;
1. Lack of funds
2. Also mainly because of the arrival of HS2.
The building was vacant until 2006 when the building was used for ‘Hidden spaces’ a project by Associated Architects in association with the Birmingham Post and Birmingham Architectural Association, showing the secrets hidden behind the facades of Birmingham. The Grade 1 listed building displayed art exhibitions within the building and since then the building has now occasionally displayed art exhibitions.
Plans nearly went through when Associated Architects planned to extend the building for the Royal College of Organists, which was put down for two reasons;
1. Lack of funds
2. Also mainly because of the arrival of HS2.
grade 1 listing
Curzon Street Station is GRADE 1 LISTED. By being Grade 1 listed the building is of international importance with only 2.5% of listed buildings being Grade 1. According to English Heritage Curzon Street Station was the original terminus of the London to Birmingham railway. The building is owned by Birmingham city county council, the building itself has been vacant for over five years. The building has recently had the roof repaired, making the building watertight.
cRIME RATES WITHIN THE AREA
When looking at the website crime statistics it shows the amount of crime and the nature of that crime within a mile of Curzon street. This revealed that in September 2014 1201 crimes were committed. With the largest proportion being anti social behaviour, 396 cases. With 140 cases of violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. The nature and frequency of the crime has a similar pattern to an area that is dilapidated, however with continuing rejuvenation of the area, the quantity and type of crime should decrease.
Current and Future pLANS
eAST SIDE REGENERATION PROJECT
Eastside project is a project to regenerate the east side of the city centre, creating cultural and learning quarter and a new city park, creating opportunities for shops,housing, leisure and business. This project is the largest physical regeneration project in Birmingham. It is transforming a previously neglected area of the city centre through a multi billion pound investment by a range of organisations and businesses.
The Regeneration works to develop new opportunities, local community organisations with those of public and private sector partners. As well as tackling unemployment, it acts as a champion for local businesses in order to help them create new job opportunities for local people.
The city council has committed itself to delivering 5000 new homes over the next twenty years, as part of our Growth Agenda. The council is heavily involved in identifying where that growth should take place to ensure that sufficient infrastructure and business and employment opportunities are available to sustain the incoming population.
The launch of the three groundbreaking Area Investment Prospectuses in Autumn 2007 marked a new era for the regeneration of Birmingham. The opportunities covering 400 hectares of public and privately owned land available for development and regeneration, and include key marketing information designed to encourage job creation and inward investment.
The Regeneration works to develop new opportunities, local community organisations with those of public and private sector partners. As well as tackling unemployment, it acts as a champion for local businesses in order to help them create new job opportunities for local people.
The city council has committed itself to delivering 5000 new homes over the next twenty years, as part of our Growth Agenda. The council is heavily involved in identifying where that growth should take place to ensure that sufficient infrastructure and business and employment opportunities are available to sustain the incoming population.
The launch of the three groundbreaking Area Investment Prospectuses in Autumn 2007 marked a new era for the regeneration of Birmingham. The opportunities covering 400 hectares of public and privately owned land available for development and regeneration, and include key marketing information designed to encourage job creation and inward investment.
HS2
High Speed Rail 2 or as its is more commonly known, HS2, will connect the UK'S two major cities, London and Birmingham, together in a more effective manner. Phase 2 will be one of the largest regeneration schemes in Britain, boosting growth within the West Midlands and the local economy by £4.1 Billion each year. It is estimated that 25,000 will use this facility each day in 2026 and by 2041 (when both phases are complete) this figure is expected to rise to 66,000.
How will HS2 affect Curzon Street Station?
From looking at the master plan, the area once again will go under considerable redevelopment. The new station will span from the existing Building, up to where Snow Hill train station is. The HS2 station plans to integrate Curzon Street Station bringing it back to a working building but also reinstating it as a train station. The new HS2 Station will also be named after the building, saluting the history of the site.
From looking at the master plan, the area once again will go under considerable redevelopment. The new station will span from the existing Building, up to where Snow Hill train station is. The HS2 station plans to integrate Curzon Street Station bringing it back to a working building but also reinstating it as a train station. The new HS2 Station will also be named after the building, saluting the history of the site.
Photograph gallery
As the first part of this project involved an element of group work, I was assigned to research Curzon street station today. The group I worked with took it upon us to take a selection of photographs to look at how the building has changed in comparison to past images.
Below are the photos we took.
Below are the photos we took.
Relating the site to my project
As most of the site is occupied either by the Curzon Car-park or the storage container unit at the far end of the site, the area for which i have to work within is small, yet full of historical context. From gathering the research competed by other groups I have come to the conclusion that my choice of position within the site suits not only client but also the building. To suspend or place the container on the roof of the building, in my opinion would destroy its appearance. The Old Curzon Street Station building can be considered a heritage site therefore by covering it with containers would hinder its appearance. The site is located just a 5-10 minute walk away from the main city centre therefore my client is still within close proximity to all the 'hustle and bustle' yet far away enough to maintain a private life. My client is also close to transport links to other areas of Birmingham, yet I highly doubt my client who is of a high status will be using such facilities. The city of Birmingham also has an international airport which is about a 20minute drive away or a 5 minute train journey away, thus allowing my client to conveniently travel to the US as often as she would like. Overall the site provides an equal balance for my client who wants to live in a place where she can live out an as normal life as she can yet still return back into the person we see from the public eye.