Building Design has published a new opinion piece calling on Network Rail to pay heed to John McAslan + Partners’ alternative, light-touch proposal for the redevelopment of London Liverpool Street Station.

The article follows growing public and professional concern about the currently submitted £1.2bn scheme, and reflects many of the issues discussed at our recent London studio event, hosted with SAVE Britain’s Heritage and the Twentieth Century Society. That evening brought together architects, engineers, planners, heritage specialists and members of the public to explore whether Liverpool Street can be modernised without the large-scale demolition of its listed Victorian concourse and roof.

As Building Design notes, Liverpool Street is now the UK’s busiest station, accommodating around 270,000 passengers each weekday. The need for investment is clear and urgent. What is in question is the method.

Our alternative proposal demonstrates that the station can be upgraded to meet Network Rail’s requirements for capacity, accessibility and future growth while retaining its historic fabric. By adopting a reuse-first, low-carbon approach, the scheme avoids years of disruption, significantly reduces whole-life carbon, and delivers a better outcome for passengers, the City and the station itself.

The McAslan proposal:

• Retains and celebrates the listed Victorian concourse and roof
• Improves passenger flow through decluttering and reorganisation
• Introduces new lifts, escalators, waiting areas and step-free access
• Delivers over 52,000 sqm of office space aligned with the City Plan 2040
• Creates a new public walkway above the train sheds
• Integrates a biodiversity strategy developed with Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project
• Achieves renewal with almost no demolition, at around half the cost of the current scheme

As Building Design argues, this debate is not about resisting change, but about choosing the right change. Liverpool Street has evolved many times before – and it can do so again without erasing what makes it one of London’s great civic spaces.

With the City of London planning committee expected to consider the current application in February, this remains a critical moment. We continue to believe that a more ambitious, viable and sustainable solution is not only possible, but achievable.

Read the Building Design article:
Network Rail should pay heed to John McAslan’s light-touch Liverpool Street station redevelopment plan

ACT NOW – object to the Liverpool Street Station planning application HERE:
Griff Rhys Jones issues rallying cry to save Liverpool Street Station - SAVE Britain's Heritage