Old Street Station Entrance

A new entrance at Old Street was an opportunity to bring light, biodiversity and motifs of forestry into this bustling London hub. We were brought in to design a new concept for the entrance on the peninsular, reworking an inherited design that needed a new approach. Working within the confines of the original positioning, we opened out the space with a glass façade, maximising potential sightlines and creating a space for quiet reflection alongside the listed buildings in the area. Our station entrance forms the endpoint of Tonkin Liu’s ‘Promenade of Light’ with 18 new trees lining a walkway in front of the shops by Old Street Station. To complement this, our station entrance incorporates a central sculptural tree – a subtle blend between the practical construction needed to support the structure and an artistic celebration of nature. The sculptural tree structure was fabricated offsite. The grouting method used was the first of its kind, resulting in a design that has minimal, almost invisible fixings, mimicking the skeleton of a natural tree that ‘grows’ into the biodiverse green roof. To achieve this effect, we used rigorous modelling to guide our design. We involved contractors early in the process to ensure the structure could be prefabricated offsite and keep the design streamlined; by refining the engineering and architecture with the contractor team, we ensured the material involved was as minimal as possible and minimised waste. The biodiverse roof that sits upon our sculptural tree breathes life into the rail infrastructure of London that is often associated with machinery or metal. Transport for London’s Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity plan is built around London’s remarkable variety of plant and animal species; this miniature meadow on the station roof provides food and shelter for insects and small animals. The roof drains rainwater into a Sustainable Urban Drainage system (SuD), an initiative with countless benefits for biodiversity. The roof was a finalist in the UK Roofing Awards 2024. The ceiling of the new entrance has the iconic London Underground ‘Roundel’ imprinted, commemorating its iconic identity. Our priority was to reduce the amount of concrete needed within the design; the final structure uses 85% less concrete that was originally required in the inherited design. Our public realm work incorporated a unique paving that draws in pollution from the air and allows it to be washed harmlessly away. In recognition of these elements, along with the SuD system, the project received TfL’s top award for an Outstanding Environmental Initiative in 2024 and was awarded ‘Excellent’ by BREAAM. The start and end point in our design adheres to our three core values: being people-focused, creating a space that is not only functional for passengers, but also provides tranquillity in the approach to the station; being inventive, with specialised craft and construction employed in the concrete sculpture; and being responsible, with environmental and social benefits. The context of the project presented us with specific constraints, which we turned into opportunities to create a striking design.