As a result of a successful proposal to London Underground Limited in 1991, we were commissioned to design the new underground station for the Jubilee Line Extension at Southwark.

The main objective of the design was to maximise passenger comfort and security by minimising the complexity of the station. This was achieved by distinguishing and enhancing the volumetric characteristics of passenger areas. The station is intended to be an easily understood and enjoyable place to begin or end a journey.

Southwark Station comprises several distinctly different spaces. The principle behind these varied and spatially diverse areas is to respect and respond to the civil engineering envelope developed with the engineers. The progress of the passenger from ground level to platform in an easy and clear fashion is paramount, and the generosity of the spaces through which the public moves is enhanced by materials and finishes.

We have set out to create a kind of topographical architecture - a subterranean landscape consisting of alternating experiences of confinement and spatial expansion amplified by contrasting experiences of natural and artificial light.

The main areas are: Blackfriars Road ticket hall; Waterloo East ticket hall; the intermediate concourse; and the lower concourse.

Client London Underground Limited
Completion November 1999
Cost £70m
Awards 2000 - Millennium Building of the Year - RFAC/BSkyB
             2000 - RIBA Award
             2000 - Concrete Society Certificate of Excellence

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