URBAN REALM DESIGN |
Hayes + Harlington Station | Crossrail + LB Hillingdon
Hayes and Harlington Station lies in the London Borough of Hillingdon close to Heathrow airport. The arrival of Crossrail is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to kick-start the genuine regeneration of an area that has suffered badly in recent years from the loss of major employers. Crossrail's urban integration team commissioned Urban Movement to develop a series of design options for the streets and public spaces around the station in line with the Council’s big aspirations for the station quarter.
Our designs focused on creating a significant new public space to the north of the station and making strong pedestrian and cycle connections along the existing street network. We sought not merely to ensure the best possible integration of the proposed new station building into the existing and emerging townscape but also to connect the station to the town centre to the north and the new and proposed developments to the south, east and west including the Old Vinyl Factory project.
We developed a total of four public space design options based around a unified aim of creating an inclusive and accessible new public space that welcomes visitors and residents in equal measure. The options all include a central hard paved piazza, significant new tree and shrub planting, timber seats and benches, SuDS components, wayfinding, public art works and ‘play’ features.
Vehicle access through the new public space was also necessary to service the station and the new large residential block which defines the western edge. To avoid disrupting the character of the space with an overly engineered road, we proposed paving this route in materials to match the pedestrian areas and detailing them with flush kerbs, to create a step free environment.
In 2016 UM were appointed by Hillingdon Council to revisit the previous designs, adapting them to changes in the station architecture which developed since the initial Urban Integration Study. This commission has enabled UM to update the previous concept designs and develop them through the technical design stage ready for delivery.
Our designs focused on creating a significant new public space to the north of the station and making strong pedestrian and cycle connections along the existing street network. We sought not merely to ensure the best possible integration of the proposed new station building into the existing and emerging townscape but also to connect the station to the town centre to the north and the new and proposed developments to the south, east and west including the Old Vinyl Factory project.
We developed a total of four public space design options based around a unified aim of creating an inclusive and accessible new public space that welcomes visitors and residents in equal measure. The options all include a central hard paved piazza, significant new tree and shrub planting, timber seats and benches, SuDS components, wayfinding, public art works and ‘play’ features.
Vehicle access through the new public space was also necessary to service the station and the new large residential block which defines the western edge. To avoid disrupting the character of the space with an overly engineered road, we proposed paving this route in materials to match the pedestrian areas and detailing them with flush kerbs, to create a step free environment.
In 2016 UM were appointed by Hillingdon Council to revisit the previous designs, adapting them to changes in the station architecture which developed since the initial Urban Integration Study. This commission has enabled UM to update the previous concept designs and develop them through the technical design stage ready for delivery.