09.03.16
Winning concept designs for new Oxford station revealed
The winners of a competition to develop a concept design for Oxford station have been unveiled.
Wilkinson Eyre, Allies & Morrison and AHR won the competition, which was managed by the Royal Institute of British Architects and judged by representatives from Network Rail, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, the Department for Transport and Great Western Railway with advice from architect Joanna Van Heyningen.
The Oxford station consortium are now looking for funding for the project, which they hope will support economic growth in the city, after drawing ideas for the design, including its links to Frideswide Square, from a shortlist of six architectural firms.
Fiona Piercy, partnerships and regeneration manager at Oxford City Council and chair of the judging panel, said: “We were delighted with the calibre of architects involved. The ideas will help us set the benchmark for architectural quality standards and raise ambitions for a new world class gateway station for Oxford, building on the completed work at Frideswide Square and linking to new schemes at Oxpens and the Westgate development.”
She added that the Oxford consortium are now working with the government, Network Rail and the private sector to secure funding for the next stages of the project, with design ideas inspired by the competition winners.
Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy recently told the London Assembly Transport Committee that more private sector investment will be needed in the future to allow railway projects to succeed.
AHR’s design, which features a rooftop restaurant, also won the ‘People’s Favourite’ award after it was voted the best design by over 70% of the public during an exhibition at the Castle Quarter and an online consultation process in December 2015.
The other entries were from John McAslan, AHMM and Rick Mather.
Bob Price, leader of the Oxford City Council, said: “Oxford deserves a new rail station and the station area is a key element in our regeneration of the West End, alongside Oxpens and the Island site where the Council is working with Nuffield College to create an overall masterplan. The selected designs for the new station are exciting and reflect a genuine 21st century style of architecture.”
(Image c. AHR)