Following the weekend’s fantastic trains thread, I thought I’d focus this week in stations, things we all go through at some stage on our journeys by rail and coach etc. In fact the station can be a highlight of the journey; travelling to a city like London can be a real treat for the architecture fayn.

So, you know the drill; post yer pics of yer fave stations, with a bit about them if you want. Big or small, spectacular or humble. Interesting ones you’ve seen on your travels.

I’ll kick off with one of London’s (and the World’s) finest:

St Pancras; just fantastic:

It’s better than Warrington Bank Quay…

This is degrading to poor, defenceless Portakabins.

😉

As an aside, I’m looking forward to the airport edition…! Seem to be spending a lot of time in them at the moment!

Classical 1960s architecture 😕

That text you sent me last week was to MrsWCA phone.

She was most puzzled when an unknown number txt her to call her an IDIOT!

Only found out when discussing weird messages and emails this weekend

Not just one station – the Bilbao Metro by Sir Norm

God, New St is one of the most depressing places I’ve ever had the misfortune to pass through. Truly horrible.

WCA; well that’s the number you gave me when you were between ‘phones, so what am I sposed to do?

Please explain to your wife that it was in fact you, not her, I was calling an idiot.

Mind you, she already knows this…

Yep, its pretty grim. Amazing to think that it replaced this:

Supposed to look like this soon though:

Oh that’s such a shame. 🙁

Something went horribly wrong in Birmingham, din’t it?

New-type one looks interesting, but will it ever end up like that, or will compromises mean that it’s just a half-arsed attempt, as seems to happen so often with buildings these days?

Flinders St station in Melbourne:

I love railway stations- well most, St Pancras is truly amazing, I know its not British but found Grand Central spectacular and I am constantly delighted by little village ones. On the hated list is Bristol Parkway, I must never meet the person/people who designed it!

The new New St looks pretty desperate and a touch too 80s makes me think of the space ship in the sf children’s film the Navigator.

And I like the flat iron below!

Reminds me of home.

The Flat Iron building in Toronto

EDIT:Oops.. didn’t read the brief…sorry

Never mind stations, this is my favourite architectural construction full stop. It closes completely flat at night and opens hydraulically. Genius.

Calatrava Metro Entrance by Flamejob, on Flickr

Manchester Oxford Road.One of those lovely little overlooked pieces of Architecture. Its so hedged in, and so much smaller in scale than t’other local ones, that you don’t really notice it.

Then when you do notice it, you notice how unique it is. Designed by Henry Moore. I wish they’d do it up. Rather than spending millions on Piccadilly’s glass and chrome, this just needs tarting up a bit

Here’s a different view of St Pancras taken the Christmas before last….

Something went horribly wrong in Birmingham, din’t it?

There’s only one solution I’m afraid Fred.

Slightly OT but this thread reminded me of this article in this weekend’s paper. I particularly love the President’s holiday home by the lake – straight out of a Bond film!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/feb/07/russian-architecture-soviet-union-photography

Liege

Pretty spectacular. Some great buildings around it too.

Liege FTW, IMO

Liege is very neat – nice be in well

I love Leuchars in Fife – just a classic small railway station

Also, Milano Centrale, a transport cathedral

http://c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000deVfgiCaTqw/s/800/800/Milan-Milan-Central-Train-Station-1-Final.jpg

Santa Lucia, Venice – no pictures show the contrast between the straight modernist lines of the station contrasting with the rhigh renaissance of the city

And of course, my favourite – Glasgow Central

Not part of Leeds current station but if you look hard enough on your way in from the west you’ll see this reminder of a bygone era when Leeds had two stations and a network of tracks crossing over each other on viaducts.

All that remains are a few buildings that have been put to other uses, and this building which was designed to lift wagons between the two railway lines.

They fixed Sheffield Station alright 🙂

However they managed to ‘Birminghamnewstreetise’ Nottingham Victoria from this

To this

Brunel’s Bristol Temple Meads:

From a different angle:

Manchester Victoria’s map.

Love manchester victorias canopy too

Madrid’s Atocha Station :

Terrapins live freely in the station :

grand central ceiling

Moscow subway

Newcastle, which I can always remember being the coldest station In the UK.

Another cool thread elfin 😀

Hadlow Road Station Willaston.

A musical tribute to the station that was half a mile from where I went to school.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZcQWnjXEHo[/video]

I love Venic Santa Lucia station. I think I saw 34 platforms there in the 90’s, though tghe last four or five looked a bit mothballed. I supposethat’s because its because its very busy, a terminus station and also on an island that is crowded with no room for a mrshalling yard nearby.

Other station with no public road access:

Not really playing fair as this is the destination rather than the station, still damn cool tho and a nice day out!

Oh, i looked it up and Venezia Santa Lucia was a ‘mere’ 23 passenger platforms, but several have a third track in between the ones you can get on and off from the platforms.

Corrour Station – as seen in Trainspotting. Fantastic place.