: Brent Cross West Station Eastern Entrance

Timber frames and biodiversity are the key features of Brent Cross West station’s new eastern entrance, which received planning consent from Barnet Council in late 2020.

Following a collaborative design process between Studio Egret West and shedkm for the station arrival and gateway office buildings within Argent Related’s Brent Cross Town, Studio Egret West have now developed designs for the new station’ eastern entrance. Due to start on site this year, the design moves away from the ordinary to include a 13m high timber structure and growing frame that brings the themes of nature and sustainability directly into the arrival spaces of this ambitious new neighbourhood.

The design demonstrates a commitment to green thinking through a marked reduction in embodied carbon, whilst the glass canopy and timber glulam roof structure covers a verdant arrival space, with vines connected to ground floor planers by a wire trellis system. These elements help to capture the spirit of a place focused on well-being and a connection to nature, and create a compelling arrival to the new Brent Cross West Station.

The location of the eastern entrance will open new opportunities to the lower levels of the future adjacent plots where Studio Egret West and shedkm are both architects for the buildings on either side. Together, these two buildings will provide around 350,000sqft of office space, with temporary hoarding to either side of the eastern entrance to be erected in preparation for their future construction and for the safety of users.

View into the new station entrance

Cycle parking for 68 cycles will be provided within the new eastern entrance building, alongside two lifts and escalators up to the new station overbridge that provides an important new pedestrian route across the Midland Main Line. The eastern entrance also supports the ambition at Brent Cross West to provide step-free access from street level to the platforms for anyone with mobility issues, as well as platform humps that level the boarding points to the trains on the platforms. Provisions are also sized to allow for passenger flow to be easy and uninterrupted.

The station work is placing a premium on localism and inclusivity, with 20 per cent of the people working on the build being residents of Barnet, Brent and Camden boroughs. Construction is due to commence within the next few months, with completion by 2022.

The proposals for the eastern entrance at Brent Cross West sStation have been developed alongside a consultant team including Heyne Tillett Steel as Structural Engineers, Atelier Ten as Services Engineers, and Gillespies LPP as Landscape Architects.

View out from the new station entrance

This will be the front door to a new neighbourhood and we have welcomed the opportunity from Argent Related to make a meaningful statement about the wider character of Brent Cross Town. This will be a bright space, full of planting and activity, simple in its conception but compelling in its scale and ambition.”

Lucas Lawrence Director of Studio Egret West

When complete, Brent Cross West sStation will be the first major new mainline station in London in over a decade. It will be positioned on the Midland Main Line between Hendon and Cricklewood stations, with direct connections to both Luton and Gatwick airports, Eurostar services from London St Pancras, and Brighton. At peak times, there will be up to eight passenger trains per hour and it is expected that over 2 million journeys will be made by people from the station in its first full year of operation, rising to 5 million once the Brent Cross Cricklewood transformation is fully completed in 2031.

In bringing together the wider vision for Brent Cross Town, Argent Related and Barnet Council have established plans for 6,700 homes, workspace for 25,000 employees, shops, restaurants, leisure, culture and events space as well as 14,000m2 of indoor sports facilities and 20ha of parks. There will also be student accommodation and the redevelopment of three local schools.

The location of the eastern entrance will open new opportunities to the lower levels of the future adjacent plots where Studio Egret West and shedkm are both architects for the buildings on either side. Together, these two buildings will provide around 350,000sqft of office space, with temporary hoarding to either side of the eastern entrance to be erected in preparation for their future construction and for the safety of users.

Studio Egret West's new office building sits to the right of the new station entrance, whilst shedkm's sits to the left

Alex Flint, Director, shedkm

‘This highly sustainable, sculptural gateway to Brent Cross TownSouth will celebrate the emergence of this new neighbourhood. The entrance will act as a beacon to the regeneration of the area and encompass the ambition and quality of the Brent Cross TownSouth masterplan’

Councillor Daniel Thomas, Leader of Barnet Council

“The eastern entrance will link the new Brent Cross West sStation to Brent Cross Town providing an impressive welcome to Barnet’s newest high street with its stunning sustainable design. The station itself will provide a gateway for new and existing communities to central London, two international airports and link to Eurostar services. Over the next two years Barnet Council, VolkerFitzpatrick and Argent Related will continue to work hard on construction, bringing the station opening closer to reality.”

Nick Searl, Partner of Argent Related and Joint-Lead for Brent Cross Town

“Securing consent for the new eastern entrance of the station is a key step in delivering the very best connectivity to the new town centre. Just 12 minutes from Central London, Brent Cross Town will become a new hub for North London, with many people, beyond just the surrounding communities, benefitting from Brent Cross West and its connections to the rest of the UK.”

To read more about Brent Cross West station, visit transformingbx.co.uk/

Argent Related's Brent Cross Town

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