How has the identity of the London Underground been shaped by its architecture: 1863-present by WilliamBates15

How has the identity of the London Underground been shaped by its architecture: 1863-present?

William Bates: 1756849

ARCH6100

Word Count: 5077

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. The early Underground

3. Early 20th Century: Towards a uniform architecture

4. The suburban expansion – Inter-war years

5. Post war- 1950-1980

6. 21st Century: Jubilee Line extension and the Elizabeth Line

7. Conclusion

Covent Garden Underground station, (bowroaduk, 2010) https://www.flickr.com/photos/2477 2733@N05/5005160408/

1. Introduction

Since its inception in 1863, the London Underground has developed to become one of the most distinctive and recognisable metropolitan transport systems globally. Serving 272 stations over 292 miles of routes1, the Underground is the core of London’s transport infrastructure, providing over 1.1bn passenger journeys each year.2 Over its 150-year history the Underground has built a unique identity that has defined it as a vital piece of infrastructure, a cultural icon and a modern, efficient system that evolves with the constantly changing city. This essay will investigate the role architecture has played in defining the unique identity of the London Underground. Beginning with the opening of the Metropolitan Railway and the work of John Fowler on setting a precedent for a new typology, I will continue the investigation by analysing how the architecture of the London Underground evolved to reflect the identity of the different companies such as T.P Figgis’ designs for what was to become the City and South London railway in the 1890s. Continuing chronologically, I will investigate the architecture at the turn of the 20th century and the attempts to create a unified identity through Leslie Green’s distinctive tiling and instantly recognisable surface-level buildings. Following this, I will explore the architecture of the 1920s and 1930s on the London Underground with a particular focus on suburban extensions such as the 1924 Northern Line extension3 and the Piccadilly Line extension of 19334 which featured stations to the design of Charles Holden and conveyed a new suburban identity for the Underground. The focus will then shift to the Post-war Underground and the design of new stations and lines in the post-war years between 1945 and 1970. I will examine the Victoria Line of19685 and the creation of a uniform identity in the below-ground stations whilst individual identity was retained through tiling and colour schemes. The Piccadilly Line Heathrow extension in 1977 created new transport interchanges for the capital and prompted new architecture to reflect this.6 The opening of the Jubilee Line 2 years later will also be an aspect of the investigation with a particular focus on the bright and distinctive platform level architecture with designs overseen by Sydney Hardy 7The line represented the beginnings of a shift away from austerity. The essay will conclude with the two most recent developments on the Underground – the Jubilee line extension in 1999 and Crossrail in 2022. Both lines were integral to retaining the modern identity of the London Underground through the

1 ‘London Underground: The Tube – Statistics & facts,’ Statista, accessed November 7th, 2023, https://www.statista.com/topics/5092/london-underground-the-tube/

2 ‘London Underground: The Tube – Statistics & facts,’ Statista, accessed November 7th, 2023, https://www.statista.com/topics/5092/london-underground-the-tube/

3 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994), Pg 46

4 ‘Tube stations, Cockfosters Extension, London (1332-1933),’ Modernist Tourists, accessed November 14th, 2023 https://modernisttourists.com/2017/01/10/tube-stations-cockfosters-extension-london-1932-33/

5 ‘The Victoria line,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 14th, 2023 https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/transport/victoria-line

6 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994), Pg 172

7 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994), Pg 172

groundbreaking architecture and design for future London. The conclusion to the essay will highlight the importance of architecture in defining the identity of the London Underground through all its phases and eras and how the Underground has retained its identity within an ever-changing city.

2. The early Underground

The public opening of the first underground railway system in the world took place on January 11th, 1863. The line ran between Paddington and Farringdon and was the beginning of what would become known as the London Underground or the ‘tube’.8 Seven new stations, designed by ‘either (John) Fowler or John Hargrave Stevens’9 were built as part of the new line and as the first Underground railway stations in London they were integral to the creation of a brand-new identity which reflected a system built for the future of London. With no precedent for underground railway stations, Fowler and Stevens were tasked with creating a brand-new typology that was clean, safe and well-lit to cement a positive reputation for the new line. One of the biggest problems faced by Fowler and Stevens was the darkness encountered by building stations underground. The solution was to build ‘apertures to the street through which light could penetrate’10 and provide large, gas-lit globes suspended from the ceiling. The best surviving examples can still be seen at Baker Street (Fig.1). The magazine ‘leisure hour’ reported in 1862 that despite being ‘forty feet below the Earth’s surface, we found that it was light as day’11 indicating that the Victorian fear of darkness would be void in the new Underground system. This would have instilled a sense of confidence in travellers, and it highlighted the beginnings of a safe, bright, and well-designed identity for the new London Underground. However, alternative accounts differ; the Building News reporting Baker Street as having a ‘gloomy, Catacomb like experience’ because of the smoky air12. This was mainly due to the use of steam engines in tunnels that were built with insufficient ventilation and was a critical failure in the architecture that threatened to damage the newly established reputation of the London Underground. In addition, the Illustrated Times reported that the ventilation at Gower Street station ‘was so imperfect that several of the companies’ servants became affected with sickness’13 indicating the nature of the below-ground architecture posed a significant danger to passengers and railway workers. Whilst the focus of the new railway was underground, several stations featured buildings above the ground including the Western terminus at Bishop’s Road,

8 ‘The Opening of the Metropolitan railway - 10th January 1863’, The British Newspaper archive, Accessed January 10th 2023. https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2019/10/30/the-first-three-days-on-the-londonunderground/

9 Mark Ovenden, London Underground by design (London: Penguin, 2019), Ch. 1

10 Mark Ovenden, London Underground by design (London: Penguin, 2019), Ch. 1

11 Mark Ovenden, London Underground by design (London: Penguin, 2019), Ch. 1

12‘Opening of the Metropolitan railway,’ The Building News, October 10, 1862

13 ‘Opening of the Metropolitan railway,’ The Illustrated Times, January 17, 1863

Paddington (Fig.2) and Portland Road14 . All above-ground structures were single-storey and constructed of ‘white Suffolk brick and cement rendering’ with decoration in the Italianate style15 emphasising early attempts to create a recognisable and consistent style over the whole line. However, the buildings were received with mixed reviews – the Building News reported in 1862 that there was ‘very little character in any of the stations’16 implying the London Underground was yet to cement a unique identity within certain elements of its architecture.

Baker Street Underground station showing original light wells with later modifications including white tiles and Underground roundels, (Kalpachev photography, 2018) https://photosample.co.uk/bakersstreet-underground-station-london/

14 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994), Pg10

15 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994), Pg10

16 ‘Opening of the Metropolitan railway,’ The Building News, October 10, 1862

Fig.1. Fig.2. Bishops road, Paddington on opening, 1863. Engraving by Illustrated London News

3. Early 20th century – Towards a uniform architecture

In the years following the opening of the Metropolitan line, the Underground expanded considerably with the opening of the District Railway between South Kensington and Westminster in 186817 and subsequent expansions of both lines. The third Underground line to be built was the City and South London railway (C&SLR) which was opened in 189018 as the first deep- level ‘tube’ line. The line had 6 new stations of which 5 featured above-ground buildings designed by Thomas Phillips Figgis (see Stockwell Fig.3). The stations were simple and modest compared to early designs on the metropolitan and district lines yet they were an early example of a unified identity through station architecture and the buildings soon became an iconic feature of the C&SLR. All buildings were constructed in a stripped-back Neoclassical style with red brick and white stone dressings19. A unique feature of Figgis’ designs was a large, lead covered dome on each station that towered over the single-story structures. Not only did the dome make the identity of the City and South London railway instantly recognisable it also served to highlight an innovation for the deep-level tube –it housed the equipment for the hydraulic lifts used to reach the platform level. The City and South London Railway were the first Underground company to use lifts in their stations – a technology that was thoroughly modern at the time20. Figgis celebrated and conveyed this modern technology through his architecture, thereby generating a strong identity for the railway.

Fig.3. Figgis’ Stockwell Station on opening day in 1890. (unknown, 1890)

17 ‘A brief history of the Underground,’ Transport for London, Accessed November 20th 2023 https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-underground/abrief-history-of-the-underground

18 ‘The Metropolitan District Railway – The creation of the circle line,’ The History of London, Accessed November 20th 2023. https://www.thehistoryoflondon.co.uk/the-metropolitan-district-railway/3/

19 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994),Pg20

20 ‘Lift or Elevator? The History and origin,’ Stannah, Accessed November 20th 2023 https://www.buildingtalk.com/stannah-lift-or-elevator-the-history-andorigin/#:~:text=The%20only%20difference%20is%20that%20elevator%20is%20an,carries%20people%20and%20go ods%20to%20different%20building%20levels.

Another step towards uniformity on the London Underground took place with the arrival of the American entrepreneur, Charles Tyson Yerkes (1837-1905)21 who formed the UERL (Electric Railways Company of London) in 190222 which marked the beginnings of a move towards a united Underground system. The UERL ‘swiftly took control of three new lines’23 and Yerkes was ‘keen to establish a coherent design theme for his new lines’24; The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead line (Northern), Baker Street and Waterloo (Bakerloo) and the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton (Piccadilly). The Bakerloo opened in 1906 and the Northern and Piccadilly followed a year later. The defining feature of these lines was the iconic Leslie Green (1875-1908)25 architecture of the above-ground stations. Green is credited with around 40 stations for the UERL26 and his distinctive style became a symbol of the new 20th century Underground. Stations were clad in distinctive Oxblood colour, terracotta tiles which allowed the structures to stand out from their dull neighbours and made the buildings instantly recognisable on crowded city streets. Green’s designs were to become an ‘icon of London’27 and an integral part of the branding and identity of the new deep level tube lines. The Construction of Green’s stations was equally innovative. The steel frame created a lighter and more durable

Green’s Oxford Circus Underground station (Jamie Barras, 2008) showing the original tiled building with later modifications including a new building above and alterations to the street level façade. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ddtmm m/2438685576/

21 ‘Charles Tyson Yerkes: The unscrupulous American businessman who transformed the Tube,’ London Transport Museum, Accessed November 20th 2023 https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/people/charles-tysonyerkes-unscrupulous-american-businessman-who-transformed

22 ‘Charles Tyson Yerkes: The unscrupulous American businessman who transformed the Tube,’ London Transport Museum, Accessed November 20th 2023 https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/people/charles-tysonyerkes-unscrupulous-american-businessman-who-transformed

23 ‘Charles Tyson Yerkes: The unscrupulous American businessman who transformed the Tube,’ London Transport Museum, Accessed November 20th 2023 https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/people/charles-tysonyerkes-unscrupulous-american-businessman-who-transformed

24 David Long, London Underground – Architecture, Design and history (Stroud: The History press, 2018), Pg 18

25 ‘The Beautiful Red- Tiled Tube Stations Of Leslie Green,’ Londonist, Accessed November 21st 2023 https://londonist.com/london/transport/leslie-green-tube-stations-map

26 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994),Pg 28

27 ‘The Beautiful Red- Tiled Tube Stations Of Leslie Green,’ Londonist, Accessed November 21st 2023 https://londonist.com/london/transport/leslie-green-tube-stations-map

structure that could withstand construction above the stations to allow for the sale of ‘air rights’28. This was critical to ensure the buildings remained an identity within the urban fabric of a rapidly growing city and were not removed for larger scale development.

4. The suburban expansion – Inter-war years

Plans for a major expansion of the London Underground had been in place since before WW129 but it was not until the 1921 Trade Facilities Act30 that this became feasible due to the availability of government subsidies. Suburban expansion began almost immediately with the extension of the Northern line – first to Hendon in 1923 and then to Edgware in 192431. Stanley Heaps was the architect assigned the task of designing the new suburban station buildings and he adopted an Italian villa style with elements of classical Georgian. Doric colonnades marked the entrances, and this could be seen in full effect at the Edgware terminus. Heaps was said to have designed the buildings ‘with consideration for the suburban surroundings’ (evident in the use of red bricks and red tiled, hipped rooves) since there was no need to ‘blatantly advertise the railway’32.This illustrates a shift in attitude towards the role architecture played in the identity of the London Underground. The pre-war work of Leslie Green and Harry Ford aimed to create a distinctive character that became easily recognisable and iconic whereas the post-war suburban expansion attitude leaned towards a style that was harmonious with its surroundings and created a more subtle impression on the urban landscape. More evidence of this is seen in the work of Charles W. Clark – in particular his designs of Croxley and Watford stations on the Watford branch extension of 192533. The buildings were designed in a vernacular arts and crafts style with tall, brick chimney stacks and dormer windows creating an inviting and attractive set of stations that welcomed the traveller and commuter to the suburban lifestyle. The Metropolitan line aimed to propagate this ‘cosy’ suburban identity as part of their ‘Metro-land’ scheme34

28 ‘The Green agenda (Leslie Green Underground stations, London, UK),’The beauty of transport, Accessed November 21st, 2023 https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2013/10/09/the-green-agenda-leslie-green-undergroundstations-london-uk/

29 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994),Pg 46

30 Valerio Serretano, The Treasury, Britain’s Postwar reconstruction, and the industrial intervention of the Bank of England, 1921-29 (Economic History Review, 2009)

31 ‘Woodstock (Edgeware line),’London Rail, Accessed November 21st 2023 https://londonrail.uk/historical/woodstock-edgware-line/

32 Stanley Heaps, ‘Design of Stations,’ T.O.T magazine, February 1927

33 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994),Pg 64

34 ‘What is Metro-Land?,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 21st 2023 https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/transport/metro-land

By the late 1920s, Green’s tiled designs were ‘no longer in keeping with contemporary architectural thinking’35 and a new, modern, cohesive style was needed to progress the image and identity of the Underground. This came with the architect Charles Holden. Holden was employed by Frank Pick whose idea was to ‘find an expression above ground’36 as part of a wider vision for rebranding the identity of the London Underground. Holden’s first commission for the Underground - a new entrance for Westminster station - was completed in 192437 and described by Frank Pick as ‘a whole new architectural idiom38’. It was a rendered structure that contrasted heavily with the traditional stonework and intricate details of earlier structures – it represented the beginnings of a modern face to the Underground identity. Holden’s work with Pick and the Underground continued with the re-design of several of Figgis’ 1890s works on the former City and South London Railway. This included Stockwell where the original Dome was removed, the building re-tiled and the entrance re-defined by a large rectangular panel39. The modifications gave the station a considerably up-to-date appearance and allowed new escalators to be installed - features which helped highlight the progressive identity of the London Underground and an eagerness to embrace current technological trends within architecture Holden’s first major achievement on the Underground was in 1926 with the Northern line extension to Morden40 which featured ashlar block cubic forms and large central entrances with lower set-back wings (see Clapham South fig.5.). At night the buildings became beacons of light due to their glazed second floor elevations and they rapidly became an iconic symbol of a modern Underground. Combined with Pick’s new corporate branding, these designs came to represent a brand-new identity for the London Underground. Holden’s work on the Northern Line was ‘the first step on a path which was to see him cement his reputation as the

Fig. 5. Clapham South tube station in2008 with later addition of flats above. Mark Moxon, https://www.tubewalker.com/images/ima ge.php?folder=northern/morden_to_kenn ington&image=morden_to_kennington11 4.jpg

35 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994),Pg 50

36 David Long, London Underground – Architecture, Design and history (Stroud: The History press, 2018), Pg 84

37 Eitan Carol, Charles Holden Architect (Donington: Shaun Tyas, 2007), Pg 271

38 Christian Barman, The Man who built London transport: A biography of Frank Pick (London, 1979), Pg 115

39 Eitan Carol, Charles Holden Architect (Donington: Shaun Tyas, 2007), Pg 279

40 ‘90th Anniversary of the Northern line extension,’ Ianvisits, accessed November 21st 2023 https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/90th-anniversary-of-the-northern-line-extension-18617/

defining architect of suburban stations’41 yet it was his work on the Piccadilly Line extensions of the 1930s that would see him become a household name and an icon of the London transport identity. The first station on the extended Piccadilly line that Holden was responsible for was the rebuilt Sudbury town Fig. 6 which opened in 193142. The station was a tall brick structure with a concrete ‘lid’ and large vertical windows that flooded the booking office with daylight. The structure was ‘quite unlike anything that had been seen on the underground until now’43 - the Architect’s Journal of 1932 described it as ‘functionalism of an unprovocative and genially inviting nature’44. The structure represented the forward thinking and modern ethos of the Underground whilst providing an inviting and functional space that attracted travellers.

6 Sudbury Town station showing the ‘brick box with a concrete lid’ style that became iconic on the Piccadilly line extension (Chris Wright, 2019), https://www.flickr.com/photos/155287083@N02/46720760145/in/pool-lutse/

41 David Long, London Underground – Architecture, Design and history (Stroud: The History press, 2018), Pg 84

42 Eitan Carol, Charles Holden Architect (Donington: Shaun Tyas, 2007), Pg 334

43 Eitan Carol, Charles Holden Architect (Donington: Shaun Tyas, 2007), Pg 334

44 Baird Dennison, Architecture at the Royal academy. Architect’s Journal, May 11th 1932

Fig.

5. Post War: 1950-1980

The end of the Second World War brought a new set of challenges for the London Underground – 23 stations had been damaged or destroyed in the Blitz45 and finances were tight46. Many new expansion projects had to be shelved and the London Underground found itself having to maintain an identity of a railway that remained relevant and up to date despite considerable economic ‘Post war weakness’47 . Despite the challenges faced, many stations were rebuilt and an extension to the central line was completed by 194948. One of the first significant post-war projects to be completed was the Victoria Line which opened in 1968 during Wilson’s ‘white heat of technology’ years49 As the first new deep-level tube line in over 50 years50 , The line connected a series of existing stations meaning that few new surface structures were required –as such, the Victoria line’s ‘treasures’ were Underground51. Grey tiling and Brushed steel were used at platform level across the line whilst brighter coloured tiles lined the booking halls52 Platforms also featured decorative mosaic tiles in the seating recesses pertinent to each stationsuch as crown motifs at King’s cross. The effect was a uniform identity that made the Victoria Line and its stations instantly recognisable in complex subterranean interchanges that oftenfeatured multiple tube lines. However, many found the grey colour scheme to ‘give a clinical and drab appearance’53 in keeping with the more austere nature of the Jubilee line. The designers argued that this ‘unexciting’ colour scheme was intended for long-lasting practicality rather than aesthetics54 which emphasises a post-war attitude towards a more functional identity through architecture. Whilst the line did not manifest itself in above-ground architecture in the way that pre-war lines often did, it represented a more subtle yet modern approach to the expansion of the network.

45 Fred Taylor, Rehabilitation – It takes time (Acton depot, 1945)

46 ‘It takes time: Celebration remembrance and rebuilding after war,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 26th 2023 https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/war/it-takes-time-celebrationremembrance-and-rebuilding-after-war

47 Jonathan M. Woodham and Patrick J. Maguire, The Britain can make it exhibition of 1946 (London: Leicester University press, 1997) Pg.3

48 ‘It takes time: Celebration remembrance and rebuilding after war,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 26th 2023 https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/war/it-takes-time-celebrationremembrance-and-rebuilding-after-war

49 Dominic Sandbrook, White Heat (London: Abacus, 2006)

50 ‘The Victoria Line,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 26th 2023. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/transport/victoria-line

51 Laurence Menear, London’s Underground Stations - A social and Architectural study (Midas Books: Tunbridge Wells, 1983) Pg.113

52 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994) Pg. 168

53 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994) Pg. 168

54 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994) Pg. 168

The next significant upgrade to the London Underground came just under 10 years later in 1977 with the opening of the Heathrow extension from Hounslow to Heathrow Central.55 As the first line in the world to connect a capital city to its airport,56 the line became part of a new identity for the London Underground. The first station on the Heathrow extension to be built was Hatton Cross which featured a large, above-ground concrete building clad in different shades of light brown tile57. Vertical window slits provided daylight in the ticket hall. Similar materials were used to that of the Victoria line including laminated plastic and stainless steel, however, there was a ‘departure from the dark brick uniformity of the Victoria line’58 which indicates a willingness to experiment with generating a different architectural identity. At platform level, the Heathrow extension differed considerably from other lines. The wide, open plan platform featured corrugated, suspended ceilings and Stainless-steel cladding at Hatton Cross gave a sleek and futuristic appearance (fig.7). The age of supersonic air travel had just begun59 and Heathrow’s new rail connection aimed to mirror this new age of modernity. The identity of the Underground was defined by the way that it progressed in architectural style and modernity over the post-war decades.

Fig.7. Hatton Cross tube station in 2011 showing the corrugated ceilings and stainless-steel cladding. Modern signage and furniture are the only shown changes made to the station since 1977, (Stacey Harris, 2011)

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/26479 39

55 ‘Queen Elizabeth II and London and London’s public transport network,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 27th 2023. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/people/queen-elizabeth-ii-and-londonspublic-transport-network

56 ‘Queen Elizabeth II and London and London’s public transport network,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 27th 2023. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/people/queen-elizabeth-ii-and-londonspublic-transport-network

57 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994) Pg.170

58 Laurence Menear, London’s Underground Stations - A social and Architectural study (Midas Books: Tunbridge Wells, 1983) Pg. 118

59 ‘Concorde,’ Encyclopaedia Brittanica, accessed November 27th 2023. https://www.britannica.com/technology/Concorde

The opening of the Jubilee line between Stanmore and Charing Cross in 197960 marked another significant development in the London Underground. In a similar situation to the Victoria line, most new construction took place underground. However, a clear move away from the ‘Austere tiling’ of the Victoria line was made and all new platforms were tiled in ‘Flame red’ with bright yellow plastic panels to emphasise the doorways.61 Unique murals at each station provided an ‘individual identity’62 which was not dissimilar to the Victoria line. One of the best examples of the 1979 Jubilee line was at Charing Cross where the ticket hall was upgraded using brightly coloured moulded plastic. At platform level, yellow and orange bands encircled the tunnel walls and tiled murals provided visual interest. The sub-surface architecture of the Jubilee Line demonstrated the Underground’s intentions of turning away from the cold, grey austerity of the Victoria Line and expressing a more vibrant and distinctive identity through new lines that expressed a visual and artistic interest in keeping with era-relevant style and materiality.

6. 21st Century – Jubilee line extension and The Elizabeth line

Less than a month before the new Millenium, an extension of the Jubilee line from Westminster to Stratford was opened.63 The line was built to connect the rapidly developing Docklands area and provide a new transport link for 21st century London that reflected a modern and forwardthinking identity for the London Underground. The completed line was ‘breathtaking’ and ‘architecturally distinguished’ - the structures were ‘among the most striking buildings of their generation’64. Under the supervision of Roland Paoletti (1931-2013)65, high profile architects were commissioned to design the individual stations which resulted in a ‘prominence not seen on the London Underground since the 1930s’66 The most visually striking of these new stations was at Canary Wharf (fig.8)(Norman Foster and Partners).67 Instantly recognisable glazed entrance canopies draw commuters into the vast concrete-lined entrance hall – the roof of

60 ‘The Jubilee line,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 27th 2023. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/transport/jubilee-line

61 David Lawrence, Underground architecture (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 1994) Pg.172

62 Laurence Menear, London’s Underground Stations - A social and Architectural study (Midas Books: Tunbridge Wells, 1983) Pg. 122

63 ‘The Jubilee line extension: One of the London Underground’s finest moments,’ Londonist, accessed November 28th, 2023 https://londonist.com/london/transport/jubilee-line-extension

64 ‘The Jubilee line extension: One of the London Underground’s finest moments,’ Londonist, accessed November 28th, 2023. https://londonist.com/london/transport/jubilee-line-extension

65 Roland Paoletti (1931-2013), RIBA Journal, accessed January 10th 2023. https://www.ribaj.com/culture/obituaryroland-paoletti-1931-2013

66 ‘The Jubilee line,’ London Transport Museum, accessed November 28th 2023. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/transport/jubilee-line

67 ‘Space 1999: The Jubilee line extension,’ Modernist London, accessed November 28th 2023. http://www.modernistlondon.co.uk/blog/space-1999-the-jubilee-line-extension

which is supported by huge concrete columns. At platform level, the stripped back and open simplicity of the concrete space with stainless steel embellishments conveys a clean and efficient modernity not seen before on the Underground. It was predicted that 50,000 passengers a day would pass through the station68 and the spatial quality of the station reflects this desire to build for the growing city. One of the other highlights of the Jubilee line extension is Southwark – designed by Richard McCormac69. The ticket hall is lit by a large concrete rotunda which can be seen as a ‘homage to Holden’70 and the intermediate space is dominated by a large artwork of blue glass prisms that reflect light from above into the subterranean tunnels below. Sweeping curves guide passengers on their journey through the space and allow for smooth and efficient movement of travellers. The Jubilee Line extension was groundbreaking for the London Underground. Its futuristic and iconic architecture represented the identity of an Underground system that aimed to remain relevant and contemporary into the 21st Century whilst the ‘simple recognition’71 of distinctive and easy-to-navigate spaces on the Jubilee extension retained the concept of corporate identity

Fig. 8. Canary Wharf tube station looking upwards in the entrance hall, 2021, Dave Knight. https://www.flickr.com/photos/137743397@N08/51340260225

68 Kenneth Powell, The Jubilee line extension (London: Laurence King publishing, 2000) Pg. 99

69 ‘Space 1999: The Jubilee line extension,’ Modernist London, accessed November 28th 2023. http://www.modernistlondon.co.uk/blog/space-1999-the-jubilee-line-extension

70 Kenneth Powell, The Jubilee line extension (London: Laurence King publishing, 2000) Pg. 48

71 ‘The Jubilee line extension: One of the London Underground’s finest moments,’ Londonist, accessed November 28th 2023. https://londonist.com/london/transport/jubilee-line-extension

The Elizabeth Line - London’s newest Underground route- opened in May 202272 and provided a new east-west connection through the heart of the city. 10 new stations73 were constructed over the 60-mile route74 which is estimated to carry around 200 million passengers75 per year as part of projections for a rapidly growing city. The Line represents the future of rapid mass transport in London and the identity of the Underground is shaped by its ability to evoke modernity, safety, and efficiency through architecture on the Elizabeth Line. In a similar way to the Jubilee Line extension, individual architects were commissioned to design each station. However, the Elizabeth Line featured a lot more standardisation at the platform level creating an identity strategy where ‘Line wide character is strongest in the below ground spaces’76. This was achieved using 10 standardised components, including tunnel cladding, flooring, lighting, poster frames and signage77. The result of this was a unified and instantly recognisable identity for the Elizabeth Line that effectively conveyed a corporate identity for a modern Underground. Design at platform and concourse level also had many practical benefits – the wide corridors and the curve of the cladding around corners and junctions ‘increased sight lines’78 and eliminated blind spots allowing a more efficient flow of passengers during busy periods (fig.9). Soft, indirect lighting emphasises the ‘spatial envelope’ of the sub-surface areas79 whilst different hues of lighting are used in different spaces to encourage slower or faster movement. The Elizabeth Line represents the 21st-century London Underground and exists as an evolution of the groundbreaking Jubilee Line extension with its cavernous concrete and glass entrance halls leading to ‘more mannered and rationalised’80 platform spaces that convey a clean, safe, and efficient identity for the Underground of the 2020s and beyond.

Fig.9. Curved tunnel cladding increases sight lines and the lack of clutter allows free flow of passengers, 2022, Transport for London https://www.dezeen.com/2022/05/10/elizabethline-crossrail-architecture-interviews/

72 ‘Crossrail: Elizabeth line confirmed to open on 24th May,’ BBC News, Accessed January 4th 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61415714

73 ‘Crossrail – A progress update,’ Department for Transport, Transport for London and Crossrail limited, accessed January 4th 2024. https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Crossrail-a-progress-update-Summary.pdf

74 James Whiting, Design on the Elizabeth line (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 2023) Pg. 12

75 James Whiting, Design on the Elizabeth line (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 2023) Pg. 12

76 James Whiting, Design on the Elizabeth line (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 2023) Pg. 13

77 James Whiting, Design on the Elizabeth line (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 2023) Pg. 13

78 James Whiting, Design on the Elizabeth line (Harrow: Capital Transport Publishing, 2023) Pg. 14

79 ‘Lighting up the Elizabeth line with LEDs (E&T),’ London Reconnections, accessed January 8th 2023. https://www.londonreconnections.com/2022/lighting-up-the-elizabeth-line-with-leds-et/

80 ‘Elizabeth line “more mannered” than Jubilee predecessor says head of architecture,’ Deezeen, accessed January 8th 2023. https://www.dezeen.com/2022/05/10/elizabeth-line-crossrail-architecture-interviews/

7. Conclusion

Over the past 160 years, the London Underground has evolved from a single, sub-surface railway line to a vast network of over 250 miles connecting the outer suburbs with the inner city of London. Each new expansion was crucial to the ongoing success and identity of the London Underground and architecture played a vital role throughout. The identity of the Underground is defined by its physical spaces and the passenger experience of passing through a concourse and descending into the subterranean depths of the system. The success of Underground architecture is defined by its ability to create practical and safe stations that serve a functional purpose, yet it is also defined by its ability to create attractive and aesthetic spaces that are equally integral to the iconic design identity of the Underground. Each decade brought a new challenge and each architect had to respond differently whilst creating modern and relevant spaces. Architects generated unity across each line to create a distinctive brand identity that could be easily spotted in crowded ticket halls and amongst the ever-changing city. Iconic designs such as Leslie Greens Oxblood tiling became distinctive beacons in the Urban environment and gave the Underground a memorable and recognisable identity. At every stage of the Underground’s history, a modern system has been at the forefront of the identity. This is particularly evident in the Jubilee line extension and the Elizabeth line that brought the London Underground into the 21st century with vast concrete, steel and glass caverns built for masses of commuters moving in and out of the rapidly growing city that existed in stark contrast to the more restrained Victoria and Jubilee line. The identity of the London Underground is defined by its architecture as much as its logo or colour scheme because it is the architecture that millions of people pass through every day, and it defines the Underground as a safe, modern, pleasant and efficient system for travellers.

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