Earlier in the week I attended a very interesting talk about biodiversity and trees in Parliament square (at RICS ) and on my way back home I decided to take a few photos of the magnificent space that is Westminster station.
One of London’s most iconic and futuristic stations on the Jubilee line extension it was designed by Hopkins Architects. Completed in 1999 (hard to believe) , it has remained a dramatic focal point of the lineIts polished industrial aesthetic, using exposed concrete, steel braces, and vertical views that allow you to see deep into the underground, made it stand out from the beginning .
Descending into Westminster Station feels like stepping into a science fiction set.
The engineering , rather than concealed , it is embraced as a key feature of the architecture and creates drama.
The multi-level void showcases movement and makes every journey a performance of passengers on escalators and walkways suspended in space.
The lighting adds to the visual complexity and reminds us of futuristic movies like “Blade Runner” or Tim Burton’s Gotham.
In fact, it is so cinematic that you probably saw it in movies such as Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic “28 Days Later” (2002), Bond's “Skyfall” (2012) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
Personally I find it a fascinating surprise to encounter in such a historical context .
