As part of
the Your Railway programme of improvements Shadwell station concourse was
refurbished over 2007 and 2008.
The
station concourse was previously suffering from a poor ambience, due to the
level of lighting inside the railway arches, lack of visibility through the
arches which led to a poor perception of safety, and the surrounding area was
underdeveloped.
Work to
improve the concourse began with work on the arches – stripping out old
cladding, diverting cables and drainage pipes, re-pointing the brickwork and
deep cleaning the area. New features
were then built including new paving, widening entrances with coloured glazing,
new ceiling lining and upgrading the lift to make it more visible. The existing retail unit was relocated and
upgraded with a better view from the entrance and stairs to the platform. The main arch was opened out to become a
large retail unit suitable for a coffee shop.
And lastly two public art spaces were built: one space for temporary
displays and one permanent display.
The area
outside the concourse was developed into an open “square” with a new cycle
shelter, station identifier totem and landscaping.