Friday, 19 August 2016

London | London Tube | What we might see? Find out more

London Tube

Nille Juul-Sorensen is a transport visionary share his ideas how London tube might look like in the nearer future. As global business leader for architecture at Arup Associates, the Dane has worked on high-profile transport projects, from Hong Kong International airport, to the Eurostar building at King’s Cross, St Pancras and the new Copenhagen metro, Cityringen.

Juul-Sorensen sees no reason why you couldn’t also have a GP surgery, library, even a swimming pool in the station hub. Arup is now working on the new Canary Wharf Crossrail station with a shopping centre and a rooftop public park.

Londoners deserve better, he insists. “When you consider that commuters can experience greater stress than fighter pilots going into battle or riot policemen, implementing such innovations could significantly improve our mental health.”

All of his projects are focused on the passenger experience. “I actually hate public transport when it is not good enough. So I want to change it.”

He works by analysing sources of annoyance in his own travels and eradicating them in the stations he designs. “You need to go from A and B, and if I could give you a little joy somewhere, that would be nice.”

Stations should be a vital form of public space he insists, not just a transport hub with fare gates. Travel on the underground can cause claustrophobia and stress. Denmark’s Cityringen has spacious stations with easy access from street level. From the escalators, passengers can see the whole platform and can decide which carriage they’d prefer, or if they’ll wait for the next train.

Cityringen stations and trains are unmanned but stewards patrol stations, offering help. Lone women feeling anxious can press a button and ask for help. There are no ticket gates. As passengers enter a carriage, the cost is automatically charged to their mobile phone. Or they can beep in with a travel card on the train or in the plaza.

Our own Tube will soon be ticketless, predicts Juul-Sorensen. He says we’ll pay via mobile or Fitbit. He realises London will never be able to close its 270 Tube stations for a revamp, but suggests overnight upgrades using simple wall panelling. “You don’t smash things up when they look good,” he says.

NILLE JUUL-SORENSEN’S IDEAS FOR TRANSFORMING THE TUBE

1. Look at things in a different light

Harsh underground lighting isn’t relaxing. Although much of the Tube is deep underground, natural lighting, such as the skylights and prisms designed into the Copenhagen Cityringen, which can shine light down as far as 65 feet, make a difference.

2. Circumvent signage

Excessive signage often increases station congestion as people who are unfamiliar with the environment need to stop to read it. More intuitive station design, using block colours and lighting to channel passengers towards platforms, would help.

3. Get rid of gates

The development of technology that automatically registers and charges passengers as they board trains will reduce congestion, while putting an end to those awkward moments when you realise you’ve forgotten your Oyster or lost your contactless card.

4. Use materials that mimic life

Easy-to-clean materials, or ones that disguise common sources of grime are a simple way to avoid accumulation of dirt in stations.

5. Break with convention

It’s commonly accepted that escalator travellers should stand on the right and walk on the left, but research has revealed that having two people standing side by side would actually increase efficiency.

6. Avoid invasive advertising

Framed advertising, which stands out from station walls, can disrupt commuters as bags or items of clothing catch on its edges. Make advertising flush to the walls.

7. Tell the “story” of the station

To avoid anonymity, use art or materials to reference what’s above ground. David Gentleman’s historic scenes on the walls of the Northern line platform at Charing Cross are a good example.

8. Be playful

Paris Metro struck a deal with Ikea which enabled the brand to deck out stations with home furnishings, transforming the space and increasing travellers’ engagement. Imagine taking a stroll through an underground garden courtesy of a DIY brand, for example — or enjoying a winter wonderland staged by a department store.

9. Transform concourses

At any one time a third of people at King’s Cross station are not actually taking a train — they’re there to eat, drink, shop and socialise. Making concourses destinations in their own right improves the travelling experience significantly.


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