HS2 has revealed that multinational construction firm Lendlease will lead the planning and development of Euston.
Appointed Master Development Partners (MDP) by transport secretary Chris Grayling and Network Rail, Lendlease will be tasked with working with the Greater London Authority and the London Borough of Camden to develop a masterplan for the 54 hectare site.
By taking a coordinated approach with Network Rail, which owns and runs the existing station, and pooling publicly-owned land across the site, the appointment of the MDP will allow a unified approach to long-term development.
Euston, described as HS2’s gateway into London, will see the number of seats out of the station more than double during peak hours because of HS2, providing much-needed extra capacity.
The development is also an opportunity to improve accessibility and open up the station to the surrounding communities, creating new access routes, public and green spaces across the wider site.
HS2 predicts that the station development could unlock up to 1,700 new homes and 19,000 jobs around the site.
The project will include a new interchange with the London Underground, combining Euston and Euston Square for the first time, and including provision for a future connection to a potential Crossrail 2.
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HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston said it was great to see such a strong competition and welcomed Lendlease to the team.
Network Rail Property managing director David Biggs added: “Network Rail has a successful history of creating great places and we’re excited to use this expertise to work with stakeholders, landowners, and our new development partner to establish a visionary masterplan for Euston.
“Like our award-winning work at nearby King’s Cross, which attracted £2.2 billion of private investment including new offices, jobs and homes, we will work to transform Euston station to meet modern needs and act as a catalyst for wider regeneration.”
Lendlease worked with a broad consultant team on the Euston bid, including Prior and Partners, Grimshaw, Arup, BIG, AHMM, Haworth Tomkins, Asif Khan and AECOM.
HS2 Ltd recently announced a shortlist of bidders in the running to build the station, and appointed Engineers Ove Arup & Partners, working with Grimshaw Architects, to take forward the design. The main construction phase is due to begin in 2019 with the first HS2 services arriving in 2026.
Opened in 1837, Euston was London’s first inter-city train station. It was completely rebuilt in the early 1960s and now caters for around 42 million passengers a year – more than double its design capacity.
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