Abbey Wood Train Station

The Challenge

Until recently, the Abbey Wood station in the London Borough of Bexley was a small Network Rail station serving the North Kent Line.

A project to redevelop it would see it become symbolic not only for its regeneration effect on this part of London, but also as marking the geographical start of Crossrail, the most ambitious and advanced railway network in Europe.

The Solution

The new station, designed by Fereday Pollard Architects, would serve four new lines, including the new Elizabeth Line and South Eastern Rail Services. Ancillary design works include the implementation of an extensive urban realm strategy with Urban Movement, foot bridges and other structures along the 2km project.

The design and vision for the station was successfully maintained through all the GRIP stages of this multidisciplinary project.

Forterra’s Cradley Linear Bricks in a bespoke colour and size – 30,000 units over 22 different special types – were incorporated into the design. The warm tone of theses 50 x 300mm radial units complement the extensive use of exposed wood for the building’s interior and exterior.

Neil McLafferty, Sales Manager for Forterra, said, “The bricks were based on the classic ‘smooth blue’ brick design for their distinctive colouring and size, but were also radial in shape.

“This unique finish to the bricks, giving them each a slight camber, resulted in a slight curvature to the completed building, so that it resembled an amphitheatre. The blue bricks are also extremely compact and dense, ensuring they are robust and durable compared to standard bricks.”

The Benefits

The station design has created a new and vibrant architectural focus for Abbey Wood, and a greatly enhanced experience for those using the station.

John Attwood, Architect at Fereday Pollard, said, “We opted for linear bricks as they emphasise the horizontal, for what is quite a high building in a residential area, making it more attractive. Using bespoke bricks brings the benefit of a more hard-wearing, robust material for this public building.

“The slightly curved, cambered bricks were used specifically to interface with the timber used throughout the construction, while the blue brindle brick colouring also created a pleasing contrast with the timber.”