Leeds Station South Entrance

Architect	Bauman Lyons Architects and AECOM
Date Built	Completed 2016
Location	Granary Wharf
Description
Bauman Lyons website explains that, along with AECOM, they were commissioned by Network Rail to, "... develop proposals for a new south access to Leeds Station. The only viable location was to site the access point over the River Aire and there were a number of severe constraints. The form that developed is a respond to the need to minimise the enclosure and affect on the light levels and amenity of the residential properties on either bank of the river and produce an elegant, eye-catching entrance point respecting and celebrating its unique location." An article in the Yorkshire Post on January 2, 2016, added some detail. ".... The state-of-the-art entrance will provide a direct link to the city’s growing south bank area – saving passengers up to an hour of travelling time each week. Up to one fifth of the station’s 100,000 daily users are expected to benefit from the entrance, which also aims to ease congestion at the existing tickets gates." According to the Leeds-List website, ".... Construction work started in January 2014 ... To make access to the work site easier, a loading site has been set up five hundred metres away from the LSSE site on Water Lane near Bridge End. This will allow materials to be transported via barge along the Aire and Calder Navigation. At the Water Lane site lie the original historic arches, built by London North Western and North Eastern railways in 1869 as part of Leeds New Station. This station was built with wide arches over the River Aire as well as a wrought iron bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool canal basin, making it a more improved version of nearby Wellington Station. For worker’s safety, the area has been levelled with the arches dismantled, which will be rebuilt after all works have been completed at the Water Lane site. The construction work has ten key stages which include initially constructing pier extensions, building the main deck in and outside the Dark Arches, and creating a footbridge over the east and west river banks. Once this has been completed, the LSSE main building will be built over the River Aire, including the canopy and footbridge extension. Then, the final touches will be set in motion with electrical installation and external cladding, as well as making sure passenger services are in working order for the expected grand opening in spring 2015." (a target that was apparently missed)