West Croydon Bus Station has been transformed from an uninviting and poorly functioning 1980s ‘shed’ into an open concourse under an elegant weathering steel canopy. The canopy wraps around and connects two small brick clad buildings – a retail unit and a bus operations building.
A key aspect of the design of the canopy is the integration of structural and architectural requirements. Weathering steel is supplied as plate sheet metal that can be profile cut, so the canopy design is based around a repeating module where canopy and supporting columns are linked by a curved haunch perforated with variable sized holes. This creates both an interesting visual effect and demonstrates the changing stress intensity across the haunch. All elements are digitally fabricated profiles that integrate with each other to produce a visually seamless and well optimised load path. The brick and weathering steel were chosen to complement the surroundings, especially the adjacent listed St Michael and All Angels Church.
The buildings are highly sustainable and environmentally friendly, with solar panels, air source heat pumps, LED lighting, and building materials that maximise the building’s performance. A building management system ensures energy efficiency and reduces light pollution.
Completed 2016.