On 2 Feb, 15:14, Tom Anderson wrote:

I think the layout could be better - heading into or out from the
underground station, i often get caught in flows heading the wrong way,
and have to fight my way across them. A problem i never have at Liverpool
Street, Victoria, etc.

That's true. I think it would be improved substantially by removing
the TfL "box" that stands opposite the Tube entrance, if I'm
visualising things right.

Neil

In message , at
19:56:54 on Sun, 1 Feb 2009, Arthur Figgis
remarked:
They could raise the money to make it look finished by charging a quid
to everyone who says "yes, the old bit looks nice, but when are they
going to put something permanent in place of that temporary bit where
the MML/EMT/Thameslink/FCC on a weekend go from?"

Yes, and when MML was operating from what are now the Kent Domestic
platforms, the management did indeed give the impression that the
extension was temporary. They also didn't say that the eventual home for
the MML platforms was going to be *even further* away (from
civilisation).

The last time I was playing "hunt the snorbans train" I was surprised
to find there are no ticket machines around the MML platforms, you have
to go downstairs.

They have now got two or three ticket machines near the MML buffers on
the rather empty MML concourse (although a few seats have also
appeared).
--
Roland Perry

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
.li...

Before advocating Zaha Hadid as an architect for any project, check out
the analysis done by a Real Firefighter (tm) on her Fire Station (in
Germany IIRC).

I'd love to. Could you supply a URL, or even some slightly more specific
information?

I had a trawl on the web, and the first one that came up was this:

http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/vitrafire/index.htm

--
Tim
http://tim-fenton.fotopic.net/

On 2 Feb, 16:15, Mark Goodge wrote:
Kins Cross suffers badly from a combination of the split between the
main and suburban train sheds and creeping retailisation on the
concourse. The new concourse ought to improve both of those, at least
a bit.

I still think the ideal situation when they redevelop KX would be to
demolish the suburban shed and the somewhat ugly GN Hotel and build
another full-length train shed span next to the existing two. Failing
that, I never could understand why TPTB claimed more suburban
platforms were too expensive....KX used to at one point have several
more adjacent to the current shed (3+ more?)

In article ,
(Neil Williams) wrote:

I wasn't impressed with St P, to be honest. It feels unfinished,
scruffy and poorly-designed. The trainshed is indeed impressive, but
that's all, and I don't go to stations to look at architecture, but to
catch trains.

I've not travelled to or from StP but I've nipped in and looked at it
when travelling from KX. The use of space seems very odd - people
crowded into the undercroft and down at the MML/EMT/WHY platforms but
hardly anyone in the area at the original platform level, champagne bar
notwithstanding. When I came to the end of the platforms and the giant
statue I felt like some kind of intruder in a private place. Maybe it
was just the time I was there.

Sam

On Feb 2, 4:56*pm, "Tim Fenton" wrote:
Before advocating Zaha Hadid as an architect for any project, check out
the analysis done by a Real Firefighter (tm) on her Fire Station (in
Germany IIRC).

I'd love to. Could you supply a URL, or even some slightly more specific
information?

I had a trawl on the web, and the first one that came up was this:

* *http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/vitrafire/index.htm

....which says that the building was attractive and functionally
successful, before being made obsolete by changes to the way in which
fire provision worked in the district, and now has been repurposed
into a museum. That suggests that Hadid did a pretty good job...

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

"John B" wrote in message
...
Before advocating Zaha Hadid as an architect for any project, check
out
the analysis done by a Real Firefighter (tm) on her Fire Station (in
Germany IIRC).

I'd love to. Could you supply a URL, or even some slightly more
specific
information?

I had a trawl on the web, and the first one that came up was this:

http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/vitrafire/index.htm

...which says that the building was attractive and functionally
successful, before being made obsolete by changes to the way in which
fire provision worked in the district, and now has been repurposed
into a museum. That suggests that Hadid did a pretty good job...

There were dozens more URLs I could have posted. What they would have told
us I don't know: this one had a photo of the structure. However, the
firefighter who analysed the building was not impressed - for instance,
there were sharp (acute) corners along the corridors where firefighters
would have been running to get to their appliances. And, no, I don't recall
the channel or documentary strand.

--
Tim
http://tim-fenton.fotopic.net/

On Mon, 2 Feb 2009, Neil Williams wrote:

On 2 Feb, 15:14, Tom Anderson wrote:

I think the layout could be better - heading into or out from the
underground station, i often get caught in flows heading the wrong way,
and have to fight my way across them. A problem i never have at
Liverpool Street, Victoria, etc.

That's true. I think it would be improved substantially by removing the
TfL "box" that stands opposite the Tube entrance, if I'm visualising
things right.

That wouldn't hurt. But really, it needs either a second (well, third)
exit from the underground station (ideally, one entry and one exit), or
for the exit to be made a lot wider.

tom

--
Tubes are the foul subterranean entrails of the London beast, stuffed
with the day's foetid offerings. -- Tokugawa

"Jamie Thompson" wrote

I still think the ideal situation when they redevelop KX would be to
demolish the suburban shed and the somewhat ugly GN Hotel and build
another full-length train shed span next to the existing two. Failing
that, I never could understand why TPTB claimed more suburban
platforms were too expensive....KX used to at one point have several
more adjacent to the current shed (3+ more?)

There were at one time 7 platforms in the suburban and local stations -
17
16 - the platform used by trains from Moorgate via the Hotel Curve
15 and 14 - added in 1924 on teh site of a former loco yard
13, 12, and 11 - the current 11 - 9
Until the 1970s the platform numbers in the main shed omitted 4 and 9, so
the original main departure platform was No. 10.

The problem with adding more longer platforms on teh site of the suburban
station is that this part of the station does not align well with the Gas
Works Tunnels, so a good track layout in the throat would be difficult to
achieve.

Peter

On 2 Feb, 21:35, "Peter Masson" wrote:
Until the 1970s the platform numbers in the main shed omitted 4 and 9, so
the original main departure platform was No. 10.

That's interesting. Don't suppose you know the reasoning for that?

IIRC there were originally only 2 platforms (which is why the bridge
only caters to 1 & 8), arrival (on the eastern side, hence the cab
road), and departure on the west side (hence the waiting rooms). The
centre roads being used as stock sidings until the centre platform
(current 4&5) were added over them, and finally the other two. I cold
be wrong, but I'm fairly sure that's how it worked.

I seem to recall a old map online somewhere showing the KX area with
many more platforms...I'll see if I can find it again.

The problem with adding more longer platforms on teh site of the suburban
station is that this part of the station does not align well with the Gas
Works Tunnels, so a good track layout in the throat would be difficult to
achieve.

Bring back the eastern bore, then have the tracks running primarily
diagonally from the mouths to the platforms. Perhaps move some of the
pointwork to the maiden lane opening. I guess if you wanted to be
drastic...you could even contemplate opening up some of the gasworks
tunnels.