Birmingham station design likened to shoebox, Nintendo and drive-thru Starbucks

Designs for the new Perry Barr railway station in Birmingham have been compared to a shoebox, a Nintendo console and a drive-thru Starbucks by unimpressed railway engineers and local politicians.Plans for the redevelopment of the station were submitted to Birmingham City Council this week, with images released showing the design.The building will include multiple entrances, a ticket office, an accessible toilet and baby change facility, an out-of-hours entrance, lifts and new stairs. Further improvements include step free access, planters, passenger seating and cycle racks.The designs have sparked a backlash with railway engineer and writer Gareth Dennis describing the design as “the worst” he had ever seen for a station.Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council head of projects and delivery Vicky Smith joined the debate on Twitter, saying that she thought the station was the “site hut for the contractor”.Meanwhile Birmingham labour councillor John O’Shea said the area “deserves better”.Former transport secretary Andrew Adonis also weighed in on Twitter saying that it was “hard to tell” regarding the design from the photos, but adding that he would “have a look” the next time he is in Birmingham. (See below for Twitter reaction.)Dennis – who also likened the design to a shoebox – told NCE that the current station at least has “a bit of character”.Dennis called for better incorporation of the station into the wider urban fabric and for the building to “be something” in itself.Dennis added that the design appears to comply with none of Network Rail’s nine principles of good design.