Westminster underground tube station is one of my favourites. It is like a giant underground steel works – about as brutal as Brutalism can be. Michael Hopkins of Hopkins Architects, completed the monster building in 1999.
The Previous Westminster Station
The previous old Victorian station was then called Westminster Bridge and opened in 1868. It served only the shallow District Line, taking advantage of the construction of the Thames Embankment at the same time.
The New Jubilee Line To Canary Wharf
The arrival of the much deeper Jubilee Line extension and the construction of Parliament’s Portcullis House above, required the construction of a much more complex interchange to cope with the depth and angles of the lines. Made more challenging by having to include supports for Portcullis House and the dangers of being near to Big Ben and the Thames.
The Ticket Hall is entered from the colonnade of Portcullis House and the lower level District and Circle line platforms. Below this lies escalators to the Jubilee line platforms. The sleek escalators contrast with the rough concrete of the walls. The massive foundation beams of Portcullis House above, add to the dystopian theatrics.
Waiting For The Perfect Moment
On this occasion the station was as busy as ever. There is a very short period between the next crowd of passengers going up or down. I found each perfect viewpoint, then waited until everyone had gone past from the latest train. Most of the shots have someone in them, but not too many. I have included a shot with dozens of passengers on an escalator, as it shows the scale of the massive construction.
Architectural Photography
These hand held photographs were taken with an extra wide angle 14-24mm zoom lens.
References: Wikipedia, Hopkins Architects.
