HS2 has
released a set of new images showing progress at London Euston where the team
this week completed the demolition of the former BHS warehouse on Hampstead
Road, close to the new station’s proposed Camden Town entrance.
The
images highlight the scale of the new mega-station, whose 400m platforms and
concourse will be built adjacent to the existing station, doubling capacity and
improving journeys for millions of people.
The
former BHS warehouse was once the centre of the department store’s London
distribution network, with the building providing office space above the
warehouse, loading bays and basement.
Since
the closure of the warehouse, the 5,000 square foot building had been
temporarily occupied by UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture and used by HS2’s
contractors as office space.
The
building, made up of two separate three and five storey concrete-framed
structures, was demolished over eight months, by a Costain and Skanska team
(CSjv) and specialist subcontractors John F Hunt.
A
top-down demolition technique was used, with machines lifted onto the top of
the buildings and protective screening installed around the outside to limit
noise and dust. During the work, more than 35,000 tonnes of concrete was
crushed and reused on site. With the demolition complete, the team are now
working to finish the clearance of the site, ready for handover to the station
construction teams.
Across
the UK, more than 9,000 jobs are now supported by HS2 both directly and in the
supply chain, delivering essential early works, including demolition,
utilities, ecological works and the project’s pioneering archaeological
programme.
HS2’s
Programme Director, Matthew Botelle said: “HS2 will transform Euston,
delivering much-needed extra capacity, improving journeys and unlocking the
opportunity for thousands of new jobs and homes.
“This
week’s milestone is the latest evidence of the progress we are making across
London. With our fascinating archaeological programme in full swing and more
than two thirds of demolitions now complete, I’d like to thank all those
involved in the project for their hard work and dedication.”
CSjv’s
Programme Director, Peter Jones said: “Costain and Skanska have successfully
completed yet another major building demolition as part of our huge HS2
enabling works programme. With more than 1,500 people now at work across the
capital, we are proud to be part of what will be, the UK’s biggest
infrastructure project.”
Glen
Clark, Managing Director of John F Hunt Ltd said: “From the start, we
recognised that the reinforced concrete frame construction coupled with the
unusual 7m high floor to ceiling heights positioned directly adjacent to the
busy Hampstead Road thoroughfare, meant that the project offered the type of
engineering challenges that we enjoy taking on.
“I’m
pleased to say that through an excellent and collaborative working arrangement
with both the CSjv and our client teams, we collectively produced meticulously
planned, innovative engineered solutions to the myriad of challenges presented
and I’m proud to say that the scheme has been delivered on time, on budget and
most importantly with everyone going home safely every night.
“It has
been an excellent scheme to work on and we thank both CSjv and our client for
providing us with the opportunity to deliver on their behalf.”
This
week’s milestone follows on from the demolition of the former Ibis hotel on
Cardington Street, which was completed last month and the clearance of the
nearby disused National Temperance Hospital buildings.
Across
the capital, more than two thirds of demolitions have now been completed, with
utility work and the creation of new wildlife habitats as part of HS2’s ‘green
corridor’ project, also well underway.
Once
complete, the station, could, for the first time, include a new entrance facing
north towards Camden Town and west towards Hampstead Road and the shops and
restaurants of Drummond Street. In total, the arrival of HS2 will more than
double the number of seats out of the station during peak hours.
