Exploring Issues of Aesthetics in a Railway Environment: the Infrastructure of Stratford City, London

摘要

Stratford, in the east of London, is undergoing major redevelopment to become the main venue for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and to create Stratford City: a 73-hectare mixed-use new city quarter including retail, residential and commercial uses. The area includes multiple railway lines providing local, national and international passenger and 24-hour freight services. There are rigorous planning controls to create high quality new infrastructure combined with strict rail safety and approval requirements. Engineering criteria vary considerably across the site and between different bridges and structures. The design of the bridges and structures covered in the paper reflects their diverse engineering requirements while the architectural appearance of them shows a high aesthetic quality and a coordinated family resemblance, based on the careful use of pattern and materials.