The bus station: A history
FOR one building, it is rich with history. Not only is it renowned, but its iconic infrastructure makes it world famous. It is the heart of Preston. It is Preston bus station.
For more than four decades it has towered over the city, the bus station has had a dramatic life from the beginning. It was engineered by Ove Arup and Partners, who engineered the Sydney Opera House. There’s a hint of likeness between the two buildings, comparing the curvature of the car park balconies and the shells of the Opera House.
The building, which was designed in what is known as a “Brutalist” style and built by Building Design Partnership, is to many people, a dominant part of Preston’s persona.
Kam Gill, Operations Manager at Stagecoach, whose buses go through the bus station 8,000 times a week, said: “Preston bus station is an iconic building that plays an integral part in the landscape for Preston as a city. It allows for a central bus hub for people to connect with various services away from the elements.
“Preston as a city is a halfway point if we look at the United Kingdom. It is also a central hub for commuters in the Lancashire region. There are a lot of services that run through the city, if these were to pick up at a roadside terminus point it would cause huge levels of congestion.”
After years of neglect, the city council felt that the estimated £17million refurbishment was too much and so the demolition of the building would be apparently much cheaper, costing around £2million and making way for a smaller, more modern bus station.
But English Heritage certainly didn’t think the so-called “monstrosity” of a building should be knocked down, as they granted it grade II listed status in September this year after two previous failed attempts, first in 2000 and for a second time in 2011. Some would say third time lucky.
Angela Brady, co-founder of Brady Mallalieu Architects, said that two of the main criteria for a listed building is historic value and architectural nourish.
“Preston bus station has both of these values. It is not beyond repair. It is a good quality building,” she said.
The “monstrosity” tag does not apply to Preston bus station, according to Ms. Brady. She added: “There were many monstrosities which were built in the 1960s and Preston bus station certainly isn’t one of them.”
FOR one building, it is rich with history. Not only is it renowned, but its iconic infrastructure makes it world famous. It is the heart of Preston. It is Preston bus station.
For more than four decades it has towered over the city, the bus station has had a dramatic life from the beginning. It was engineered by Ove Arup and Partners, who engineered the Sydney Opera House. There’s a hint of likeness between the two buildings, comparing the curvature of the car park balconies and the shells of the Opera House.
The building, which was designed in what is known as a “Brutalist” style and built by Building Design Partnership, is to many people, a dominant part of Preston’s persona.
Kam Gill, Operations Manager at Stagecoach, whose buses go through the bus station 8,000 times a week, said: “Preston bus station is an iconic building that plays an integral part in the landscape for Preston as a city. It allows for a central bus hub for people to connect with various services away from the elements.
“Preston as a city is a halfway point if we look at the United Kingdom. It is also a central hub for commuters in the Lancashire region. There are a lot of services that run through the city, if these were to pick up at a roadside terminus point it would cause huge levels of congestion.”
After years of neglect, the city council felt that the estimated £17million refurbishment was too much and so the demolition of the building would be apparently much cheaper, costing around £2million and making way for a smaller, more modern bus station.
But English Heritage certainly didn’t think the so-called “monstrosity” of a building should be knocked down, as they granted it grade II listed status in September this year after two previous failed attempts, first in 2000 and for a second time in 2011. Some would say third time lucky.
Angela Brady, co-founder of Brady Mallalieu Architects, said that two of the main criteria for a listed building is historic value and architectural nourish.
“Preston bus station has both of these values. It is not beyond repair. It is a good quality building,” she said.
The “monstrosity” tag does not apply to Preston bus station, according to Ms. Brady. She added: “There were many monstrosities which were built in the 1960s and Preston bus station certainly isn’t one of them.”