For my research about London tube station I choose Canary Wharf. There was just one reason for that – I was about to move to Canary Wharf. By the way at the end I changed my mind and moved to North Greenwich (but this s another story).
The station was opened by Ken Livingston on 17 September 1999 and designed by architect Sir Norman Foster. The station is 24 metres (78 ft) deep and 265 metres (869 ft) long. There 20 escalators and 3 lifts.
When first time I arrived at the station and got out the train, my first expression was “WOOW, it is so huge!”. and the same time I was confused and feel lost, I didn’t know where to go, how can I go out.
There 3 glass canopy entrances which I love. The smallest entrance looks like Bilbao metro at Spain.
Station has a simple pallet of heavy materials: decorative concrete, stainless steel and glass. there 3 floors: ground floor – where trains comes, 0 floor – for tickets machin, turnstile, kiosks and currency exchange, and also way out to DLR station. And first floor for entrance.
The amounts of doors at 0 floor makes me feel that the station has hidden behind the doors mysterious life.
But for me the station just huge. It is aloof, dark, makes me feel like I in a big business cave, and need just pass it and find my way out.
Canary Wharf commercial estate makes this station one of the busiest station at London.
So I have different feelings about this station. First, I like the simple stile and high celling, but the same time this station does not cause any emotions, feel empty.
I would like to develop navigation system. Every time when I use this station, Im confused where should I go, and move out from another exit, but I was sure that I was going right way.
But I love in sunny day when you are moving up through glass canopies.