International Terminal Waterloo: Roof Glazing System and Components   London, UK

Grimshaw’s brief for the International Terminal Waterloo was to build a streamlined international terminal, complete with security and immigration controls, which would allow for efficient arrival in London. The landmark design offered a significant contribution to growing cross-Channel rail travel in Britain.

The roof displays the technical skill embedded in the design for the terminal. Its asymmetric form responds to the dictates of the site layout, specifically the westernmost track, over which the roof must rise more steeply in order to accommodate the height of the trains. This western side is clad entirely in glass, clearly expressing the structure of the roof and providing arriving passengers with a panoramic view of Westminster and the River Thames.

It is a complex structure, designed to a long, sinuous plan that narrows from 50m at the concourse, to 35m at the platform end. The cladding system is accordingly flexible, with a limited range of variably sized sheets if glass placed in an overlapping configuration that can flex and expand in response to the roof’s various twists and turns.

Location
London, UK

Project Type
Industrial Design →

Client
British Railways Board And European Passenger Services

Area
60,000 sq m

Status
Complete

Year
1993