The Elizabeth Line

by Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and AtkinsRéalis

Client Crossrail

Award RIBA London Award 2024, RIBA London Building of the Year (sponsored by EH Smith), RIBA National Award 2024 and the RIBA Stirling Prize 2024

The Elizabeth Line is a tour de force. Running across London from Heathrow Airport and Reading at the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, it boasts 62 miles of track, 26 miles of new tunnels, 10 new and 31 upgraded stations including some 9 to 10 storeys below ground, and is anticipated to carry 200 million passengers per year.

Its success is the outcome of intense collaboration between the multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, lighting designers, and wayfinding experts, as well as manufacturers and suppliers. The aim was to provide users with as coherent an experience as possible, create a familiar feel, improve comfort for cross-London travel, ease navigation and flow, and standardise elements. The design adopts a clear visual language and has a consistent material palette and approach to detailing.

Working across the Elizabeth line the line-wide design team of Grimshaw, Maynard, AtkinsRéalis and Equation was part of a wider Crossrail architectural design team, interfacing with architects across the line’s 10 new stations including John McAslan + Partners, Weston Williamson + Partners, Hawkins\Brown, AHR (formerly Aedas), Wilkinson Eyre, BDP, Adamson Associates, Allies and Morrison and Fereday Pollard.

Watch a video of the Elizabeth Line project below

 

Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal

Graphics and Wayfinding Maynard

Lighting Design Equation

Engineering and Package Management AtkinsRéalis