Canary Wharf Underground Station, London

Canary Wharf is the largest of the 11 new Underground stations on the Jubilee Line (see Detail 4/00). It is 300 m long and two storeys deep, and extends down into what was formerly the West India Dock. The station can cope with 40,000 passengers an hour at peak periods. The roof is laid out as a park and forms Canary Wharf’s principal public recreation space. All that is visible of the station above ground are three glass domes, which allow daylight to penetrate to the concourse and which are transformed at night into glowing volumes. Internally, the roofs also form a means of orientation. Served by 20 banks of escalators, the station is articulated internally by a central row of columns. The ticket hall is flanked by offices, kiosks and other amenities. Durability and ease of maintenance were the underlying principles of the design. This is reflected in the choice of materials: fair-faced concrete, stainless steel and glass.