TRANSPORT | Manchester Victoria Station

[Latic]

Manchester Victoria in all it's Glory





A bit optimistic..



The wonderful mosaic just inside the station..

[SleepyOne]

Looks like the call to arms has been answered - by the private sector. Wonder if this means the vector arena tower or something of its ilk will be back on the agenda when they choose a developer?

What land do Network rail own here? Is it just the strip of land between Victoria and Corporation Street. This, together with the scale of development allowed on the plot will give some indication as to the scale of investment in the Victoria Station itself.

Developers line up for Manchester Station

10 February, 2006

Stanhope, Argent, Amec and Allied London in the running to rebuild Manchester's Victoria station.

[Isaac Newell]

Invest in some air conditioning, waiting for a train under the arena is a bit tasty, the taste being diesel.

[man med]

Hope Allied London get the gig.

[rolybling]

nice one sleepy, this is good news, I think they'll go the whole hog and have a major rebuild

[Farsight]

Ah, Vector Victoria. I can see it now.

[skymann]

Originally Posted by Farsight

Ah, Vector Victoria. I can see it now.

I would be ecstatic if they revamped the Vector project, with a similar design. Maybe increase the 650ft to 800ft. We need a decent cluster around Victoria (like we'll have around Piccadilly and Quay St/Great Northern) to complement CIS. Vector and a couple of 600 footers opposite the CIS tower (on the car park - the one the Time Team dug up). I can see it now too!

[Metrolink]

Hope that the historical aspects of Victoria are maintained, it is a great building - it has just been neglected over the last few decades, with a bit of money spent on it it could be great again.

The roof is the major problem.

[Northbeach]

Good news Sleeps.
Despite it's delapidated state I really like the space inside this station. Does the amount of traffic at Victoria warrant an ambitious (if that were to be the case) redevelopment?
I don't know the amount of traffic this place see's - I get the tram up to Piccadilly on occasion.

[jrb]

Originally a small single storey single platform building designed by George Stephenson and completed in 1844 on Hunts Bank to serve the Manchester & Leeds trans-Pennine railway. By this time there were six railway connecting Manchester to the cities of London, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Bury and Bolton - Victoria Station had come to dominate the Long Millgate area and was one of the biggest passenger stations in Britain. It was enlarged by William Dawes, who is responsible for most of the remaining facade, in 1909.
The present Edwardian building has a 160 yard facade, which still carries an iron and glass canopy bearing the names of the original destinations which it served. These canopies served as covered waiting porch for taxi cabs until they were severely damaged in the 1996 IRA bomb blast - they have now been completely restored to their former glory. The cast iron train sheds behind the facade run back for some 700 yards. Initially the station was approached by a wooden footbridge over the River Irk which has subsequently disappeared beneath culverting alongside the Cathedral, where it makes its way unobtrusively into the River Irwell.
Nowadays, largely serving destinations north and east of Manchester, it is the main terminus for the adjacent Manchester Evening News Arena, which was effectively joined onto the original station between 1992 and 1996 to designs by Ellerbe Beckett. Here it forms a major interface where the Metrolink train joins the streets of Manchester as an urban tramway. Also a major rail-bus interchange, the station is linked directly to Piccadilly Station by Metrolink.
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Victoria Station.











http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/cont...aces_360.shtml

Originally Posted by man med

following manfan-sleepeye's article...bring Vector back...

http://www.building.co.uk/mobile/mob...rycode=3062680

28 February 2006
Developers line up for Manchester Station

Stanhope, Argent, Amec and Allied London in the running to rebuild Manchester's Victoria station.

Developers Stanhope, Argent, Amec and Allied London have lined up to rebuild Manchester's Victoria station.

The scheme is part of Network Rail's massive overhaul of major stations across the country. Expressions of interest for massive programmes at London's Euston and Victoria stations have already been given.

Network Rail is working with Manchester council on the scheme and the two are looking for a developer to masterplan, design and build a mixed-use development with offices, retail and leisure uses.

A tall building is understood to be part of the plans, which will cover a 2.5 acre car park close to the station and a 1 acre site next to Chatham's School of Music.

A vacant 3700 m2 grade II-listed building is also likely to be part of the scheme, which will include much of the station.

Aerial shot of Victoria Station + surrounding area. Purple shading shows 2.5 acre car park

Originally Posted by Kids in the riot

here's vector in all its glory - lets hope the plans will be as impressive as this!

[The Longford]

Think i said to you before jerbers that i think planning permission still stands for Victoria. I suspect they will have to resubmit though if there is significant changes though.
I shall look out for any apps. which i should see cos the frontage is listed and it will affect Chethams.

[jrb]

Originally Posted by The Longford

Think i said to you before jerbers that i think planning permission still stands for Victoria. I suspect they will have to resubmit though if there is significant changes though.
I shall look out for any apps. which i should see cos the frontage is listed and it will affect Chethams.

Indeed you did Mr Longford.

What does the 'crystal ball' say next?

Another fantastic day for Manchester and it's future.

Good night.

[oscar9]

When did the idea for the vector arena tower first see light of day, and was it just put on hold or cancelled completley? I am right to think it was the late 80's /early 90's?Not really a good time for scrapers that was it. Now that they are back in vogue could we see this rising after all ...sounds promising. I like the idea of mixed use offices/retail/leisure as part of the plans,this with the Jefferson place,Green quarter,Skyline central etc nearby should expand the city centre northwards.

[caw123]

It was proposed in the early/mid 90s, it apparently rested on Manchester getting the olympics. Which never happened, of course.

[Caiman]

It's about time something was done with Victoria and area in its immediate vicinity, crazy that it's taken so long during all the regeneration that has been going on around it. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they have in store, they can make it a grand place once again hopefully, instead of a blot on the landscape.

[Farsight]

I think it looks nice from the outside, but it seems a bit tacky and underused inside. We were talking a while back about how there's far fewer trains than there used to be. There's destinations on the facade but you can't get a train to many of them from Victoria any more. Shame.

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ma...ne_for_us.html

What Victoria's done for us
Susan Press

IF there were to be a consolation prize for a "Cinderella" of the railway station world, then Manchester's Victoria Station would probably be a strong contender. Considerable sums of money have been spent on its environs in the recent past - the new cathedral gardens and Urbis building opposite have enhanced the area. Yet this remains a seriously unlovely place to wait for a train. The multi-million Commonwealth Games refurbishment of its sister station, Piccadilly, a mile or so down the Metrolink line, may be a wonderful addition to the city's infrastructure. But it really emphasises Victoria's "poor relation" status. Things used to be very different. This was once the bustling place where you went to get the big trains to Scotland and the north of England. For generations of north west holidaymakers, it was the gateway to the sun, sea, and sand of favourite resorts such as Blackpool, Southport and Scarborough. However, about 20 years ago, the decision was taken to downgrade Victoria to a commuter station, and it has suffered ever since...

[The Longford]

Ive heard some gossip which may or may not be common knowledge.
Gmex have sold their carpark at the rear - you know that bit between Beetham and the turquiose tram bridge. Deepthroat didnt know who to - just 'a developer'.
I wouldnt get too excited though cos i doubt anything substantial could be built on that site cos it sits above the undercroft and road bridge so foundations could not be dug. I'm sure a design solution may allow for some building but i doubt it will be a tower. I may be wrong though.
A decent vertical to complement the horizontal mass of the train shed would be acceptable me thinks, but it would have to big IMO.

[Cherguevara]

I get off at the GMEX stop everyday and I'm not quite sure where you mean.

The car park immediately behaind the shed is used for deliveries, access, loading and is generally full of trucks loading things through the big rear doors. They couldn't get rid of that because how else will they get things into the GMEX?

Beneath that is Trumpet Street and the Bauer Miller garage site, which they appear to be doing some work on at the moment, although mostly it appears to be ripping up concrete and laying some fresh. I've always thought that it would make a decent gallery under there, for sculture or something. With the high arches it could be quite impressive.

The car park behind that imediately next to the station is built above Deansgate locks, so I doubt they'd be knocking that down.

Do they perhaps mean the bit of the car park on the old arches on the other side of Deansgate? That would be a shame as it would end forever the chances of finding a use for the other Castlefield viaduct, and because I think if used well the arches could add something to the area. Unless someone is just going to do a Deansgate locks with them, and then put some light structure on top.

[dirtyred619]

Can never tell from that 1 render of the Vector tower what it was clad with, kinda looks more concrete than glass, it was a good height too at 186m, but was that to the roof or tip of the spire?

The thing that bugs me a bit is it was cancelled just because we didn't get the olympics, now surely it wasn't going to get built just because of and especially for the olympics, what was it going to used for, Commercial/Resi/Mixed? Or was it going to get built just so we could show off a bit and say 'Oh look at our big tower, aint it mint' only for it to lie vacant for years like the Empire State/Chrysler etc. I suppose what I'm trying to say is if they really wanted to build it (and it was granted planning wasn't it?) why didn't they regardless of the Olympic bid being successful.

[WeasteDevil]

Originally Posted by dirtyred619

Can never tell from that 1 render of the Vector tower what it was clad with, kinda looks more concrete than glass

It must have been glass, look, it's reflecting stuff.