On Tuesday 20 January, John McAslan + Partners hosted an evening at our London studio gallery alongside SAVE Britain’s Heritage and the Twentieth Century Society, to present an alternative vision for the future of London Liverpool Street Station.

The event brought together architects, engineers, heritage specialists, planners, campaigners and members of the public, united by a shared belief: Liverpool Street can be modernised without destroying what makes it extraordinary.

Liverpool Street is Britain’s busiest station and urgently needs investment. We fully support the need for improved accessibility, capacity and passenger experience. What we challenge is the idea that this can only be achieved through the large-scale demolition of a listed Victorian landmark, years of disruption, and a scheme that Network Rail’s own advisors have described as not technically viable.

There is another way

Our alternative proposal demonstrates that Liverpool Street can be upgraded more quickly, more sustainably and at around half the cost of the currently submitted £1.2bn scheme – while safeguarding the historic station beneath.

The McAslan vision:

• Meets Network Rail’s requirements for capacity, accessibility and future passenger growth, including new lifts, escalators, waiting areas, accessible toilets and a cycle hub
• Declutters the concourse to improve passenger flow and future-proof the station
• Retains the listed concourse and roof, protecting the station’s cathedral-like, light-filled character
• Delivers over 52,000 sqm of high-quality office space, contributing to the City Plan 2040 target for economic growth
• Introduces a new public walkway above the Victorian train sheds and an integrated biodiversity strategy devised with Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project
• Takes a low-carbon, reuse-first approach, minimising whole-life carbon emissions
• Avoids years of upheaval for passengers by eliminating the need to demolish the roof or drive new structural columns through the concourse
• Achieves all of this with almost no demolition – protecting heritage while delivering genuine renewal

As recent coverage in The Telegraph has highlighted, this debate is not about stopping development. It is about choosing the right development. Liverpool Street has always evolved – but it has done so by building on its fabric, not erasing it.

A moment that matters

The City of London planning committee is expected to consider the current application in February. We have formally asked that this decision be deferred, to allow officers and councillors the time needed to properly examine the merits of the alternative proposal.

This is a critical moment.

Once demolished, historic fabric cannot be replaced. Once years of disruption begin, they cannot be undone. Nothing about this outcome is inevitable – there is still a choice.

We believe the City of London deserves a solution that is ambitious, viable, sustainable and rooted in respect for one of its great civic spaces.

If you care about Liverpool Street – as a passenger, a Londoner, a designer, a business, or a custodian of the city’s heritage – now is the time to raise your voice.

Engage with the consultation. Share your views. Ask for better.
Click here: Griff Rhys Jones issues rallying cry to save Liverpool Street Station - SAVE Britain's Heritage

Because Liverpool Street can – and should – be more than this.