Southend, Victoria Gateway

Posted: 21 Apr, 2015

Contractor:

Carillion plc.

Materials:

Granite Paving - Pink Grey‚ Silver Grey/Pink‚ Grey Pink‚ Silver Grey‚ Brown Grey‚ Red Brown & Red

Details:

The mainline Victoria station sees large numbers of commuters coming to work in the offices nearby and‚ at weekends many visitors coming for a day out. The local council has used the DFT funding to great advantage with the improvements to this area.

In front of the station‚ the traffic flows have been modified with much improved pedestrian and cycle linkages to the Town Centre‚ the visitor experience has been revolutionised and the pretty station has been treated most sensitively. The granite paving colours are gentle grey-pinks of many types‚ elegantly complementing the Victorian red-brick station buildings. The scheme is necessarily designed to allow the efficient flow of people and traffic‚ all on the one level.

By the station itself‚ surfaces are shared between pedestrians‚ buses and taxis‚ only the principal carriageways remain tarmac‚ although with the minimal of line marking and where the road is crossed‚ red-grey 150mm cube setts provide a clear indication to all that pedestrians are a priority. Because of the high volume of buses‚ these areas are constructed in accordance with BS 7533 part 10 with Steintec mortars and this includes special detailing where the setts meet tarmac to ensure the setts receive the necessary lateral support.

At the ends of rows‚ extra long setts have been utilised to avoid having to use small pieces. It is better technically and looks so much more elegant as well. There are a few large bench seats which with their simple design and generous roundings are well capable of withstanding abuse from skateboarders. At night‚ simple and attractive lighting makes the space feel clean‚ safe and welcoming.

The disability access requirements have been designed into the overall paving layout so that they are much less visually intrusive than is sometimes the case. All are manufactured in granite so as not to detract from the quality of the adjacent paving and they will last for years.