Campaign group writes to culture secretary as Historic England reopens listing assessment of Southwark station
Save Britain’s Heritage has renewed its calls for all 11 stations on London’s Jubilee Line extension to be listed following Historic England’s decision to open a new listing assessment of Southwark tube station.
The campaign group is urging culture secretary Lisa Nandy to take a second look at the entire stretch of line running from Westminster to Stratford, which was opened in 1999.
It features some of the best known modern stations in the capital, including Michael Hopkins’ Westminster station, Norman Foster’s Canary Wharf and Ian Ritchie’s Bermondsey.
Save previously campaigned for the stations to be protected following the failure of a listing bid for MacCormac Jamieson Prichard’s Southwark station put forward by the Twentieth Century Society following reports that Transport for London intended to redevelop the site.
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Plans by AHMM to build a 17-storey office block above Southwark station, which was designed to accommodate an over-station development and would not affect the station’s interior, were approved in 2021.
But the scheme’s developer Helical now wants to redesign the scheme as purpose-built student accommodation. It is currently unknown what impact the new proposals would have on the station building if permitted.
Save’s director Henrietta Billings said Historic England’s fresh listing assessment of Southwark was an opportunity for Nandy to “go further” and list all 11 stations on the line.
In a letter to the culture secretary, the group said the stations “should be assessed as a group for their architectural and historical significance… Save considers the modern stations on this line to be award-winning public architecture at its best, designed by some of the greatest architects of a generation.”
Billings added: “The Jubilee Line extension is one of the most important and thrilling examples of public transport infrastructure and architecture in Britain.
“Southwark, along with all the extension stations, needs celebration and recognition now and for future generations.”
The stations were commissioned by British-Italian architect Roland Paoletti, who selected both up-and-coming designers and established practices, with “outstanding unique and creative results for each station that have stood the test of time”, Billings said.
Other stations on the extension include Will Alsop’s North Greenwich, and Chris Wilkinson’s Stratford.
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