Finsbury Park Bus Terminal Canopy

The Finsbury Park Transport Interchange is a transport hub bringing together National Rail, London Underground and two bus stations. Littlehampton Welding created the steelwork for the canopy over the concourse at the front of the complex which visually unifies the railway
and underground station entrances and provides weather protection for pedestrians, buses and taxis.

The thrusting struts of the cantilevered canopy soar out from the main roof – partially supported by four pairs of ‘V’ shaped tapered steel columns which are inclined outwards from the building creating a very dynamic looking structure. This is tempered by the perforated panels that sit within a diagonal grid forming half of the canopy. These are informed by Islamic architecture and filter the daylight giving a dappled effect beneath. The canopy is clad in transparent ETFE (Ethyl Tetrafluorethylen) which is very lightweight and therefore requires less structural steel to support it resulting in a much smaller carbon footprint; it is also recyclable.

The project was shortlisted for the Structural Steel Design Awards (SSDA) in 2007. The awards celebrate the excellence of U.K. steel construction, particularly in the areas of efficiency, cost effectiveness, aesthetics, sustainability and innovation.

The architects were Tony Meadows Associates and the structural engineers were Faber Maunsell.