Improving how it feels to visit, study, work and live in South Kensington is a priority for the educational and cultural organisations in South Kensington and improving South Kensington station is a key element of this. Transport for London is developing ambitious plans to transform the operation and environment of South Kensington station and we are working with them and local stakeholders to help ensure plans are brought forward which improve access, increase-capacity and enhance wayfinding throughout the station.
To contribute to these developing plans, working in conjunction with the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 and Royal College of Art, we ran a competition for local students to feed in ideas to improve their station and its immediate surroundings. This reflects TfL and the competition organisers’ desire to work closely together to ensure that South Kensington station is developed in a way that reflects its unique cultural and historic setting.
Students from Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and Imperial College London were invited to participate and the project was facilitated by the RCA Schools of Architecture and Interior Design. eams were challenged to produce designs that express the spirit of South Kensington and provide a fitting welcome to the area and its world-leading museums, educational institutions and cultural venues. By harnessing the energy of today’s student cohort at South Kensington, the competition continues at long tradition of giving local students and staff the opportunity to contribute to the area’s public buildings and spaces. Designs from three teams were selected to share a £6,000 prize awarded by the 1851 Royal Commission as the judges felt that each offered elements that could be combined to bring positive and exciting improvements to the environment and character of the tunnel.
A brochure of all the competition entries was published in 2015 and can be downloaded here: rca_tunnel_publication_dec_2014_compressed.pdf
