10 designs Charles Holden brought to London
Introduction
Architect Charles Holden played a major role in shaping the appearance of London. To this day, his ground-breaking station designs are regarded as some of the finest examples of British commercial architecture.
Holden planned each station individually to suit their immediate environment. No two stations were alike, however there are some key characteristics and elements that can be seen consistently across Holden’s portfolio of work.
Here, we take a closer look at some of our favourite details, fixtures and fittings designed by Holden that have made a lasting and positive contribution to the city and its transport network.
1. Station entrances
Charles Holden integrated the roundel into the frontage of his stations so that they would be easily identifiable at street level.
This photograph of Holborn Underground station from 1934 shows how modern station design, with flagpole roundels and a protruding façade, were used to make for an eye-catching entrance, contrasting with the surrounding buildings from an earlier period.
2. Booking halls
An architect’s job often extends to the interior as well as exterior. Holden was no exception and designed stunning booking halls too. Arnos Grove is considered to be one of Holden’s finest examples of station designs externally.
However, the internal booking hall cannot be overlooked. He optimised light, particularly natural light, by using lots of windows and light-coloured surfaces such as travertine marble.
3. Bus stops
Much like station exteriors, Holden made bus stops noticeably striking. This modern bus stop is hard to miss with its London Transport branding and spire.
Not only does it make for a nice place to wait for the next bus but also is a nice spot to take cover, pause for a rest or catch up with a friend.
4. Passimeter
Smaller ticket offices, called passimeters, were introduced in the 1920s and remained in use until the 1980s. Highlighting his attention to detail, Holden applied a similar attitude to these smaller structures as he did to his overall station designs.
Utilising natural light with lots of glass windows, he complemented the interior aesthetic of a station and likewise added flashes of marbled colour, accenting them with bronze for a stylish finish.
5. Bench and station name roundel
Amongst other station furniture, Holden introduced these statement bench designs featuring a silhouette roundel in the 1930s.
Modern variations of this original design, on the platform at Arnos Grove, can still be seen around the network today.
6. Bins
We (should) all use them, why not make them stylish and match the interior décor?
That’s what Holden had in mind when he designed this bronze litter bin to match handrails and picture frames in his stations.
7. Stylising the roundel
Speaking of making things match, we also love how Holden took the iconic roundel and framed it in bronze to create a unified and modern design style for the Underground.
8. Attention to detail
Prior to the construction of a building, a to-scale model is often made to distinguish visually and spatially how well a design will work.
In this case, a full-scale prototype of Clapham South’s Underground station façade was made. This goes to show the level of detail carried out by Holden and the consideration he placed on materials as well as the function and design of a building before it was finally built.
9. ‘Moscow Hall’
One of London’s favourite Holden features is this concourse at Gants Hill station known as the ‘Moscow Hall’.
The arched ceiling and detailed symmetry create an elongated effect that this photograph captures perfectly. Inspired by Holden’s visit to the Moscow Metro, this happens to be one of Holden’s last commissions for London Transport in 1947.
10. Statement architecture
Not only do we like this architectural drawing because it gives off a somewhat spaceship vibe, it also highlights Holden’s innovative, fully integrated approach to station design.
The architect’s drawing for the Southgate Underground station extension includes services such as a taxi rank, bus stops and shops. Visually impactful, as well as pragmatic, the design certainly got the sign of approval from the Underground’s Managing Director Frank Pick, whose signature can be seen in the lower right corner.
