Birmingham New Street Station: lnwrbns_str1295b

Close up of image 'lnwrbns_str1295' showing the West end of New Street station after the removal of the glazed panels to Paxton's roof which infilled the corner of Navigation Street and Queens Drive. The original 1854 station was never intended to be completely enclosed by E A Cowper's single span trussed-arch roof as the site layout was severely restricted by the arrangement of streets. Richard Foster in Volume One of his four book series Birmingham New Street - The Story of a Great Station records that the angled crossing of the station by Navigation Street caused an awkward triangular space of the station which needed to be covered. The magnificent building at Crystal Palace housing the Great Exhibition of 1851 which was designed by Joseph Paxton was the source of inspiration for Cowper as his company, Fox, Henderson & Company, was the main builder. Cowper adapted Paxton's design of light and airy glass roofing arranged in a ridge and furrow pattern to fill in the triangular space thereby meeting the Act of Parliament's requirement to place all station accommodation under cover. However, unlike Cowper's roof, the design did not expedite the removal of smoke so when substantive repairs were required in 1925 the glazed panels were removed leaving only the bow girders as seen above.

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