Gensler takes London’s transport future underground with active commuting concept
POSTED 13 Feb 2015 . BY Katie Buckley
The Underline would offer commercial and retail spaces as well as transport links Credit: Gensler
Design firm Gensler has been awarded a London Planning Award for its London Underline concept – a network of cycle and pedestrian paths running beneath the city.
Gensler first came up with the idea for the London Underline in 2014. With London’s population higher than ever, the firm looked for ways to expand public space and offer alternative transport routes. The answer, they found, was underground in disused tube tunnels.
London has plenty of abandoned tube tunnels, stations and surplus infrastructure. By using these spaces and powering them with Pavegen tiles – tiles that run on a kinetic energy system allowing footfall to be transposed into electricity – Gensler’s design would be a sustainable, innovative option for capital.
Gensler’s vision for a sustainable, subterranean London
Ian Mulcahey, co-director of Gensler London said: “The adaptation of surplus and under-utilised tube and rail tunnels could provide a quick and simple addition to our infrastructure network.”
Following an announcement last month by Boris Johnson concerning new cycle superhighway for London, it’s clear that health, fitness and sustainability are high on the agenda for the city.
If the project goes ahead, the Underline would offer underground sites for shops, cafes, click and collect points, as well as event and exhibition spaces alongside its key role as a route for active commuting.
PROJECT PROFILE: London Underline Design firm Gensler has been awarded a London Planning Award for its London Underline concept – a network of cycle and pedestrian paths running beneath the city.
Gensler in collaboration is Pavegen have developed a concept for a sustainable transport alternative in London, situated underground in disused infrastructure, powered by kinetic energy.
Location: London , United Kingdom
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Gensler takes London’s transport future underground with active commuting concept
POSTED 13 Feb 2015 . BY Katie Buckley
The Underline would offer commercial and retail spaces as well as transport links Credit: Gensler
Design firm Gensler has been awarded a London Planning Award for its London Underline concept – a network of cycle and pedestrian paths running beneath the city.
Gensler first came up with the idea for the London Underline in 2014. With London’s population higher than ever, the firm looked for ways to expand public space and offer alternative transport routes. The answer, they found, was underground in disused tube tunnels.
London has plenty of abandoned tube tunnels, stations and surplus infrastructure. By using these spaces and powering them with Pavegen tiles – tiles that run on a kinetic energy system allowing footfall to be transposed into electricity – Gensler’s design would be a sustainable, innovative option for capital.
Gensler’s vision for a sustainable, subterranean London
Ian Mulcahey, co-director of Gensler London said: “The adaptation of surplus and under-utilised tube and rail tunnels could provide a quick and simple addition to our infrastructure network.”
Following an announcement last month by Boris Johnson concerning new cycle superhighway for London, it’s clear that health, fitness and sustainability are high on the agenda for the city.
If the project goes ahead, the Underline would offer underground sites for shops, cafes, click and collect points, as well as event and exhibition spaces alongside its key role as a route for active commuting.
Abandoned train tunnels below London 'to be transformed' into leisure sites POSTED 23 Sep 2014. BY Katie Buckley Up to 34 Transport for London (TfL)-owned “ghost” train tunnels running
beneath the UK capital could soon be transformed into an array of attractions
and leisure sites, according to reports.
Plans unveiled for two new £913m cycle superhighways in London POSTED 05 Sep 2014. BY Chris Dodd Plans have been unveiled for the creation of two new cycle superhighways
running from north to south and east to west London, with the £913m
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Post Office Underground Railway – also known as the Mail Rail – as an attraction
for the newly created British Postal Museum & Archives (BPMA).
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€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
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