CURVACEOUS SLOUGH - Part 2, The Slug - 'improve pedestrian permeability'...

THE BUS STATION. 

Improve pedestrian permeability

The bus station was completed in 2011 and features a striking, curved aluminium clad canopy designed by Bblur Architecture. Locals weren’t impressed and nicknamed it the Slug. Bblur, who is also responsible for the Curve, has taken the stylistic ‘language’ of the bus station and applied it across the street (the every busy A4)

 It was a warm sunny day as I sat down to draw ‘the Slug’. As I did so a friendly bus driver looked over my shoulder and was more complementary about my drawing than my subject. Not as good as High Wycombe (bus station) he said and went on to list the poor Slug’s short comings, also referenced in Wikipedia: the absence of public lavatories, lack of adequate seating areas and lack of warm waiting areas. People say the shape of the building channels rainwater into the main waiting area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Slough

 

More upbeat was Matthew Bedward founding partner of Bblur who designed this shelter, 

“We took the opportunity to significantly improve pedestrian permeability between the train station and the town centre. Our client tasked us to create a memorable front door for Slough. The form of the building derives from the idea of different wavelengths of light inspired by Astronomer Royal, William Herschel’s discovery of infra-red waves in 1800 while a resident of Slough.”

 

Nice one Matthew and Amy Freerson, editor-at-large for Dezeen magazine is equally enthusiastic: 

It will create an identifiable place within Slough that is a celebration of public transport and is a memorable first and last impression of Slough.

 

For a well written and balance view head over to https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2015/10/21/a-tale-of-two-bus-stations-slough-uk/ Thebeautyoftransport is remarkable source of all things related to transport by Daniel Wright, a freelance transport writer. His blog is well worth a visit. 

 

Discovering Daniel’s work was a bonus as I was pulling my tawdry piece together. Daniel describes his rich work as: ‘Transport design, transport architecture, and transport's influence on art and culture. Part travelogue, part history, all transport (but sometimes tangentially so)’.