The designs have been unveiled for a major revamp of Liverpool Street Railway Station in the City of London, which if approved will add new capacity to the station, more step-free access to platforms and the Underground, plus new commercial space and a hotel.

Developer Sellar, the firm behind the Paddington Quarter and the Shard, has presented a £1.5 billion vision that includes £450 million for station improvements, enhancing passenger facilities at no cost to the taxpayer. 

There would also be a 16-storey building including ten floors of new commercial space and six for a new Hyatt Hotel, which would also feature the Grade II-listed frontage of the old Andaz Hotel. There will also be 1.5 acres of public realm in and around the station and adjacent Hope Square.

Images of the design from architects Herzog & de Meuron feature what may become the most frequently seen internal glass balustrades in the UK, while the wide glass roof will add plenty of natural light in a site Sellar hopes to open up more, making the station a “destination in its own right” according to chief executive James Sellar.

He said the development will feature “additional wellness focused workspaces, retail and leisure, as well as enhanced public realm – all reflecting the changes to people’s lifestyles which have accelerated as a result of Covid.”

Network Rail is supportive of the plans, but there is opposition from some heritage groups, who believe the development will include higher-rise buildings that will obstruct the view of some of the City of London’s most iconic buildings, including St Paul’s Cathedral.

Among these are Historic England, which said: “The 16-storey tower and bulk of development proposed above the station is so large that it is likely to encroach on views of some of London’s great landmarks.”

It pledged to raise an objection if a planning application is made on the basis of the proposals.