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055/056/057/058/059/060 - Great Western Railway Paddington Station [New Station]

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055/056/057/058/059/060 - Great Western Railway Paddington Station [New Station]

For the London terminus of the Great Western Railway (GWR), Isambard Kingdom Brunel was planning a grand building at Paddington, situated near to both the Grand Junction canal and the Regent’s canal. Instructed by the GWR to economise due to the soaring costs of building the main line, Brunel had to abandon his original plans. A temporary station was created using the arches of Bishop’s Bridge Road as a façade and to provide passenger facilities. This station opened on 4 June 1838, along with the new line which had been constructed as far as Maidenhead. As the main line through to Bristol was opened, and the GWR’s involvement with other companies whose railways joined with the main line increased, the temporary terminus was extended. In 1850, to accommodate the increasing traffic, the GWR agreed to the construction of a new permanent station to be designed by Brunel. Brunel was deeply influenced by the design and construction of the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851, and this can be seen in his use of wrought iron and glass in the three-span roof at Paddington. At the time, this was the largest train shed roof in the world with a main span (102’ 6”) and two smaller ones to the north (70’) and south (68’). These spans are crossed by two transepts, all overlooked by three oriel windows in the station building on today’s platform 1. The station decoration, including the iron tracery on the train shed screens, was provided by Matthew Digby-Wyatt, Brunel’s architect on the project. Fox Henderson & Company, were contracted as builders for the station. The main station building, which included offices, the new boardroom for the GWR and a royal waiting room, was constructed along Eastbourne Terrace. The Great Western Hotel was built along Praed Street, and opened in conjunction with the new Paddington Station in 1854. Brunel’s station was large enough to cope with the expansion of the Great Western Railway over the next 50 years. By the early 20th century new accommodation for increasing amounts of both traffic and employees was needed. On-going works from 1904 saw the footprint of Paddington Station increase, a more defined access area known as ‘The Lawn’ was created and more office space was created by extending the Company’s offices along Eastbourne Terrace. Major changes included the building of ‘Span 4’ between 1913 and 1916 which increased the number of platforms at the station, and today covers platforms 9 to 16. It was designed by the GWR’s engineer, W Armstrong, with architectural features to match Brunel’s original roof as closely as possible. Further expansion of station buildings took place in the 1930s, including a striking new ‘art deco’ office block on the west side of the station, which also remodelled passenger facilities in ‘The Lawn’. During the 1990s Paddington Station was extensively refurbished, with the glass in Brunel’s original roof replaced with polycarbonate glazing panels, the restoration of Digby-Wyatt’s ornamental tracing and significant improvements to The Lawn. A proposal to take down ‘Span 4’ to accommodate facilities for Crossrail was controversial. Between 2009 and 2010 the Edwardian roof was instead restored by Network Rail and Crossrail facilities are now housed underneath Eastbourne Terrace.

Network Rail Corporate Archive

Level of Description: Series

Reference Code: NRCA160588 - NRCA163325

Title: Great Western Railway - Paddington Station [New Station]

Extent and Medium: 183 drawings

Creator: Great Western Railway

Date: 1845-1932

Scope and Content: Drawings from the Great Western Railway for the New Station at Paddington dated between 1845 and 1932. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Contract Number: Paddington New Station

Drawing Number: n/a

Drawing Office Number: n/a

Keywords (Person): Brunel, Isambard Kingdom

Keywords (Country): England

Keywords (Structure Name): London Paddington Station

Keywords (Structure Type): Station

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Title

Description

Date

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.18 – Great Western Railway Turntable

Drawing is of a turntable for Paddington Station including hydraulic machinery. Drawing done by W Armstrong.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Plan of Paxton Roofing on Approaches and Offices

Paddington Station: Plans of Paxton Roofing over Approaches to Offices showing plan of roofing at North and South flanks.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.11 – Details of Transept Skylight

Paddington New Station Roof. Five drawings on one sheet. Drawings are of details of transept skylight. First drawing is of sectional elevation thro' boarding of lead flat at a, a, and elevation of standards from b, b, second drawing is of section of valley gutter, hip rib gutter, and ridge thro' c, c, third drawing is of drawing at C, fourth drawing is of drawing at D, fifth drawing is of elevation of standard.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.3 – New Station Roof Section through Transept

Paddington New Station. Four drawings on one sheet of sections and details of the new roof for Paddington Station.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Station Details for Trusses for Carrying Ridge and Furrow Roofing

Paddington Station New Contract. Twenty four drawings on one sheet. Drawings include elevations, details and sections for the trusses for carrying ridge and furrow roofing.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Station Plan and Elevation of Roof Against Wall of Hotel

Paddington Station: Five drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of section thro' AB, second drawing is of section at EF, third drawing is of a plan, fourth drawing is of section thro' CD, fifth drawing is of wall in front of hotel.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Station Roof General Drawing of Ordinary Roof

Paddington New Station Roof. Three drawings on one sheet of general drawing of ordinary roof. First drawing is of a transverse sectional elevation, second drawing is of side elevation, third drawing is of longitudinal section thro' centre.

1845-1860

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.1 – New Station Roof Wrought Iron Girder under Ribs

Paddington New Station Roof. Eight drawings on one sheet of sections, details and wrought iron girders under ribs.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Half Ordinary Roof Rib

Paddington Station. Drawing is of half ordinary rib for 101 ft, 8 inch and 67ft 5 inch span.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.13 – New Station Roof Details of Transept Skylight

Paddington New Station Roof. Five drawings on one sheet. Drawings are of details of transept skylight. First drawing is of end view of standard, second drawing is of section thro' b, b, third drawing is of section of valley gutter, hip rib gutter and ridge thro' a, a, fourth drawing is of details at E, fifth drawing is of plan of standard on line C.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Details of Ironwork [Gutters]

Paddington Station. Large part of drawing missing. Drawing is sketch relating to roof showing gutters and columns.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.8 – Elevation of Main, Longitudinal and Transversal Girders

Paddington Station. Twenty drawings on one sheet and drawing is for roofing contract. Drawings are of general elevations of main longitudinal and transverse girders for the support of gallery and Paxton Roofing between southern part of new station and hotel.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.6 – New Station Roof Mode of Fixing Ribs over Columns at Hips Forming Transept

Paddington New Station Roof. Three drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of the mode of fixing ribs over columns and hips forming transept, second drawing is of section thro' b, b, third drawing is of section thro' a, a.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – Transverse Section of Station Roof

Drawing is of a transverse section of Paddington Roof.

31 December 1859

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.2 – New Station Roof Mode of Fixing Ribs on Girders

Paddington New Station Roof. Two drawings on one sheet. First drawing is of mode of fixing ribs on girders, second drawing is of sectional plan thro' a, a.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Drawing No.10 – New Station Roof Details of Connections of Hip Ribs

Paddington New Station Roof. Three drawings on one sheet. Drawings are of the details of connection of hip ribs and connection of segments with hip ribs. First drawing is of sectional view thro' a,a, second drawing is of sectional elevation thro' a, a, third drawing is of sectional plan thro' b, b.

1845-1855

Great Western Railway Paddington Station – New Station Underground Sheaves Channels &c Hotel Hoist

Paddington New Station: Underground Sheaves Channels etc. Drawing is of underground sheaves channels etc. for hotel hoist.

28 May 1854

Great Western Railway Paddington Station Contract for Roofing Drawing No.2 – Plan of Roof Showing Ribs, Girders and Columns to New Passenger Station South End near Hotel

Paddington Station. Drawing is for contract for roofing and drawing is shewing ribs, girders, and columns to new Paddington Station and south end near hotel.

1845-1855

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