Archinect - News

Anglo-Saxon burial ground uncovered during work on Britain's HS2 railway

2022-06-17T16:57:00-04:00

“A vast Anglo-Saxon burial site containing 138 graves has been unearthed by archaeologists working on the HS2 cross-country rail route under construction across the UK. The site, near Wendover in Buckinghamshire, contains the remains of more than 140 people, some of which were buried with jewellery, knives and a personal grooming kit. “It is one of the best and most revealing post-Roman sites in the country,” says the historian Dan Snow.”

According to a statement by HS2, the site contained 138 graves, with 141 inhumation burials and five cremation burials, making it one of the largest Anglo-Saxon burial grounds ever uncovered in Britain. According to Rachel Wood, the lead archaeologist for Fusion JV, the company behind the fieldwork, Anglo-Saxon cemeteries are rare. The items uncovered date back to the 5th and 6th century, a period in which there are gaps in historical and archaeological record. Nearly three quarters of the graves contained high quality items, including jewelry, swords, shields, spears, and personal grooming items such as ear wax removers and tweezers, suggesting the site was the resting place for a wealthy community.

Additionally, nearly all of the burials were found with decorated brooches on their collarbone, indicating they were holding up garments such as cloaks or peplos, a long garment worn by women with shoulder brooches. This archaeological find was discovered similarly to that of a well-p...

Updated designs of the HS2 London Euston high-speed railway station released

2022-03-28T15:28:00-04:00

HS2 Ltd., the British non-departmental public body behind the development of High Speed 2 (HS2) national high-speed railway, has released an updated design for its new terminus station at London Euston.

Two new images, updated from 2015, show the concept design for the interior and exterior of the station. They were drafted by a design consortium made up of Arup, WSP, Grimshaw Architects, Haptic, and LDA Design, alongside HS2’s Station Construction Partner, Mace Dragados JV (MDJV).

Previously on Archinect: Grimshaw and Arup release designs for new high-speed rail hub in central London

One of the station’s defining features is a bold, geometric roof that will allow natural light to infiltrate the interior while also emphasizing its north-south alignment. According to HS2, elements of the roof can be prefabricated off-site and installed using modular construction techniques. The station, itself, will span three levels, with ten 450-meter-long subsurface platforms. At peak operation, ...

Grimshaw and Arup release designs for new high-speed rail hub in central London

2015-09-12T05:15:00-04:00

Beginning in 2017, the London transit hub that's been described as "a dingy, grey, horizontal nothingness"* will undergo a massive redesign to incorporate a new high-speed rail line connecting London and Birmingham.

The first phase of the so-called HS2, connecting London and Birmingham (before forking out to reach Manchester and Leeds in phase two), is expected to open in 2026, and developer HS2 Ltd. has just released designs by Arup and Grimshaw Architects for its outset station in central London, a redevelopment of Euston station.

Grimshaw and Arup's design crafts an incremental approach to maintain current activity at the station during construction. Additions to the station include 11 new platforms for the HS2, a new glass façade and three new entrances.

First opening in 1837, Euston station was London's first intercity line, and ranks as its 6th busiest. Its original classical design was demolished in 1961 and replaced with what has been derided by Richard Morrison of The Times as...