|
Post by version3point1 on May 30, 2006 15:57:24 GMT
Anybody been there as of late? I haven't been there since November 2005, but I passed through the station on Sunday night (completely unaware that the official opening was on that very same day...) It kind of looks and feels like an airport terminal to me. Got a tad worried by the complicated positioning of signage, or the lack of it. (I ended up getting completely lost trying to navigate my way to Platform 2.) Anyway, what do people think about it? I quite like the space and the lighting, though once it's packed full of passengers, I doubt you'll notice!
|
|
|
Post by Tomcakes on May 30, 2006 16:10:31 GMT
Where is it located in relation to the rest of the station? Is there a plan online somewhere?
|
|
|
Post by compsci on May 30, 2006 16:51:52 GMT
I believe its under the forecourt of St Pancras. It simply wouldn't fit anywhere else (apart from the place where the northern ticket hall is going)- there are just too many other things in the way. I imagine it will be pretty much redundant until Eurostar services start operating. As far as I can tell from the press releases the walking route from the new ticket hall to the SSL is currently even more convoluted than that from the mainline station was. The subways which were still open an unrefurbished are being retiled.
Funnily enough I have no memories at all of the tube ticket hall before it was ripped to pieces. Probaly because my parents always went straight to the SSL. Does anyone have any pictures?
|
|
Chris M
Global Moderator
Forum Quizmaster
Always happy to receive quiz ideas and pictures by email or PM
Posts: 19,770
|
Post by Chris M on May 30, 2006 18:06:21 GMT
I went through it yesterday afternoon on my way from the Victoria Line to the H&C line. I too thought it felt like an airport terminal! The walking route is still complicated, neccessiting going out of one set of gates and then back in another set. Singage could be improved, particularly at the top of the escalators from the Vic - I had to look around a bit before I found where I had to go to get to the sub-surface lines, and then in thre new area you come acrross a blank wall with stairs down at either end. In the centre of this wall is a notice noting that this the SSL area - with no indication of which way to go. My first assumption was that one of the stairs was for the westbound and the other eastbound, or perhaps one was down and the other up. However it appears that both lead to and from both directions of travel, the split doesn't happen until later. The westbound SSL platform tunnel has been painted bright white and was almost unrecognisable from my last visit - much much brighter! I wasn't in any way shape or form awake enough to take photos on my journey though. Sorry. This is a slightly fuzzy photograph I took in October of an LU poster showing the before and after layouts at Kings Cross St Pancras. If anyone has access to anything better I'd be interested in seeing it.
|
|
towerman
My status is now now widower
Posts: 2,970
|
Post by towerman on May 30, 2006 18:56:26 GMT
On the first day the arrow pointing the way to St Pancras,as you come through the gateline, was facing the wrong way!!!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 30, 2006 19:11:11 GMT
On the first day the arrow pointing the way to St Pancras,as you come through the gateline, was facing the wrong way!!! Doh! I'll have to have a wonder down to Kings X to take a few pics at some point. I do like the new look whitewashed SSL platforms.
|
|
|
Post by Tubeboy on May 30, 2006 23:27:32 GMT
Went through there today, and thought it looked great, except for one thing-signage, I got off the northern and was going Baker street, but the signs to the met/circle/h&c platforms are not clear, they feature signs but no directional arrows.
|
|
|
Post by version3point1 on May 30, 2006 23:30:50 GMT
Went through there today, and thought it looked great, except for one thing-signage, I got off the northern and was going Baker street, but the signs to the met/circle/h&c platforms are not clear, they feature signs but no directional arrows. Give it a couple of weeks and somebody will be down there with the blue adhesive-backed vinyl arrows! No doubt they will probably be pointing in the wrong direction!
|
|
Chris M
Global Moderator
Forum Quizmaster
Always happy to receive quiz ideas and pictures by email or PM
Posts: 19,770
|
Post by Chris M on May 30, 2006 23:59:44 GMT
That is unless some magazine gets there first and gives out free adhesive-backed arrows to its readers! Its been done before (I remember reading something on Annie Mole's blog ages ago about some stickers that had been distributed by a magazine to "doctor" the in carraige line displays on Northern Line trains with. IIRC they added a break in the line between two stations with an apropriate "mind the gap" annotation.) so it could be done again. Those stickers were obviously vandalism, but if the arrows were placed correctly and actually benefited the travelling public - LU publish their house colours on the web and so presumably the house design for arrows will be there too - would a blind-eye just be turned?
Chris (note that I am not encouraging anyone to test this theory)
|
|
|
Post by citysig on May 31, 2006 6:22:45 GMT
Those stickers were obviously vandalism, but if the arrows were placed correctly and actually benefited the travelling public Given that a large proportion of the off-peak travelling public don't seem to know where they are going, maybe best to leave it up to LU. When you think about it, should the practice be allowed, it would only take 2 people armed with stickers a matter of minutes walking in opposite directions to spread confusion. Until all of the building is complete there will obviously be a host of temporary signs. Anyway, some people here seem to find it hard enough to navigate a couple of forum sections lower to find a thread already talking about King's Cross: districtdave.proboards39.com/index.cgi?board=Stations&action=display&thread=1148499840
|
|
Chris M
Global Moderator
Forum Quizmaster
Always happy to receive quiz ideas and pictures by email or PM
Posts: 19,770
|
Post by Chris M on May 31, 2006 22:29:13 GMT
I did get back there today, and took some photos this time (not brilliant ones I expect as there were loads of people around) and someone has stuck an arrow on the notice I was talking about, making one staircase up and the other down. I did notice that the lift here has already broken...
|
|