Leeds Station: revitalising the southern concourse – United Kingdom

SYSTRA worked with Network Rail to deliver architectural design and project management for the renovation of Leeds Station’s southern concourse. The programme was delivered in under a year, with the renovated entrance officially opening in January 2020. The station remained open to passengers 24/7 throughout the works.

The work involved reinventing the late-1960s timber roof and upgrading the station entrance, retail space in the southern concourse, ticket gateline and public toilets. New lighting and a gold-coloured entrance facade created a brighter and more welcoming passenger environment.

Bold Vision

SYSTRA’s architecture and engineering teams worked collaboratively to deliver the ambitious programme and extend the brief beyond essential renewal.

The design created a distinctive and welcoming environment for the millions of passengers who use Leeds Station each year, while improving security and the long-term resilience of the concourse.

To create a strong first impression, the design combined a gold-coloured metal facade with a transparent roof that allows natural daylight to flood the concourse. Human-centric circadian lighting was incorporated to complement natural light, while clear visual lines through the concourse help guide passengers towards the gateline.

Network Rail’s brief was to replace the dark, dated timber roof and bring more natural light into the concourse. The project team transformed the space within a fully operational, 24-hour station over an 11-month programme. The works also had to address the removal of legacy asbestos, electrical cabling and oil-based paint finishes.

The design team developed an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof solution that allowed daylight to enter the concourse while making use of the existing support structure. ETFE’s low weight, translucency and durability made it well suited to the constrained programme and operational environment.

The completed roof uses ETFE cushions arranged across two levels. The bays closest to the entrance are raised, increasing the sense of space and strengthening the presence of the station frontage.

Let There Be Light

In addition to the transparent roof, the team recognised that natural light alone would not always deliver the intended effect on dull or overcast days. The design therefore incorporated Human Circadian Rhythm Lighting (HCRL), described at the time as a first for the UK rail sector. The tunable system follows daily daylight patterns, using cooler white light in the morning and warmer light in the evening.

By varying light intensity and colour temperature throughout the day, the system complements the daylight entering through the roof and creates a more comfortable and consistent passenger environment.