Kingston Station Go Cycle scheme exemplifies our vision for how civic infrastructure can be beautiful, functional and accessible. The new Cycle Hub and Cycle Bridge are integrated in a new linear landscaped park with a public realm inspired by Kingston’s rich local heritage. The project re-addresses the balance of priorities away from cars towards sustainable and sociable modes of transport, particularly walking and cycling. The iconic structures embody and transform the spirit of Kingston’s streetscape, establishing landmark places to meet and gather, benefiting the environment for everyone.

Kingston Station’s Go Cycle is an innovative and future-facing infrastructure project which strengthens connections between the established town centre and the river Thames, transforming disused spaces into a new linear park with much needed cycle and pedestrian facilities. Our collaboration and learning with Kingston Museum and Kingston University enabled us to draw on the local cultural heritage to embed our architectural language in the site. SWA referenced Kingston’s coronation heritage through the crown-motif crenelations of the Cycle Hub's form, which also pays homage to the pioneering work of Eadweard Muybridge, a Kingston photographer. The lattice-like structure of the Cycle Bridge references Kingston’s manufacturing history and the plane fuselages crafted by Sopwith and Hawker.

The Kingston Go Cycle project provides an ambitious vision for transit spaces, demonstrating how careful design and material sensitivity can re-establish connections to place, people and function. This project invites visitors to enjoy slowing down, connecting to healthier, quieter, and more sustainable self-propelled ways of moving around our cities.

By 2050 the population of Kingston is expected to grow by 30%: an additional 50,000 individuals moving through and around the Borough. Sustainable infrastructures like the Kingston Go Cycle Hub accommodate this growth while rectifying reliance on polluting transport. A more leisurely pace of movement encourages the social infrastructure of cycling, supporting local businesses with passing trade. This is what the Cycle Hub is all about, keeping Kingston moving sustainably for a prosperous future while providing space, tools and a focal point for local cycle and walking groups of all ages.

Andreas Ruby

Eleanor Sharpe