London architects Studio Weave and Architecture 00 have jointly won a design competition for returning an old section of elevated railway in Camden to the people.
It’s the latest step in a bid to turn the disused section into an elevated park linking Camden to King’s Cross, which people could use to get about better or just sit and enjoy.
The project, called Camden Highline, was proposed by Camden Town Unlimited (CTU), a local business development agency.
The disused section is 800m long, 18m wide, and 8m off the ground.
Typical of London’s intensely interlinked transport topography, it crosses eight roads, makes use of seven existing bridges, and was originally built as part of the North London Railway (now the North London Line), which is part of the London Overground Network.
The project is similar to New York’s High Line, a 2.3km elevated park built on a disused section of the New York Central Railroad.
“We think the re-use of this railway line for the Camden High Line outweighs the benefits and costs of leaving it vacant,” said Simon Pitkeathley, chief executive of Camden Town Unlimited.
“This new transport link can reduce overcrowding and journey times on the existing, cycling and pedestrian routes nearby like Regent’s Canal.”
Images courtesy of Camden Town Unlimited
