Leslie Green
Encyclopedia
Leslie William Green was an English architect
known especially for his design of iconic stations constructed on the London Underground
railway system in central London
during the first decade
of the 20th century.
Green was born in Maida Vale
, London in 1875 and was the son of Architect and Crown Surveyor Arthur Green and his wife Emily. After studying in London and Paris
he set up a practice as an Architect in 1897. Green married Mildred Ethel Wildy in 1902 and had a daughter Vera.
(RIBA).
In 1903 he was appointed as Architect for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
(UERL) to design stations for three underground railway lines then under construction — the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
(GNP&BR), the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway
(BS&WR) and the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR), which, respectively, became parts of the present day Piccadilly line
, Bakerloo line
and Northern line
.
The ground level station buildings were designed to a uniform Arts and Crafts
style which was adapted to suit the individual station location. They were constructed as two-storey buildings with a structural steel
frame — then a new form of construction recently imported from the United States
. The steel frames provided the large internal spaces needed for ticket halls and lift shafts. They were clad in non-loadbearing ox-blood red glazed terracotta
blocks, with the ground floor divided into wide bays by columns and featured large semi-circular windows at first floor level and a heavy dentil
ated cornice above.
The station buildings were constructed with flat roofs with the deliberate aim of encouraging commercial office development above, another benefit of the load-bearing structural steel frame. Strangely very few of the surviving buildings are listed with only three, Holloway Road, Mornington Crescent & Gloucester Road listed.
At platform level, the stations were provided with a standardised tiling design incorporating the station name, but with quickly identified individual colour schemes and geometric tile patterns formed in repeating panels along the platform length.
The railways were to open in 1906 and 1907 and the pressure of producing designs and supervising the works to so many stations in such a short period of time, placed a strain on Green's health. He was elected a Fellow of the RIBA in 1907, including details of his work for the UERL as part of his submission, but contracted tuberculosis
and died on 31 August 1908 at the age of 33.
Many of Green's station buildings survive, although internal modifications have seen most of his ticket hall designs altered to suit later developments. At platform levels a number of the original tiling schemes survive today or have, as at Lambeth North
and Marylebone, been reproduced in recent years to the original pattern.
Bakerloo line
Stations between Edgware Road
and Elephant & Castle
inclusive constructed by BS&WR with extant Leslie Green station buildings:
Piccadilly line
Stations between Finsbury Park
and Earl's Court inclusive constructed by GNP&BR with extant Leslie Green station buildings:
Northern line
Stations between Hampstead
and Archway
and Strand
(now Charing Cross) inclusive constructed by CCE&HR with extant Leslie Green station buildings:
Bakerloo line — now Marylebone. The original building was destroyed in WWII. — demolished — accessed via a subway and never had a surface building, — rebuilt in 1920s, demolished in 1990s — rebuilt in 1950s
Piccadilly line — now Arsenal, rebuilt in 1930s - demolished, - renamed Green Park and rebuilt in 1930s
Northern line — renamed Archway in 1939, rebuilt in 1960s — rebuilt in 1930s
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
known especially for his design of iconic stations constructed on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
railway system in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during the first decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
of the 20th century.
Green was born in Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, London in 1875 and was the son of Architect and Crown Surveyor Arthur Green and his wife Emily. After studying in London and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
he set up a practice as an Architect in 1897. Green married Mildred Ethel Wildy in 1902 and had a daughter Vera.
Works
Early commissions included works to homes and shops in various parts of the capital city and in 1899 he was accepted as a member of the Royal Institute of British ArchitectsRoyal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
(RIBA).
In 1903 he was appointed as Architect for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
Underground Electric Railways Company of London
The Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited , known operationally as The Underground for much of its existence, was established in 1902. It was the holding company for the three deep-level "tube"A "tube" railway is an underground railway constructed in a circular tunnel by the use...
(UERL) to design stations for three underground railway lines then under construction — the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway
The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , also known as the Piccadilly tube, was a railway company established in 1902 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. The GNP&BR was formed through a merger of two older companies, the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus...
(GNP&BR), the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway
Baker Street and Waterloo Railway
The Baker Street and Waterloo Railway , also known as the Bakerloo tube, was a railway company established in 1893 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London...
(BS&WR) and the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (CCE&HR), which, respectively, became parts of the present day Piccadilly line
Piccadilly Line
The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
, Bakerloo line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
and Northern line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
.
The ground level station buildings were designed to a uniform Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style which was adapted to suit the individual station location. They were constructed as two-storey buildings with a structural steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
frame — then a new form of construction recently imported from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The steel frames provided the large internal spaces needed for ticket halls and lift shafts. They were clad in non-loadbearing ox-blood red glazed terracotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta
Glazed architectural terra-cotta is a ceramic masonry building material popular in the United States from the late 19th century until the 1930s, and still one of the most common building materials found in U.S. urban environments...
blocks, with the ground floor divided into wide bays by columns and featured large semi-circular windows at first floor level and a heavy dentil
Dentil
In classical architecture a dentil is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect Vitruvius In classical architecture a dentil (from Lat. dens, a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect...
ated cornice above.
The station buildings were constructed with flat roofs with the deliberate aim of encouraging commercial office development above, another benefit of the load-bearing structural steel frame. Strangely very few of the surviving buildings are listed with only three, Holloway Road, Mornington Crescent & Gloucester Road listed.
At platform level, the stations were provided with a standardised tiling design incorporating the station name, but with quickly identified individual colour schemes and geometric tile patterns formed in repeating panels along the platform length.
The railways were to open in 1906 and 1907 and the pressure of producing designs and supervising the works to so many stations in such a short period of time, placed a strain on Green's health. He was elected a Fellow of the RIBA in 1907, including details of his work for the UERL as part of his submission, but contracted tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and died on 31 August 1908 at the age of 33.
Many of Green's station buildings survive, although internal modifications have seen most of his ticket hall designs altered to suit later developments. At platform levels a number of the original tiling schemes survive today or have, as at Lambeth North
Lambeth North tube station
Lambeth North tube station is a London Underground station in the neighbourhood of Lambeth, at the junction of Westminster Bridge Road and Baylis Road. It is on the Bakerloo line, between Elephant & Castle and Waterloo, and is in Travelcard Zone 1...
and Marylebone, been reproduced in recent years to the original pattern.
Examples of existing Leslie Green stations
- For complete lists of central London stations of these lines see Bakerloo lineBakerloo LineThe Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
, Piccadilly linePiccadilly LineThe Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...
and Northern lineNorthern LineThe Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
Bakerloo line
Stations between Edgware Road
Edgware Road tube station (Bakerloo Line)
Edgware Road is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Bakerloo line and is between Paddington and Marylebone stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station is located on the north-east corner of the junction of Edgware Road, Harrow Road and Marylebone Road...
and Elephant & Castle
Elephant & Castle tube station
Elephant & Castle tube station is a station on the London Underground system. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark and on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 1 and 2...
inclusive constructed by BS&WR with extant Leslie Green station buildings:
- Edgware RoadEdgware Road tube station (Bakerloo Line)Edgware Road is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Bakerloo line and is between Paddington and Marylebone stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The station is located on the north-east corner of the junction of Edgware Road, Harrow Road and Marylebone Road...
— separate building from the DistrictDistrict LineThe District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
, Circle or Hammersmith & CityHammersmith & City LineThe Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
lines station - Oxford CircusOxford Circus tube station-External links:* ** ** * Plans of the station after the Victoria Line works , , *...
- Kennington RoadLambeth North tube stationLambeth North tube station is a London Underground station in the neighbourhood of Lambeth, at the junction of Westminster Bridge Road and Baylis Road. It is on the Bakerloo line, between Elephant & Castle and Waterloo, and is in Travelcard Zone 1...
— renamed Lambeth North in 1918 - Elephant & CastleElephant & Castle tube stationElephant & Castle tube station is a station on the London Underground system. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark and on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 1 and 2...
— separate building from the demolished Northern line station
Piccadilly line
Stations between Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park station
Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
and Earl's Court inclusive constructed by GNP&BR with extant Leslie Green station buildings:
- Holloway RoadHolloway Road tube stationHolloway Road is a station on the London Underground. It is on the Piccadilly Line between Caledonian Road and Arsenal stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2. The station opened on 15 December 1906....
- Caledonian RoadCaledonian Road tube stationCaledonian Road is a station on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground, between King's Cross St. Pancras and Holloway Road, and in Travelcard Zone 2. It was opened on 15 December 1906 by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway....
- York RoadYork Road tube stationYork Road tube station is a disused station on the London Underground. It opened on 15 December 1906 and was one of the original stations on the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway , now the Piccadilly line....
— station closed in 1932 but building remains - Russell SquareRussell Square tube stationRussell Square is a London Underground station on Bernard Street, Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden. It is a small but busy station, often used by office workers and by tourists who are staying in Bloomsbury's numerous hotels. The station is a Grade II listed building.-History:The station...
- Holborn (Kingsway)Holborn tube stationHolborn is a station of the London Underground in Holborn in London, located at the junction of High Holborn and Kingsway. Situated on the Piccadilly Line and on the Central Line , it is the only station common to the two lines, although the two lines cross each other three times elsewhere...
— suffix dropped in 1960s. The original station façades on KingswayKingsway (London)Kingsway is a major road in central London in the United Kingdom, designated as part of the A4200. It runs from High Holborn, at its north end in the London Borough of Camden, and meets Aldwych in the south in the City of Westminster at Bush House. It was built in the 1900s...
and High HolbornHigh HolbornHigh Holborn is a road in Holborn in central London, England. It starts in the west near St Giles Circus, then goes east, past the Kingsway and Southampton Row, and continues east. The road becomes Holborn at the junction with Gray's Inn Road....
were uniquely of granite but were destroyed by 1930s replacements. The adjacent façades at ground and first floor of the building in which the station is situated were built to the same design using Portland stonePortland stonePortland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
. - StrandAldwych tube stationAldwych is a closed London Underground station in the City of Westminster, originally opened as Strand in 1907. It was the terminus and only station on the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The disused station building is close to the...
— renamed Aldwych in 1915. Station closed in 1994, but building remains and has been restored to close to original appearance - Covent GardenCovent Garden tube stationCovent Garden is a London Underground station in Covent Garden. It is on the Piccadilly Line between Leicester Square and Holborn. The station is a Grade II listed building, on the corner of Long Acre and James Street...
- Leicester SquareLeicester Square tube stationLeicester Square is a station on the London Underground, located on Charing Cross Road, a short distance to the east of Leicester Square itself....
- Down StreetDown Street tube stationDown Street, also known as Down Street , is a disused station of the London Underground's Piccadilly line which closed in 1932. During World War II it was used as an air-raid shelter, notably by Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet.-History:...
— station closed in 1932, but building remains - Hyde Park CornerHyde Park Corner tube stationHyde Park Corner is a London Underground station near Hyde Park Corner in Hyde Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 1, between Knightsbridge and Green Park on the Piccadilly Line.-History:...
— surface building no longer used as station access - Brompton RoadBrompton Road tube stationBrompton Road tube station is a disused station on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground. It is located between Knightsbridge and South Kensington.-History:...
— station closed in 1934 and mostly demolished although one elevation remains - South KensingtonSouth Kensington tube stationSouth Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines, the station is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly Line, it is between Gloucester Road and...
- Gloucester RoadGloucester Road tube station-Deep-level station:By the beginning of the 20th century, the MDR had been extended to Richmond, Ealing Broadway, Hounslow West and Wimbledon in the west and to New Cross Gate in the east...
Northern line
Stations between Hampstead
Hampstead tube station
Hampstead tube station is a London Underground station in Hampstead, north London NW3 1QG. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Golders Green and Belsize Park stations, and on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3....
and Archway
Archway tube station
Archway tube station is a London Underground station in north London, underneath the Archway Tower, at the intersection of Holloway Road, Highgate Hill and Junction Road in the area known as Archway....
and Strand
Charing Cross tube station
Charing Cross tube station is a London Underground station at Charing Cross in the City of Westminster with entrances located in Trafalgar Square and The Strand. The station is served by the Northern and Bakerloo lines and provides an interchange with the National Rail network at station...
(now Charing Cross) inclusive constructed by CCE&HR with extant Leslie Green station buildings:
- Tufnell ParkTufnell Park tube stationTufnell Park tube station is a London Underground station in Islington close to its boundary with Camden . It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Archway and Kentish Town, and in Travelcard Zone 2. It has distinctive Edwardian red tiling and has two lifts between the street...
- Kentish Town
- South Kentish TownSouth Kentish Town tube stationSouth Kentish Town tube station is a disused London Underground station which was on the Northern Line between Camden Town and Kentish Town. The surface building still exists on Kentish Town Road, close to the junction with Castle Road, and is currently a retail unit occupied by the Cash Converters...
— station closed in 1924 but building remains. - HampsteadHampstead tube stationHampstead tube station is a London Underground station in Hampstead, north London NW3 1QG. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Golders Green and Belsize Park stations, and on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3....
- Belsize ParkBelsize Park tube stationBelsize Park tube station is a London Underground station in Belsize Park, North-West London. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Chalk Farm and Hampstead stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2. It is located at the northern end of Haverstock Hill...
- Chalk FarmChalk Farm tube stationChalk Farm tube station is a London Underground station near Camden Town in London. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern line, between Camden Town and Belsize Park stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2. The station stands at the junction of Chalk Farm Road/Haverstock Hill and Adelaide...
- Camden TownCamden Town tube stationCamden Town tube station is a major junction on the Northern Line and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground network...
- Mornington CrescentMornington Crescent tube stationMornington Crescent is a London Underground station in Camden Town in north west London, named after the nearby street. The station is on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line, between and...
- EustonEuston tube stationEuston tube station is a London Underground station served by the Victoria Line and both branches of the Northern Line. It directly connects with the Euston mainline station above it. The station is in Travelcard Zone 1....
— surface building no longer used to access station. - Tottenham Court RoadGoodge Street tube stationGoodge Street is a London Underground station on Tottenham Court Road. It is on the Northern Line between Tottenham Court Road and Warren Street, and is in Travelcard Zone 1.-History:...
— not the current station of that name. Renamed Goodge Street in 1908. - Leicester SquareLeicester Square tube stationLeicester Square is a station on the London Underground, located on Charing Cross Road, a short distance to the east of Leicester Square itself....
External links
Images from the Photographic Archive of the London Transport MuseumBakerloo line — now Marylebone. The original building was destroyed in WWII. — demolished — accessed via a subway and never had a surface building, — rebuilt in 1920s, demolished in 1990s — rebuilt in 1950s
Piccadilly line — now Arsenal, rebuilt in 1930s - demolished, - renamed Green Park and rebuilt in 1930s
Northern line — renamed Archway in 1939, rebuilt in 1960s — rebuilt in 1930s
Further reading
- www.dougrose.co.uk - an extensive site dedicated to the decorative tiling of all Leslie Green stations