A foot tunnel at Down Street station. Photo: Carmody Groarke and TfL
A forgotten Tube station in Mayfair could receive a new lease of life as a restaurant or exhibition space.
Down Street station – used as an air raid shelter during the Blitz – closed in 1932 due to low passenger usage. Now Transport for London is inviting ‘innovative’ business proposals to transform 400 sq m of the building, following assessments carried out by architects Carmody Groarke.
TfL suggests the available space – including foot tunnels and a lift shaft – could suit bars, shops, galleries, theatres and restaurants. The station facade’s columns, glazed red tiles, and semi-circular windows remain intact but the raw interior space needs work.
Graeme Craig, TfL’s director of commercial development, says: ‘The combination of space, history, and location, makes this a unique opportunity.’
Down Street could be the first of several redevelopment projects in the Tube as TfL has identified six other stations and one deep level shelter with potential.
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