Working closely with Wycombe District Council, Artelia cost managers are supporting the restoration and repurposing of a former station building, designed by the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel in High Wycombe.
Opened in 1854, the building, now known as the Brunel Engine Shed, served as a railway station on a spur of the Great Western Railway, with steam trains running from Paddington through High Wycombe as far as Maidenhead.
In 1905, the building closed when a new station was built 200 metres to the north. It gradually fell into disuse and has been vacant for a considerable period of time. High Wycombe Council purchased the building and adjacent land in 2019 and has developed a scheme to restore the Grade II listed building to its former glory. The design, by Hawkins Brown Architects, includes many features that are nods to the building’s railway past. The extended and remodelled building will provide vibrant workplaces, an event space and a café.
The Council sees the regeneration of the area around High Wycombe railway station as important for the prosperity of the town and the wider district. The transformation of the Brunel Engine Shed will be an anchor to attract investment and tenants to the Eastern Quarter.