| Summary : Undeground railway station, opened on 9th September 1874,when the District opened a branch from Earl's Court via North End (now West Kensington) to Hammersmith (not to be confused with the former Metropolitan station (now Hammersmith and City) of the same name). The station, however, was destroyed by fire in 1882. Hammersmith became the western terminus of the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway when it came into operation on 15th December 1906. The joint station was rebuilt by Harry Ford and is of a similar style to Earl's Court. On the Piccadilly side of the station two tracks served an island platform, flanked to the north by a side platform and to the south by a second island which at one time was partitioned down the middle and also functioned at the eastbound District platform. The extension of the Piccadilly line beyond Hammersmith neccessitaed considerable alterations to Hammersmith station. Reconstruction work, to designs of Stanley Heaps, was started in December 1930 and substantially completed in June 1932. The area centred around Hammersmith Broadway and the District/Piccadilly station has frequently been considered for development with plans for development appearing in 1962 and 1977 with the later scheme being revised after the original architects were taken off it. No work was carried out on the revised proposal. Deterioration of the island site increased over some years, and demolition started in earnest in late 1988. The scheme was completed in 1994. Hammersmith Broadway is now dominated by the massive grey, pink, cream and brown bulk of the 'Centrewest' office complex, forming a perimeter around the Underground and bus stations. Two ticket halls are provided, and in the main one Harry Ford's 1906 facade has been partially re-erected around a tiled mural. On the platforms, butterfly canopies are suspended from curved trusses. There are glass waiting cabins in the spirit of Holden's 'streamlined' waiting rooms. |