STATION APPROACH POSTS

[leenewham]

Has anyone else seen the new thick black posts outside Sydenham Station?

They are lighting posts and have feeds for events and they have leaves cut out of them that will be illuminated. On the top will be some sort of luminere, either a globe or a tree apparently (please correct me if I'm wrong).

I understand that these weren't on the original plans (again, please correct me if I"m wrong).

My personal view is that they feel off the beg, this will do, general council poor design with no sense of place and that they are pretty ugly. The look more like Canada than something that will be a beacon of good design when you first leave Sydenham Station to give a good first impression. It's a wasted opportunity and feels odd, almost like 'we had these left over from Croydon, lets stick them in Sydenham, they keep moaning about trees on the forum let's give them these with leaves on".

But what do you think?

[mosy]

As I understand it, the posts will have some sort of lighting globe on the top (not sure what) and given the speed that Skanska bring things to completion, I wonder how soon that'll be.

| do find the placement very odd. It just "isn't right" as you look/walk down Sydenham Approach towards them as there isn't a focal point, nor are they even either side - why three posts in those particular positions? Weird. Maybe it's different if driving down? I guess we won't know for sure until they're lit.

Nevertheless, extra light in a potentially vulnerable area after exiting the station or traversing the pathway from Silverdale when it's dark is not to be sneezed at and can only be a good thing. At least there's some attempt at design of the posts. Shouldn't we be happy, leenewham?

[leenewham]

It depends mosy. I don't think any attemp has been made to design them. Or as you say place them in any formation that feels right. It's a shame that such an important first impression has been compromised by a lack of thought and vision. Light good. Any old light not properly considered not good.

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[sean]

One of the posts is right in the path way if you are heading from the lane directly to the station. When I went to the station this morning I ended up walking straight past them. It was only on my return that I noticed them but that was 10mins after chatting with Lee and Barry.

Maybe they were a joblot left over from when Toronto revamped their Downtown area last summer.

[mosy]

Hmm... the more I look at the posts, the more perplexed I become about their positioning: They form no pattern of regularity at all and the tree planting space, which is central across, will definitely look wrong juxtapositiioned within the posts. Maybe underground services severely restricted their placement? I'll ask in the Riney office in case they can, er, throw any light on these new lights.

[Whiftoff]

More have popped up outside the funeral pocket space

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[jonekt]

I think they look a bit naff. A real shame considering the high street had got conservation status, i think something really exciting could have been done in the space tying the old and the new.

I also don't remember seeing this on any of the plans & over the many public consultations attended. Hopefully though they will look a lot better once completed. Fingers crossed !

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[G-Man]

Saw the ones outside the station today. I think they're alright. Not half as bad as you make out. Better than boring old street lamps. I think when lit they might look quite good. Sometimes I think this forum finds it very hard to see positives in many things.

G-man

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[Maria]

Well.... er.... I have to say that I agree, G-Man; now that we have four very near where we live I have come to find them original and amusing. Can't wait to see them lit...

[goonerchamp]

I agree with G-man. And again find people complaining on this site over trivial things - seriously people lighten up (excuse the pun!)

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[Cwebby76]

They do look a bit unusual, but I'm withholding judgement. What's with the funny bags/wrapping bit at the top of them though?

[mosy]

The man on duty in the Riney Office (they're always very helpful) tells me:

About weird positioning: The lights by the Skanska design team are placed primarily to give best overall light and specific directional light (plus allowing for underground services considerations of course).

The top of each post is to be two layers which in essence extend the pole height (same diameter) via see-through glass with lights within: The first additional see-through layer has a directional spotlight within, then above that the topping which holds a 360° light. Also, the post(s) can supply power for street market vendors' stalls. He believes that the leaves on the post stems will be illuminated.

There yer go.
All clever stuff eh?
Looking forward to seeing them finished now

Edit PS: The poly bags I assume are just temporary water protection.

[leenewham]

The Skandia link make sense, they are under one contract for the whole borough and Croydon, which is why we have something that looks rather generic.

There are so many other more elegant solutions for this that what we have which is a shame. That was the point of the post...pun intended