Birmingham New Street station gets another makeover after dazzling drivers
If you think your effort's going unappreciated at work, spare a thought for architecture firm AZPML.
It only completed its £750m overhaul of Birmingham New Street railway station last year, complete with shiny steel "skin" to reflect trains pulling in and out of the station, as well as the surrounding cityscape, but it's already getting a makeover.
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That's because the shiny steel skin in question has been causing a bit of bother for drivers; proving so dazzling it's distracting. It's also serving as a giant mirror which might be pretty cool to look at, but isn't so cool for the poor neighbouring buildings left sizzling in the reflected sunlight.
City councillors approved a planning application to tone down the colour on two areas of the building. They said the work was "the most effective and feasible treatment", though acknowledged that applying the dulling treatment to panels "was not ideal".
Councillor Tahir Ali said: "Taxi drivers complained that the reflection was causing them issues when they were driving as they couldn't see properly. A coating will be put on the panels to prevent the sunlight reflecting on the drivers."
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The station was officially opened by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in November last year. It underwent a makeover after years of criticism; including picking up the dubious prize of ugliest building in Britain in 2003 and being voted the worst station in the country in 2014.
A dispute between Network Rail and AZPML developed over changes to the design before the architects behind the revamp said at the end they weren't totally happy with the finished product. Co-founder of AZPML Alejandro Zaera-Polo said the end result "could have been much better".