ETFE fluoropolymers help new underground station set sail

A new underground station development at London’s Canary Wharf is showcasing the architectural capabilities of plastics to create an aesthetically pleasing as well as durable design.

Being built as part of the Crossrail project, the new station sits 18 metres below water level in the middle of the waters of the former East India Dock, with the complex designed to look like a ship to reflect the site’s nautical heritage. 

Three floors with shops and restaurants are situated below water level and above the waterline the building has further floors and a partly open rooftop garden. The station is crowned by a 30 metre-high and 310 metre-long timber roof construction covered with 780 film cushions, extruded from 3M’s Dyneon Fluoroplastic ETFE, which are illuminated after dark.

Dyneon ETFE was chosen for the film cushions owing to its resistance to chemical effects, tearing and damaging UV radiation. A durable and extremely resistant material with high mechanical strength, the cushions withstand hail, driving rain and high snow loads.

The transparency of the films was considered a significant advantage with regards to allowing sunlight and plant-loving UVA rays to penetrate through to the rooftop garden. For the film cushions used around the complex, the majority of the films were printed with various patterns in order to scatter the light with a delicate translucence in plant-free areas.

Canary Wharf station will open in December 2018 when Crossrail services begin through central London.