Stratford Box Pumping Station

Groundwater management meets sculptural design

A discreet yet essential piece of infrastructure that protects London’s high-speed rail network while contributing to sustainable water supply.

Completed in 2011 as part of the London 2012 Olympic legacy, the Stratford Box Pumping Station is one of four infrastructure facilities designed by LBY Architects for the Olympic Park. Sited between the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) loops and a nature conservation area near the Westfield shopping centre, the pumping station quietly plays a vital role in maintaining groundwater balance and protecting transport infrastructure.

A side view of the Stratford Box Pumping Station in the main foreground with dark brick walls and a glass-enclosed structure housing pipes, surrounded by grassy areas and steps, under a partly cloudy sky.

Protecting What Lies Beneath

The pumping station was commissioned by Thames Water to relieve pressure on the Stratford Box – a large underground tunnel section of the CTRL. Rising groundwater in this area could displace the box structure and pose a serious risk to the rail network. The plant, therefore, operates continuously to extract groundwater, maintaining safe levels and preventing structural uplift.

This groundwater is then redirected to the Lea Valley reservoir, where it is treated and reintroduced into London’s water supply – a rare case of infrastructure serving both environmental and civic needs.

Sculptural Utility in a Sensitive Landscape

Rather than concealing the site’s functionality, the design embraces it. A linear concrete base slab hosts a collection of volumes, each corresponding to a technical element. These are clad in long-format bricks in a silvery black-grey palette, creating a unified composition that has the appearance of a sculptural archaeological fragment in the landscape.

  • Green roofs and interwoven planting soften the massing and promote biodiversity

  • The architecture deliberately avoids signage or overt identity, it sits quietly, robustly fulfilling its purpose.

A 3D architectural model of the Stratford Box Pumping Station modern outdoor space with grass sections, concrete pathways, and seating areas. Contains a curved wall and multiple tiers.

Where Protection Meets Provision

The groundwater pumped from the site contributes to London’s drinking water supply – infrastructure designed not just to protect, but to replenish.

Cityscape with railway tracks, a glass greenhouse, green trees, a bridge in the background, and a modern stadium to the left, under a blue sky with scattered clouds, with the Stratford Box Pumping Station in the near foreground.
View of the London Olympic Stadium with a the ArcelorMittal Orbit in the background and railway tracks in the foreground, with the Stratford Box Pumping Station in the near foreground.
A close up of the Stratford Box Pumping Station's modern building with brick and concrete walls, featuring a glass-enclosed structure with several blue and white pipes inside, surrounded by grass and steps.
A close up of one of Stratford Box Pumping Station's modern building with dark grey brick walls, a small window, and outdoor lighting against a clear blue sky.
A full view of Stratford Box Pumping Station's modern square buildings with black and white brick walls, characterised by clean geometric shapes and minimal design, under a partly cloudy sky.

Quote…

“LBY imaginatively conceived the station as an archaeological find with subterranean layers of Piranesian construction also exercising characteristic flair in the subtle choice of delicious, refreshing colours…”

Felix Mara, Architects Journal

A side elevation close up of the Stratford Box Pumping Station's modern building with neat square lines with black doors, exterior stairs, and outdoor lighting, under a clear blue sky with trees in the background.
The Olympic ArcelorMittal Orbit structure and various other buildings and cranes in the background, and a small cage-enclosed shelter of one of the Stratford Box Pumping Station building the foreground.
  • Cityscape with modern architecture building, train tracks, greenery, and a body of water in the foreground.
  • A modern building with a gray brick facade, a black conduit running vertically, and a small green door on the side.
  • Outdoor infrastructure with a glass-enclosed utility area containing three large pipes, surrounded by brick and paved walkways, grassy patches, and trees in the background, with a bridge and stadium in the distance.

The details

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Client: Thames Water
Location: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London
Completion: 2011
Building Type: Infrastructure, Groundwater Pumping Station
Contractor: Morrison Construction
Value: £0.5m

Photographs: Richard Chivers 

APPROACH & INFLUENCE

Project Type: Transport protection and environmental resilience

Design Approach: Functional clarity, sculptural form, ecological integration

PRESS COVERAGE & ARTICLES

Blueprint Magazine 2009

Book: London 2012 Sustainable Design Hattie Hartman

Architects Journal – Footprint 2013

Where next?

  • Contemporary outdoor sculptures or installations made of weathered metal panels, set in a grassy area with green trees and a building in the background.

    Old Ford Pumping Station, London

    Shaped by function

    Click Here
  • Night view of modern building with pink cylindrical structures, concrete walls, and a tall illuminated vertical sign.

    Pudding Mill Pumping Station

    Sustainable infrastructure meets public art

    Click Here
ALL PROJECTS