The west and east sides of the Preston Bus Station are currently occupied by an asphalt esplanade with an endless parade of buses from all over the UK.
Preston Square also aims to improve the connectivity between nearby Preston City center and the iconic Preston Station. By linking Old Vicarage, Crooked Lane and Lord St., with the entrances in the west side of the station, a new path to Preston Square will emerge. In order to improve these entrances, a new porch has been designed at the ground level of the station by modifying the facade.
All along this porch, there is a continuous frontage road that will undergo several modifications in order to connect it aesthetically with Preston Square. This frontage goes up and down giving rise to the new entrances: to the north, Youth Zone facilities, to the south, the new waiting area which can operate together or independently from the station.
Preston Square contains:
- Youth Zone building: situated in the space that exists in between the new trails.
- The “Ágora”: a belowground, contemporary Roman theater for scenic performances and citizens' assemblies.
- The “Mountain”: an elevated vista.
- The “Plaza”: a welcoming open space for travelers coming from Lord Street.
The Youth Zone building for young people is situated in the north area of Preston Square. This building is mostly 6 meters underground. There are three main reasons for this decision: firstly, to reduce the visual impact of the building in order to not modify the established image of the station; secondly, to liberate space on ground level in order to provide as much open area as possible; thirdly, to build a building with maximum privacy and security for minors.
At ground level, the Youth Zone new building appears as two sections. One is conceived as the main entrance and open recreation area, while the other as the Sport Hall.
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