Architecture firm Hollaway Studio has unveiled the first images of its redesign of the UK passenger terminal for LeShuttle’s Channel Tunnel service, which will feature swooping shapes and focus on sustainability.
Hollaway Studio is leading the architectural vision for the redesign, which will involve refurbishing the Folkestone terminal of railway shuttle service LeShuttle, as well as its building in Calais at a later date.
The terminal in Folkestone will be the first to be updated
The studio will collaborate with customer experience specialists Engine to deliver the project, which will be carried out while both terminals remain in use.
Work will begin in September 2025 on the refurbishment of the Folkestone building, which will be given a new check-in area and a swooping canopy.
The work will take place while it is still in use
The aim of the redesign is to create a more calming and emotionally engaging visitor experience while adding more amenities.
“Our vision was to reimagine LeShuttle not just as a point of departure, but as a destination in its own right – an intuitive, calming environment that enhances the travel experience and reflects the innovation behind this extraordinary infrastructure,” said principal partner at Hollaway Studio Guy Hollaway.
The roof will be covered by solar panels
Hollaway Studio has designed a food hall for the Folkestone terminal, as well as a landscaped outdoor area for those bringing their pets with them to France.
It will also be updating LeShuttle’s check-in booths and ticketing areas in the “future-facing” passenger terminal buildings.
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When developing the new facades, the studio looked to the design of the Channel Tunnel itself, which is used by railway shuttles to carry passenger cars.
Their designs “echo the geological strata that enabled the original Tunnel construction”, LeShuttle said.
The update aims to create a calmer visitor experience
The project will have a sustainability focus and reuse existing structures when possible, while prefabricated modules will be utilised to streamline production. Solar panels will cover the entire roof of the passenger terminal buildings, as well as the canopy.
LeShuttle’s operations will continue throughout the redesign, with the check-in canopy set to be installed sequentially so that services can continue during the work.
The terminal will also house a new food hall
The work on the UK terminal is expected to be completed before the end of next year, before moving on to the Calais terminal in France.
“This is a significant moment for LeShuttle,” said the service’s CCO Deborah Merrens.
“We are setting ourselves up for the next 30 years by completely rethinking the arrival experience, focusing on ease, enjoyment and a greener future,” Merrens explained. “The terminal is the first thing customers see, and we want to switch them into holiday mode from the very first step.”
Hollaway Studios has previously designed the world’s first multi-storey skatepark and a “bicycle factory of the future” for Brompton.
The images are courtesy of Hollaway Studio.