History
When Cambridge Railway Station opened in the 1840s, it brought a new era of industry to the city. Since then, the historic land and buildings surrounding Cambridge Railway Station have witnessed extraordinary change.
But the demise of local enterprises such as the flour mill meant, in recent years, the area had become neglected. Today, its transformation from an unused, derelict site to a prosperous community is almost complete. CB1 is an attractive gateway to Cambridge, a hub for businesses and an appealing place to live, stay, shop and eat.
But we’re not quite finished yet, so here’s the story so far:
1845 – 2001
Cambridge Station, which opened in 1845, had its heyday as a goods yard when Foster’s Mill was built in 1896. Later owned by Spillers Ltd, and eventually Rank Hovis, the site was vacated for development in 2001.
2010
The site was purchased and cleared for demolition. The CB1 development plan aimed to retain the Mill almost in its entirety, but a fire destroyed a significant part of the building. The development was redesigned to accommodate the remaining part of the building, conserving as many features as possible.
2011
Anglia Ruskin University students were offered an opportunity to explore the new student accommodation.
Meanwhile, Costa Coffee and Co-op moved into the retail outlets.
2012
Microsoft Research occupied the first of the office buildings at 21 Station Road. The building boasts many high-tech features including engineered shades and high-performance glass to minimise solar gain. It also contains a state-of-the-art lecture theatre.
2013
Artist David Ward staged a temporary light installation using the Mill as a backdrop. ‘Foster’s Mill Firmament' was the first project presented as part of the CB1 public art programme.
Shortly after, the building was enclosed in a full-size printed graphic that shrouded the scaffolding and presented an image of the building to be.
2013 – 2014
Four residential pavilion buildings, ‘The Ceres Apartments,’ which comprise 170 units, were built around a terraced ‘pocket’ park.
2015
22 Station Road, a 65,000 sq ft, five-floor office building, was fully let within weeks of completion. The building is now home to engineering company Mott MacDonald and law firm Birketts.
2016
The railway station interior was completely refurbished with a new ticket office and smart ticket gates, but retains the external Victorian facade.
2016
The Vesta apartments were completed at the end of 2016, offering 137 beautifully designed one, two and three bedroom apartments.
2017
One Station Square, the landmark address of the CB1 development was completed and is now home to Amazon, Entrust and Deloitte. Meanwhile, a large part of the square itself opened, and the station area taxi rank and drop-off facilities became operational.
2018
The new ibis hotel opened, it offers comfortable accommodation in 231 bedrooms over four floors. Its facilities include a cafe and bar on the ground floor fronting the piazza, and a new restaurant area on the first floor.
In the same year, the station’s new 3,000-space cycle park - the largest in the UK, opened.
2019
Designed by award-winning architecture practice Grimshaw, the nine-storey 50/60 Station Road offers 156,000 sq ft of Grade A office space with a communal, welcoming entrance. The office building, is home to a number of prominent occupiers, including WeWork, Amazon and Samsung AI.
2022
Fully pre-let to Apple, the seven floor, 79,000 sq ft, flexible office building, 30 Station Road opened. Designed by architects, tp bennet, this contemporary building, described as a ‘cube within a cube’, contrasts with the surrounding mix of architecture.
2023
Three & Four Station Square are two buildings which are designed to look strikingly different. With offices and retail sitting below 89 luxury residential apartments – these unique buildings are fully integrated in the mix and offer spectacular views of the vibrant Station Square.
Business occupiers include Charles Stanley, Mishcon de Reya, Gail's bakery and a convenience store to open in 2024.
2023
2023 also saw the arrival of Fora Space to CB1, when they occupied the newly completed 20 Station Road.
Designed by architects tp bennett, with stone and gault brick façade, it's six floors of modern and flexible accommodation provide 65,000 sq ft of stylish office space in the heart of CB1.
2023
The masterplan is now over 90% complete. This aerial image shows the transformation of the CB1 area since development work began in 2010.
2024
The latest building in the development, 10 Station Road is the first BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ development on CB1 Estate and has a NABERS accredited 4.5 star rating. The building will also be WELL accredited, targeting Gold standard. With Energy performance above national building compliance regulations, achieving EPC A rating.