| Summary : London Underground Station. The City and South London railway opened to passengers between Stockwell and King William Street on 18th December 1890, and was both the first standard gauge tube and the first railway to employ electric traction in London. To avoid disturbance of surface buildings the tube was shield-driven at deep level, and much of the work was done via shafts at station sites which later contained the passenger lifts. The Oval station, opend as the Kennington Oval, was designed by Thomas Phillips Figgis with elements of early Arts and Crafts and neo-classical detailing. The structure was made distinctive by a lead-covered dome with cupola lantern and weathervane which housed some of the lift equipment; the main part of the building was of red brick. In November 1923 Oval station closed for an enlargement programme and was re-opened on 1st December 1924. Frank Pick commissioned the architect Charles Holden to remodel the station in conjunction with the City and South London Railway's enlargement programme. The ticket hall was rebuilt after the installation of escalators and TF Figgis's station facade was replaced with biscuit-cream faience slabs and black coping tiles to the parapet walls. |