PLANS for a new visitor information pod at Coventry Railway Station have been submitted to the city council’s planning committee.
The pod, if given the green light, will provide information on featured events, historical points of interest, restaurants, bars and any local organisations with a message to share.
The pod’s design has been developed with support from Creative Giants and looks to build on Coventry’s visionary post-war architecture and its use of glass.
It will appear to change colour as it reflects light throughout the day and as viewers walk around and past it.
Coun Jim O’Boyle, Coventry Council’s cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, said research showed the most impactful moments for visitors happened in the first and last hour of their visit and the city’s railway station was one of the fastest growing outside London.
“Our UK City of Culture year in 2021, as well as the Commonwealth Games 2022, will further drive the city’s tourism appeal, so we need to make sure visitors are warmly-welcomed, well-signposted and given the chance to find out about all the fantastic things that will be happening in our city.
“We want to make sure that visitors get a great impression of the city, and with the ongoing work at the railway station, plus the regeneration work that’s taking place in the city centre, we’re well on track to creating a city centre that local people can be even prouder of.”
The pod will also be illuminated at night, acting as a beacon at the railway station, but also leading into the art trail in Greyfriars Green, where rainbow lighting has also recently been installed.
This exciting project has been funded through the Cultural Capital Investment Fund which includes an allocation from the Getting Building Funding from the Government through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP).
