The renovation of the Gare du Nord railway station in Paris has been approved. It is the busiest station in Europe with over 700,00 passengers but is expected to rise to 800,000 in 2030. So the station will be expanded to more than triple its current size to allow for more passengers, spaces for bicycle parking, shops and offices together with cultural venues. The redevelopment is due to be finished in time for the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.
 
The French architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff designed the current station, which opened in 1864. The cast iron support pillars were made over one hundred and fifty years ago at the Alston & Gourlay Adelphi Foundry based in Glasgow, Scotland. Brothers, Scott and Stuart Haughey from Glasgow Salvage have now expressed their interest in salvaging the ornate ironwork. Scott speaking to the Glasgow Times stated, 'When any items as fine as this become available, they really should be brought back to Glasgow, as it is such an important part of the city’s proud engineering heritage.' In their letter they said they specialise in quality architectural salvage and would be interested in bringing any artefacts back to the city in which they were so well made all those years ago. At the time Glasgow had the only foundry that could make the ironwork to that quality and scale.
 
Glasgow Salvage is a family business, established in 1992, based in Paisley, Scotland. They specialise in architectural salvage, Victorian and reclaimed doors, fire surrounds, custom made vestibule and storm doors, vintage items, door handles, door knobs, leaded and painted glass and items of industrial interest. They firmly believe in a circular economy and to reclaim and reuse whenever possible.
 
See the full Glasgow Times article at the link below.