The Old Bus Station
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Introduction
The former Central Milton Keynes Bus Station, located near Station Square, is notable modernist architecture designed by Derek Yeadon and Robert de Grey of the Milton Keynes Development Corporation. Opened in 1983, like Station Square, it had the minimalist aesthetic of Mies van der Rohe, with its striking projecting canopy, exposed steel girders, and lightweight columns. The building’s design aimed to elevate a functional bus station into a sculptural and architectural statement. In 2014, it was Grade II Listed for design, architectural and cultural significance.
The bus station’s original function ceased in 1997 when bus services were relocated to in front of Milton Keynes Central railway station. Over the years, the building found new purposes, including serving as a youth centre and skate park known as The Buszy, gaining fame in the skateboarding community.
“Ah yeah, so when the bus station opened it was a ‘hot spot’, you know, everyone would come there, so people were coming from all over the world. I’ve seen loads of skate teams down the station. I’ve seen Tony Hawk down the station, like sat next to him, with his massive size fifteen feet. Yeah, that was crazy. Like, Kenny Hanson and Jeremy Wray just playing skate over the little bin. ‘Cause there used to just be half-bins there and that’s just what we used to skate on in the underpass...er, under the bus station.”
John AldridgeCurrently, its upper floor is used as a dance studio, while other parts have supported social initiatives like services for homeless individuals. Despite its repurposing, the building remains an example of the ambitious design ethos that characterized Milton Keynes during its development, blending functionality with aesthetic modernism.
“The most exciting thing with Milton Keynes skateboarding was that every time I came here and skated from the first time of whatever level of how like basic, I was at skating or however good I got it was always like a great day adventure even up until now, so every time was like good in a different way.”
James JessopDid you know?
Milton Keynes was a major centre of skateboarding through the 1980s – 2000s with people coming far and wide to skate here. In 2017 in response to this and a new interest in the sport, an archive project MK Skate captured this history which permeated 40 years of music, youth, fashion and lifestyles, creating a trail across CMK.
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