The adulterisation of Aberdeen Station.

The current Aberdeen Station we see today was constucted between 1913 and 1916 on the site of an already existing station of 1867. Both were referred to as Aberdeen Joint Station as they allowed the connection of the main line from the south to connect with the line to the north and the Deeside line. Until 1867 the line from the south had terminated at Guild Street Station (just next to where the Joint Station was built) and Northern lines went out from Waterloo Quay Station (neither of which The lines from the south had previously terminated at the adjacent Guild Street Station. Neither Guild Street or Waterloo Quay Station survive today. Guild Street became a goods terminal and the site was run down, eventually being cleared almost completely in 2005 to facilitate the building of the 'Union Square' shopping mall. Waterloo Quay ceased to be required as a station when the Joint Station opened but even today a goods line runs there. Aberdeen Joint Station was officially renamed Aberdeen Station in 1952. It was a handsome granite building of simple design that served its purpose and was refurbished every so often in accordance to the times. Unfortunately, a new shopping mall was proposed for the site of Guild Street Station/Aberdeen Bus Station/Aberdeen Station car park in 1998, to incorporate a new Bus Station and house numerous highstreet names. After some delays, the plan was approved and in 2009 the Union Square Centre opened, incorporating much of the frontage of Aberdeen Station as my post shows. This ruined the station's character and is an insult to its architects. Crass insensitive developments like this are becoming more and more common as the past is treated with contempt whilst profit is worshiped.
Errata - in my post of 18/01/13 I mistakenly referred to the current Aberdeen Station as 'Guild Street Station'. This has now been corrected and I should have known better! Also, I am not happy with this picture as when I uploaded it I noticed that it's squint...