This is the new-look Kings Cross Underground station in London.

Transport for London has spent millions bringing its busiest station into the 21st century. The project isn’t yet complete. But this first impression is utterly depressing. The world-class architecture of the Jubilee line extension has proved a one-off. We’re back to drab and dreary.

It’s not just our railways. Heathrow has for years been a disgrace compared with overseas airports. Why does Britain excel at soul-destroying monotony in its public spaces? Is it simply that we insist on doing everything on the cheap? Let’s hope Terminal 5 surprises us…