Built to a design by the 19th century engineer Robert Stephenson, the roundhouse was operational on 12 November 1837 – predating the current titleholder of "world's oldest" in Derby by almost two years.

[12] Other demolitions and ground investigations are preparing the site for construction, and utility diversions are set to begin in summer 2020.

HS2 was forced to halt the original procurement process the previous July due to a "lower-than-anticipated market appetite" from bidders.

[3] In June 2020, HS2 announced that Laing O’Rourke, a pairing of Mace and Dragados, and a joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Ferrovial had been shortlisted for the contract to build the station.

[15] The design for Curzon Street station was developed by the consultancy WSP and Grimshaw Architects for High Speed 2.

The principal train shed consists of an arched roof, intended to be the architectural signature of the station, clad in metal panels with a significant projection both at the east and western ends of around 35 m (115 ft).

The renovated building will have a visitor centre and office space that will be used by HS2 Ltd, Birmingham City University and Historic England.

[3] The new station is planned to be net zero carbon in operation, and is designed to meet BREEAM Excellent, an industry standard for buildings that reduce energy usage and materials waste, and minimise impact on the natural environment.