Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the present station between Bishop's Bridge Road and Praed Street, and it opened on May 29, 1854. The original temporary station had opened on June 4, 1838. Matthew Digby Wyatt, Brunel's associate, did much of the architectural detailing.
A glazed roof is supported by wrought iron arches in three spans of 68 feet (21 m), 102 feet (31 m) and 70 feet (21 m), and the roof is 699 feet (210 m) long. A fourth span of 109 feet (33 m) was added later on the north side. The Great Western Hotel, designed by Philip Charles Hardwick, opened in front of the station on June 9, 1854, with 103 bedrooms.
The infobox lists 15 platforms, while the text describes 13 terminal platforms, with platform 13 decommissioned in December 2016. Elizabeth line platforms opened on May 24, 2022. A statue of Paddington Bear by Marcus Cornish stands under the clock on platform 1.
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