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Stadtbahnstation Rathaus-Süd/ LRT station Rathaus-SüdStadtbahnstation Rathaus-Süd/ LRT station Rathaus-Süd
The use of glass brings light into a German subway station-and dampens sound, too.
The planning brief for the Rathausplatz (City Hall Plaza) area in Bochum, Germany, provided for a complex underground hub with underground access to three metro stations, department stores, shop-floor spaces, and platforms with differing heights for the variety of rolling stock.
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In submitting a competition entry, Pahl + Weber-Pahl Architekten proposed disentangling the complex underground interrelations, which created some latitude, in particular for the station space volume. While the tunnel sections were built with mining techniques, the architects proposed a “cut-and-cover” method for the station, with considerable interferences into urban spaces. Rather than backfilling the volume above the station, the architects used the space for ceiling design and construction. The outcome is a large-volume, column-free station space that is borne by a folded-plate ceiling.
As a result, thirteen prismatic glass bodies penetrate both ceiling and road space and thus allow daylight into the Metro station, while the prismatic glass bodies make the location of the station visible at the surface in urban space.
The glass bodies in the road space are made of pre-crushed glass, which allows for crystalline imagery and scattering of natural light. The elements also reduce vandalism, since they already appear to be destroyed.
Two more structures penetrate the station space: A glazed sloping elevator from train to road level and the glazed bridge of another line, which crosses the overhead space.
At the eye level of waiting passengers, the longitudinal wall is made of backlit, coursed glass. Some rear sides of the coursed glass plates of glass were pre-crushed. The crackle patterns can be seen through the glass on the front side. The glass wall also serves as sound absorption, particularly for deeper frequencies through slots between the glass packages and cavities at the rear. Together with the bed of broken stones, it reduces the amount of reverberation in the large-volume space.
Formal name of project: Stadtbahnstation Rathaus-Süd/ LRT station Rathaus-Süd
Location: Bochum, Germany
Gross square footage: Approx.: 150m x 20m sq.ft.
Completion Date: January 2006
Total construction cost: Approx.: 64.000.000 Euro
Owner: Stadt Bochum, Stadtbahn GbR
Architect:
Pahl + Weber-Pahl Architekten BDA
Spreestr. 3
64295 Darmstadt
Phone: +49 (0)6151 314705
Fax: +49 (0)6151 314706
Email: info@pahl-architekten.de
www.pahl-architekten.de
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