Silke Hoss
Transrapid Terminal Shanghai. RWTH Aachen (Germany)
Layers
The development of the Transrapid railway in the Chinese harbour city of Shanghai between the international airport Pudong and the financial district of Lujiazui is the breakthrough of a new transport system.
At the Longyang Road Station, close to the financial district, the different traffic systems of the city will be united in a junction. In order to organize this grouping to a maximal effect, the individual transport systems were put on individual layers. This stratification allows a vertical circulation of the entire complex and facilitates the understanding of the building with its functions.
Vertical Junction
The design of the staircases and the elevators as an important space was a priority for myself, due to the complexity of the circulation system and the functional order of the layers.
The staircases in the centre connect all layers from top to bottom to empty the building in the most efficient way and to facilitate the orientation for the traveller in the building. Relating to the staircases, there are voids that offer views onto the different levels and provide these with daylight.
Even on the subterranean levels as car park and subway, dark spaces are avoided. Along the whole length of the terminal there is a big hole leading from the city level down to the underground level, which offers space for the circulation. A great number of stairs float in the hole and allow an emergence from darkness to light. Coming from the Subway all layers of the complex can be perceived immediately.
Tube
In order to give the dynamic of the train a corresponding frame and an identity, the building got the shape of a dynamically formed tube. The expansion in one half of the tube serves for structuring and emphasizing the position of the main entrance. To support this effect the expansion offers space for a big void which allows insights into all layers and at the same time marks the main entrance by the penetration of daylight. Moreover, due to the position of the main entrance, a crowd of people will first have to gather here before they disperse. In this way conflict points can be avoided.
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