Arnhem central platform roofs

UNStudio is a Dutch practice specializing in architecture, urban development and infrastructural projects. Since the beginning of its activity, in 1988, the year of foundation by Ben Van Berkel and Caroline Bos, the practice has distinguished itself for its deep belief in the added value brought about by diversity, both in terms of nationality of workers employed and the variegated knowledge fields these people bring to the firm. Based in Amsterdam, UNStudio has immediately expanded its activity on an international landscape, opting for a massive diversification in the typologies of projects undertaken: up to now these encounter public buildings, infrastructure, offices, living, products, urban blueprints.

The most recent project realized by the firm is located in Arnhem, Netherlands: it consists in a absolute revitalization of the Arnhem Central station, a major junction point for several regional routes and high speed trains to Germany. The deep revolution of the infrastructural design of the railway descends from the sharp rise, year after year, of passengers crossing this place. The transformation is based on the creation of a new fourth platform, necessary to sustain the constant increase in traffic faced by this station. Moreover this ambitious project comprehends the total replacement of all the platform roofs. And here comes the interesting part of the story.

The overall structure consist of four platform roofs 210 meters long with varying widths, integrated with an elevated footbridge that leads to the high speed train station: an impressive and stunning work of genius that took two years to become reality, from the phase of ideation and planning in 2009 till the opening to public of the platform tunnel, in July 2011. In the meantime, the construction of the transfer terminal will be undertaken in two phases and it is expected to open to passengers in 2014.

The predominant materials chosen for the development of this overshadowing construction constitute the highway for the total profusion of lightness sensation, probably what the creators really wanted to transmit: steel, aluminum and glass are the ruling components, and extremely bright white the pigment that triumphs over all the others. The design concept of the platform roofs is perfectly consistent with the feelings provoked by this mix of materials: walking into this futuristic structure, it is impossible not to feel a sense of endless space and extreme light, which comes from both the maximized power of natural light, entering energetically from every glass surface, and the sophisticated (but minimalist) artificial lighting system. The design of the whole structure is continued and uniform in all its parts, and, furthermore, the large roof lights are studied in such a way as to give a homogeneous look to all the platforms: the different parts of the structure are therefore rendered fully integrated among each other and with the northern entrance of the train station.

With this modern and aseptic creation UNStudio has proved, once more, that coupling usefulness and necessity with pleasure and visual leisure is absolutely possible.