Foster + Partners’ plan for the Ourense FFCC Station in Galicia, Spain is to bring together high-speed rail and bus stations in a major urban intervention. This will open pedestrian links between the districts on either side of the tracks and create a new public plaza for the city.
The existing railway line is being upgraded to accommodate high-speed rail links in the region, something the recently revealed design takes into consideration. The plans call for a new station that caters to the increased passenger numbers created by the high-speed rail and creates a framework for a new transport interchange. Included in the new terminal will be a direct connection with the adjacent bus terminal, a new urban square in front of the station, and a pedestrian walkway and public park over the tracks.
Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
The addition will be made from concrete plates and slender columns that match the color of the existing station’s granite. The new concrete plates will provide shelter from rain and high temperatures common to the area’s summers. The roofs are designed as a modular system requiring minimal maintenance with the capability of accommodating future expansions.
A new portico highlights the entry canopy and will feature cafés and shops. The front of the station will spill directly onto a new urban square. Meanwhile, the internal lobby will be reconfigured to create a space filled with natural light and triple-height ceilings. Historic frescoes on the upper portions of the walls are being retained and restored.
Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
Wayfinding through the station has been improved via clear visual connections from the check-in stations to the trains. Additionally, a direct internal connection to the bus station creates an easy link to the city and surrounding area.
Related Stories
| Dec 17, 2010
Subway entrance designed to exude Hollywood charm
The Hollywood/Vine Metro portal and public plaza in Los Angeles provides an entrance to the Red Line subway and the W Hollywood Hotel. Local architect Rios Clementi Hale Studio designed the portal and plaza to flow with the landmark theaters and plazas that surround it.
| Nov 3, 2010
Sailing center sets course for energy efficiency, sustainability
The Milwaukee (Wis.) Community Sailing Center’s new facility on Lake Michigan counts a geothermal heating and cooling system among its sustainable features. The facility was designed for the nonprofit instructional sailing organization with energy efficiency and low operating costs in mind.
| Oct 13, 2010
Community college plans new campus building
Construction is moving along on Hudson County Community College’s North Hudson Campus Center in Union City, N.J. The seven-story, 92,000-sf building will be the first higher education facility in the city.
| Oct 12, 2010
Building 13 Naval Station, Great Lakes, Ill.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Gold Award. Designed by Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt and constructed in 1903, Building 13 is one of 39 structures within the Great Lakes Historic District at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill.
| Sep 13, 2010
World's busiest land port also to be its greenest
A larger, more efficient, and supergreen border crossing facility is planned for the San Ysidro (Calif.) Port of Entry to better handle the more than 100,000 people who cross the U.S.-Mexico border there each day.
| Aug 11, 2010
JE Dunn, Balfour Beatty among country's biggest institutional building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 Institutional Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Steel Joist Institute announces 2009 Design Awards
The Steel Joist Institute is now accepting entries for its 2009 Design Awards. The winning entries will be announced in November 2009 and the company with the winning project in each category will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship in its name to a school of its choice for an engineering student.
| Aug 11, 2010
SSOE, Fluor among nation's largest industrial building design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Industrial Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
