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ARCHITECTURE, GERMANY, METARAUM ARCHITEKTEN, SERVICE STATION

CENTRAL BUS STATION IN


PFORZHEIM BY METARAUM
ARCHITEKTEN
OCTOBER 18, 2016 MARCO RINALDI

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
Roofing structure for the Central Bus Station… an overview
The new construction of the Pforzheim Central Bus Station is part of a large-scale
infrastructure development project, which, as well as improving traffic flows, will make
a key contribution in urban development and architectural terms by upgrading the entire
area.
Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
… on the urban development
The roofscape of the new bus station forms an unstructured area between the railway
station and flyover and a new modern mobility hub within a high-grade urban space.
Instead of a monotonous sequence of roofed platforms, what emerged is an urban space
as an authentic “venue” boasting high recognition value.

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
Situated just the right distance from the main station, the new bus station appears as an
extension of the historical building – a to-the-point urban marker, which breathes new
life into what was an inhospitable area to the east of the station building. The bus station
submits to the superordinate scale of the main station by subdividing the roof area into
three sections, benefiting from the head-turning visuals and significance of the latter
within the urban fabric and provides thrilling views and insights into the districts north
of the railway line.

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
… on the roofing concept
The language of forms employed in the original historical station building from the 50s
has been upgraded with an element of contemporary design: The curved edges of the
roof sections are derived from the typical radii and loops of vehicles in motion – the bus
station features prominently as a dynamic local transport center. Openings over the
lanes allow light and sunshine to flow into the bus platforms as well as structuring the
view from below and enlivening the spatial experience with a varied interplay of
shadow.
Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
The roof can also be perceived as a modern interpretation of aesthetics from the fifties :
Following the almost complete destruction of the downtown area in 1945, town
planners and officials, instead of recreating the former old buildings, risked taking the
decision to construct something entirely new: The architectural language underpinning
this rebirth plays a crucial role in Pforzheim, particularly in terms of conferring identity.

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
… on the furnishing
Linear arrayed elements encompass a compact summary of the required bus-station
functions, such as information signs, a clock, passenger information system, text-to-
speech units for visually impaired people and seating facilities. Small and easily
accessible ‘functional islands’ as “venues” are favored instead of scattered individual
elements. This also helps ensure visual clarity, enhances navigation and overviews and
helps people find the bus stops they need swiftly and reliably. An ongoing series of
tactile paving connects together all the stairs.

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
… on the lighting
A row of lighting aligned with the roof contour is a key component of the architecture,
emphasizing the dynamic nature of the form in the twilight and achieving a level of
significance that belies the problem of overnight “desertification” of this area. The use
of “lighting leaves“ on columns bathes the soffit in neutral white light. Units
incorporated into the ceiling surface ensure targeted lighting of bus platforms. LEDs,
built into the handrails, expand the lighting scope of the staircases, for easier navigation
and improved security.
Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
… on the supporting structure
The steel supporting structure consist mainly of the columns and girder grids. The
girder grids slowly fold downward, merging into the railway track area. The positioning
of the columns reflects traffic planning and the use of areas under the roofing. From
there, they are connected rigidly via welded brackets to the interfaces of the supporting
clusters made of standard roller profiles on the girder grid of the roof; this sees the
girders and columns form multiple field frames in both directions.

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
The frame is used to reinforce the support structure. Fluctuations in temperature can be
absorbed thanks to the flexibility of the “super-flex“ columns and via torsion at the base
point. The internal space-defining paneling of the supporting structure is formed using
movable suspended cement-bound plaster supporting plates. The “graphical“ aspect of
the required expansion joints underlines the dynamically elegant nature of the roof shell.

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
… on the drainage
The roof space is drained via all the columns. This forms small drainage areas,
minimizing the level of construction required for the necessary inclines. Source by
Metaraum Architekten.

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE
 Location: Bahnhofsplatz 1, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany
 Architects: Metaraum Architekten
 Project Team: Wallie Heinisch, Marcus Lembach, Marcus Huber, Felix Bittmann
 Structural Engineer: Engelsmann Peters Beratende Ingenieure GmbH
 Lighting Engineer: Day & Light Lichtplanung
 Traffic Engineer: Mailänder Consult GmbH
 Owner: Stadt Pforzheim, Germany
 Budget: 14,800,000 EUR, (Roof 7,100,000 EUR)
 Area: 110.000 sqft
 Roof area: 55.000 sqft
 Year: 2015
 Photographs: zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE, Courtesy of Metaraum Architekten

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE

Photo ©
zooey braun FOTOGRAFIE

Site Plan

Ground Floor
Plan Roof Plan

Concept
Article by Marco Rinaldi

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