METRO STATION 20

project: METRO STATION 20
location: SOFIA, BULGARIA
parameters: BA=1122sq.m., BUA=4281sq.m.
type: COMPETITION PROJECT
year: 2011

description:
1.MAIN GOALS
-Creating an urban tissue with metro station as a logical centre
-Organizing of a transportation junction with bus stops, pedestrian zones and metro station
-Use of simple design with repeating elements in different scale in order to get common sense
-To facilitate incoming and outgoing pedestrian traffic
-Organizing of all functions with main priority – free, spacious area
-Bringing maximum natural light inside the metro station

2.URBAN CONCEPT
The aim of the project is creating one common urban space, combining the functions of transportation and social communication. The referring area can be characterized by green pedestrian periphery and bus stops and metro station in the centre. They are structurally tied up in one urban square in the shape of an amphitheatre around the subway. This way on the one hand the metro station gets a lot of natural light and on the other – the approach towards it is facilitated.

3.ARCHITECTURE
The design of the project intends to be simple and easy to memorize as all places full of people should be very intuitive. Exterior look is characterized by few “glass boxes”, playing the role of a transportation service, organized around one big amphitheatre. This method echoes from urban planning to interior, aiming a common sense of design. Key element remains “the stair”, as a main structural one. It differs in scale and way of use from supporting wall, metro station approach, sitting area; to ceiling element.

4.INTERIOR
Main goal of the interior is transforming the sense that metro station is just dark underpass. That is why natural light is used as a main architectural element from entrance hall level to platform level. The use of interior materials is corresponding to this concept – simple bright diffuse materials such as polished concrete, glass, aluminum, wood resembling HPL panels.

5.FUNCTIONAL SOLUTION
All functions are organized with main priority – free spacious areas such as wide approaches towards the metro station, broad sidewalks, a lot of sitting places in the exterior. In the interior in order to achieve this goal all technical rooms are hidden from the visitor and all left is one free space with vast zones for movement, standing still, orientating and evacuation.