THE CENTRAL STATION OF ROTTERDAM

Photos were taken by Jannes Linders and were provided courtesy of Team CS. The new Rotterdam Central Station is a fascinating but simple exercise in the specific architectural style of a metropolitan train station. The former station at Rotterdam Central, which was designed by Sybold van Ravensteyn and had a station hall, a pedestrian tunnel, and open platforms, each of which had its own canopy, was not in line with the contemporary standards in terms of size, layout, or grandeur. It was necessary to construct a new station with a holistic layout. The station hall now stretches from the proveniersplein on the north side to the stationsplein on the south side. To put it another way, the 250-meter-wide platform roof forms a whole with the main concourse and the train travelers’ tunnel. Train passengers get the impression that they are entering a building the instant the train pulls into the station because of this effect. team cs is a collaboration between benthem crouwel architects, mvsa meyer en van schooten architecten, and west 8; they are responsible for the design of the station and its surrounding areas. They have made the most of the stark contrast in character from north to south of the station in order to create a distinct environment at each end. In the direction of the north, which opens out to a residential area, the station presents itself as a translucent hall that is designed to mirror the personality of the proveniers neighborhood from the late nineteenth century. Here, large additions are avoided, and the landscaping is given more emphasis on the green. On this side, the new roof of the station gives off an appearance of being understated and clear. The station displays a new grandeur that is in line with the size of the towering high-rise structures that define the entry to the city as one moves toward the south on the city center side of the structure. Here, the building and the new station plaza come together, and the massive station roof folds in on itself to form a station concourse that is both inviting and extremely expansive. This concourse also gives direct access to the new metro station below. Because the trams have been moved to the east side of the station square, the public space in front of the station is now able to provide arriving travelers with a true entry to the city that is unobstructed by traffic that is traveling in many directions. The immense size of the new station is made more manageable by the use of wood in the construction of the cladding for the massive roof. Please visit globalhop.indiaartndesign.com in order to see the photographs.