Station forecourt and bike shelter
Stadsbalkon Groningen
Like many old stations, Groningen has lost most of its original functions over the years. There is no longer any need for a porter’s lodge or a left-luggage attendant, and even ticket booths are almost redundant. All the same, because of its architectural grandeur, the station building still has great symbolic value. Around 1999 it was comprehensively renovated, which included restoring the original frescos, murals and other decorations to their former glory.
The station is a central element in the plans for restructuring. Situated on the edge of the historic centre, it forms a prominent gateway to the city, with the Groninger Museum as a 20th-century counterpart on the opposite side of the Singel canal. The laying of a forecourt in which the raised level of the platforms and the station concourse is continued provides the station building with new and monumental surroundings. To underscore the cultural relationship between the station and the museum, the sightlines between the two structure are kept free of construction.
The new forecourt also provides a solution for the heavy bike traffic at this spot. A through route for cyclists proceeds underneath the plaza and past a generous storage facility for about 4,000 bikes. The two short sides of the pedestrian deck are curve downward like wings to give access to the route. This modularization of the surface level further emphasizes the relationship between station and museum.
Light and air can enter via the deck, which is perforated in various places. These openings connect the spaces above and below the pedestrian deck and also guide the placement of benches and pavilions on and within the ‘city balcony’. At its two extreme ends, two mature deciduous trees also pierce through the pedestrian deck. The city balcony represents a lively, urban forum for city residents as well as for departing or arriving visitors. The plaza provides a traffic-free zone to pleasantly while away some time with a view of the city and space for terraces and cultural activities. It transforms the station into a fitting gateway to Groningen whereby the city can present itself as an atmospheric city of culture.
The station is a central element in the plans for restructuring. Situated on the edge of the historic centre, it forms a prominent gateway to the city, with the Groninger Museum as a 20th-century counterpart on the opposite side of the Singel canal. The laying of a forecourt in which the raised level of the platforms and the station concourse is continued provides the station building with new and monumental surroundings. To underscore the cultural relationship between the station and the museum, the sightlines between the two structure are kept free of construction.
The new forecourt also provides a solution for the heavy bike traffic at this spot. A through route for cyclists proceeds underneath the plaza and past a generous storage facility for about 4,000 bikes. The two short sides of the pedestrian deck are curve downward like wings to give access to the route. This modularization of the surface level further emphasizes the relationship between station and museum.
Light and air can enter via the deck, which is perforated in various places. These openings connect the spaces above and below the pedestrian deck and also guide the placement of benches and pavilions on and within the ‘city balcony’. At its two extreme ends, two mature deciduous trees also pierce through the pedestrian deck. The city balcony represents a lively, urban forum for city residents as well as for departing or arriving visitors. The plaza provides a traffic-free zone to pleasantly while away some time with a view of the city and space for terraces and cultural activities. It transforms the station into a fitting gateway to Groningen whereby the city can present itself as an atmospheric city of culture.
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06.09.12 10:42
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