The train station is situated in the center of Jiaxing, an interconnected city in southeast China close to Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou. A key city for several major industries, Jiaxing is referred to as the “home of silk” and the “land of milk and honey.” In 1921, the First Party Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Jiaxing, which led to the founding of the Party.

The project brief covers an area of 35.4 hectares, encompassing Jiaxing Train Station, the plazas to the north and south, and a renovation of the adjacent People’s Park. Before the renovation, the existing station had reached its maximum capacity. In addition, the disorder of the surrounding transportation system and a deficient supporting infrastructure had led to a decline in the area surrounding the station.

Drawing inspiration from Jiaxing’s historic and cultural contexts, MAD’s proposal
includes a 1:1 rebuilding of the historic station building derived from archival
studies, while creating a new train station underground. The new station will be
bright, efficient, and human-scaled, with a flood of natural light to create a friendly,
comfortable environment. The main transportation and commercial functions are to
be located in the basement level, allowing the ground-floor space to be given back
to nature. A shared space between Jiaxing’s citizens and travelers, this new green
urban center will transform into a “train station in the forest.”

MAD’s proposal places the busy transportation junction underground, freeing the
ground floor of obtrusive infrastructure, thus allowing the People’s Park to radiate
through the scheme into the city, and form an urban oasis. A careful consideration
to landscape and massing has formed an axis with the reconstructed old station
building at its core. In front of the station, a large collection of canopy shaped trees
have been planted, creating comfortable, natural shades for the plaza.

Looking south along the central axis, the rebuilt station building and the “floating”
metal roof of the new station will blend with the forest trees. The station concourse,
platforms, and waiting hall are hidden underground, while the building’s single-story
height above ground level humbly respects the scale of the old station building.
An abundance of natural light floods into the underground waiting hall through
skylights and glass curtain walls on the ground floor, creating a subterranean space
which is both open and bright. The internal atmosphere and tone are centered on
the human scale, with the aim of creating a pleasant, comfortable experience for
travelers. As people move from the waiting hall to the platforms via a futuristic
underground tunnel, they observe the rebuilt old station building overhead. Here, a
moment is created where old meets new, and a sharp yet composed contrast is
showcased between the past and future.

MAD’s scheme also places the station’s commercial functions underground, linking
the train station with the city’s transportation hub. In addition, sunken courtyards
connect the underground commercial space with the parkland above. To the south
of the station, a new above-ground commercial area is created, enclosed by
landscaped public lawns that can host a variety of events, festivals, concerts, or
markets.

Through careful transportation planning and vertical use of the space, MAD’s
scheme accommodates the existing passenger demands for the station, while also
allowing for future sustainable development and expansion. The scheme’s emphasis on connecting with its surroundings will also serve to increase human activity and visitors to the area, enhance its commercial offering, and ultimately rejuvenate the old city center with a new vitality.