Transit Center in Downtown, Miami, Florida
Fall, 2009: Sonia Chao

The unification of three means of transport is the ultimate goal of this downtown Miami transit station. This site fosters opportunity for such a unification which would join the existing train lines with the existing above-ground metro rail and a proposed bus route with would be a simple expansion of the existing city bus route. The project’s form is inspired from the South Florida landscape, predominantly the quality of broken up light between the mangroves of the Everglades. There exists a duality between the man-made structures on the south portion of the site and the opposing natural landscape along the pedestrian passage on the north portion of the site.

Varying the sizes of implied volumes and spaces allow for a clear indication of circulation, making wayfinding in this complex integration of transportation easier for the patron. An organic pedestrian bridge is the spine of the site providing a link across both sides of the site and the boarding platform. The intent was to provide a solution to the existing car traffic problem by providing an easier way to travel around this growing city.