Archinect - News

Foster + Partners and Arup release first designs of California High-Speed Rail stations

2024-06-28T15:46:00-04:00

Foster + Partners and Arup have announced the first four designs for the hotly anticipated California High-Speed Rail as part of a series of open house sessions currently being undertaken with key stakeholders across the state’s Central Valley region. The first set of designs will stand as models for all future nodes in the 500-mile linkage that connects San Francisco to Los Angeles/Orange County.

Construction is underway, and planners expect to have the first operable line readied between 2030 and 2033 after years of financing issues and a recent multibillion-dollar boost from the federal government.

Image: courtesy of Foster + Partners

Stefan Behling, the Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, said: “We are developing an architectural language for the four Central Valley stations, including soaring canopies that draw in fresh air and shield waiting passengers from harsh sunlight. The station design reflects the sustainable ethos of the wider project.”

Meg Cederoth, the Authority Di...

Zaha Hadid Architects completes Prague high-rise development with cascading terraces

2023-12-20T11:53:00-05:00

Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a high-rise building in the Czech Republic adjacent to one of Prague’s major railway stations. Named Masaryčka, the scheme has been envisioned as “a welcoming gateway to the city for suburban and domestic rail passengers as well as those using the express rail link that is currently under construction to Prague’s international airport.”

Image credit: BoysPlayNice

According to the architects, the complex’s form is designed to establish a dialogue with the architecture and urbanism of Prague’s Old Town. Containing office and retail uses, the 300,000-square-foot development incorporates seven stories within its eastern section and nine stories at its western end.

Image credit: BoysPlayNice

On the exterior, fins within the double-skin facade contribute to solar shading in the summer and “transform the project’s horizontal composition to the verticality of its western facade facing the spires of the Old Town.” A cascade of terraces divides the development...

Scott Brownrigg's Rhondda Tunnel will transform a disused railway portal into the world's longest digital art space

2022-07-15T11:30:00-04:00

An imposing new cultural project will transform what was once a railway link in the Welsh countryside into what London-based studio Scott Browrigg says will be the world’s longest digital art space once it is completed in a few years.

By remaking the last vestiges of a 130-year-old abandoned rail tunnel formerly pegged to become a walking path and bike trail, the new arts-centered scheme will deliver an in-demand tourist destination that connects the two communities of Blaencwm and Blaengwynfi located at either end.

Image courtesy Scott Brownrigg

One might say this is a real windfall for the critically-important (especially in terms of an exhibition settings) area of wayfinding. The design made the cut for the recently-announced 2022 WAF shortlist in the Future Project: Culture category and will strive for a BREEAM Excellent rating, according to the firm.

To the east, the tunnel’s entrance will be defined by either a land art referencing hotel, while in its west, on the Blaengwynfi s...

Anglo-Saxon burial ground uncovered during work on Britain's HS2 railway

2022-06-17T16:57:00-04:00

“A vast Anglo-Saxon burial site containing 138 graves has been unearthed by archaeologists working on the HS2 cross-country rail route under construction across the UK. The site, near Wendover in Buckinghamshire, contains the remains of more than 140 people, some of which were buried with jewellery, knives and a personal grooming kit. “It is one of the best and most revealing post-Roman sites in the country,” says the historian Dan Snow.”

According to a statement by HS2, the site contained 138 graves, with 141 inhumation burials and five cremation burials, making it one of the largest Anglo-Saxon burial grounds ever uncovered in Britain. According to Rachel Wood, the lead archaeologist for Fusion JV, the company behind the fieldwork, Anglo-Saxon cemeteries are rare. The items uncovered date back to the 5th and 6th century, a period in which there are gaps in historical and archaeological record. Nearly three quarters of the graves contained high quality items, including jewelry, swords, shields, spears, and personal grooming items such as ear wax removers and tweezers, suggesting the site was the resting place for a wealthy community.

Additionally, nearly all of the burials were found with decorated brooches on their collarbone, indicating they were holding up garments such as cloaks or peplos, a long garment worn by women with shoulder brooches. This archaeological find was discovered similarly to that of a well-p...

Grimshaw reveals final designs for City Rail Link, New Zealand's largest ever infrastructure project

2022-06-10T16:29:00-04:00

Grimshaw has released the final designs for City Rail Link (CRL), the largest infrastructure project ever in New Zealand. Situated in Auckland, it includes three train stations, designed in collaboration with WSP as part of the Link Alliance, a consortium of seven companies delivering the main station and tunnels for the project. Upon completion, CRL will double the capacity of the city’s rail network and will serve as a powerful expression of Māori cultural heritage and history of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Te Wai Horotiu Station. Image render courtesy of Grimshaw.

CRL is New Zealand’s first completely underground railway line. It comprises a 2.14-mile twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 138 feet below Auckland’s city center. The project also includes the transformation of the Britomart Transport Center into a two-way through-station, the construction of two new underground stations, and a new interchange station.

Karanga a hape Station. Image render courtesy of Grimshaw.

The station desig...

All aboard for the next phase of Union Station reconstruction in LA

2022-06-02T09:00:00-04:00

The L.A. Metro system’s planned revitalization of Los Angeles Union Station is another step closer to reality following a vote last week that cleared the way for the $2.3 billion megaproject’s further advancement downtown.

Local outlets are reporting that the recent Board of Directors meeting resulted in an approval of a funding agreement between the Metro and California High-Speed Rail Authority which is expected to cover the first phase of development called Link Union Station. The initial project is itself the expanded version of an earlier scheme that would clear a bottleneck at one end of the tracks in addition to providing a new viaduct and railway span over the adjoining 101 Freeway.

Previously on Archinect: L.A.'s Union Station overhaul receives $400 million from California High Speed Rail

A total of $423.3 million will be allocated in the first phase, with another $297.8 million provided for preliminary work. Including the most recent influx of monies from the Rail Authority,...

Updated designs of the HS2 London Euston high-speed railway station released

2022-03-28T15:28:00-04:00

HS2 Ltd., the British non-departmental public body behind the development of High Speed 2 (HS2) national high-speed railway, has released an updated design for its new terminus station at London Euston.

Two new images, updated from 2015, show the concept design for the interior and exterior of the station. They were drafted by a design consortium made up of Arup, WSP, Grimshaw Architects, Haptic, and LDA Design, alongside HS2’s Station Construction Partner, Mace Dragados JV (MDJV).

Previously on Archinect: Grimshaw and Arup release designs for new high-speed rail hub in central London

One of the station’s defining features is a bold, geometric roof that will allow natural light to infiltrate the interior while also emphasizing its north-south alignment. According to HS2, elements of the roof can be prefabricated off-site and installed using modular construction techniques. The station, itself, will span three levels, with ten 450-meter-long subsurface platforms. At peak operation, ...

Foster + Partners-led team chosen to design new mixed-use Stockholm Central Station

2022-01-18T14:51:00-05:00

A team led by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Swedish firm Marge Arkitekter has been unveiled as the winners of the competition for the development of Stockholm Central Station in Stockholm, Sweden. The pair is joined by LAND Arkitektur, Thornton Tomasetti, Ramboll, Wenanders, and TAM Group. Together their proposal will see the creation of an integrated transport hub for a new pedestrian-friendly mixed-use urban district.

“As the world’s collective focus shifts to more sustainable ways of living, working and traveling, it is vital that we enhance and redevelop our transport nodes and repair and connect the urban fabric around them,” said Luke Fox, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners. “We look forward to developing these proposals with Jernhusen, Trafikverket and the City of Stockholm over the coming months.”

Originally opened in 1871, Stockholm Central Station sits in the heart of the city, serving as Sweden’s largest transportation hub. The new district will accommodate fut...

Mecanoo converts former urban railway line into green corridor in Taichung, Taiwan

2021-10-22T14:56:00-04:00

Mecanoo, in collaboration with S.D. Atelier Design & Planning, has completed the redevelopment of a 1.7-kilometer-long former railway line into a green corridor featuring an herb garden, fitness areas, playground, viewpoint, and waterpark in Taichung, Taiwan.

The aim of the project was to reimagine and reconnect a historic, disused railway that, due to its challenging location, has served as more of a barrier, impeding circulation from each side of it. The design, thus, opens the railway to the city via a green corridor that fosters biodiversity in order to meet the needs of the community. Bike and pedestrian lanes were also added to meet this goal.

As per the architects: “Within this linear site, the sustainable development covered a wide range of planning and design factors including urban regeneration, public participation, historic preservation, green and water resources, and circulation routes for pedestrians and bikes. Relying on Mecanoo’s extensive urban planning experience...

Iberdrola teams up with AECOM to create Italian railway powered by green hydrogen

2021-08-31T16:59:00-04:00

Spanish utility company Iberdrola has announced that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed, with signatories including AECOM, for a project to convert Italy’s historic Apennine railway into one powered by green hydrogen.

Other members of the agreement include Italian sustainable developer Ancitel Energia e Ambiente and Italian hydrogen company Cinque International. Funded by the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, the project aims to replace defunct diesel locomotives with green hydrogen-powered ones. This switch will be a “drastically less expensive alternative” to traditional electrification, says Iberdrola. The company also claims that this will bring “innovation and development” to areas impacted by depopulation and deindustrialization due to earthquakes in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

The more than 186-mile-long railway line will connect inland areas of Italy, running through four central Italian regions. The MOU also includes an evaluation of the technical viability to ...

FAA approves $2.1 billion LaGuardia AirTrain

2021-07-23T16:39:00-04:00

Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the estimated $2.1 billion LaGuardia AirTrain, an initiative to connect New York’s LaGuardia Airport with Manhattan. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will now be able to pursue federal funding for the project.

The 1.5-mile transit link will connect the airport’s Delta Airlines terminal to Willets Point Station, which borders Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, and is served by the Long Island Rail Road and the Number 7 subway line. The Port Authority has claimed that the trip length will be 30 minutes from Midtown Manhattan to the airport. The project is expected to create 3,000 construction jobs and generate $500 million in contracting opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses, along with jobs for local residents, according to projects made by the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Previously on Archinect: Construction on LaGuardia AirTrain Planned to Start this Summer

The approval comes...

The world's first renewable energy-powered, glass-bottomed sky train unveiled in Chengdu

2021-07-12T18:20:00-04:00

Touted as the world’s first renewable energy-powered, suspended sky train, a new transportation system has been unveiled in Chengdu, the capital city of China’s southwest Sichuan Province.

Photo: CCTV

The project, titled the Dayi Air Rail Project, is a first-of-its-kind demonstration line, approximately seven miles in length and featuring an aerial-suspended train that uses lithium battery packs as traction power. The project was primarily developed by Zhongtang Air Rail Technology Co Ltd.

Photo: CCTV

The train offers 270-degree views through generous floor-to-ceiling glass paneling on three sides, along with a glass bottom. The train is made of lightweight carbon fiber and composite foaming materials, which greatly reduces its weight. In a nod to its hometown, the cars are painted to resemble a panda, paying homage to Chengdu, the home of China’s panda breeding program. Each train car has a maximum capacity of 120 people per car and can travel up to 50 miles per hour.

Photo: ...

High-speed rail project linking Las Vegas and Southern California takes step forward

2020-07-08T14:56:00-04:00

DesertXpress Enterprises LLC, an affiliate of Virgin Trains USA, has struck a lease deal with the California DOT (Caltrans) for a right of way along Interstate 15 as part of its $4.8 billion, 170-mile XpressWest bullet train from Southern California to Las Vegas.

First mentioned on Archinect last September, the planned 170-mile long high-speed rail line that could connect Las Vegas with Southern California's Apple Valley station, about 90 miles northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, is making progress.

XpressWest, a Brightline company and subsidiary of Virgin Trains USA, has reached a lease agreement with the California Department of Transportation to use existing State right-of-way along Interstate 15.

According to the official Caltrans announcement, an environmental study estimated that "the completed project will reduce carbon emissions by 300,000 metric tons a year – the equivalent of removing nearly 65,000 vehicles off the road."

The privately financed project hopes to break ground later this year and reach completion in 2023.

Pacific Northwest High-Speed Rail study advances with help from Microsoft

2019-10-13T09:00:00-04:00

Microsoft is giving another $223,667 to study the possibility of building a high-speed rail line connecting Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, and Portland, adding to a previous donation. The company is providing a total of $573,667 to the project. Other funders include the Province of British Columbia; the Oregon Department of Transportation; and Washington Department of Transportation.

According to Geek Wire, The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) estimates that the proposed Cascadia Rail high-speed rail system connecting the three cities could spark $355 billion in economic growth in the region, while bringing in around $160 million to $250 million in annual revenue for the rail authority.

In total, the high-speed rail project could cost anywhere from $24 billion to $42 billion to build, reports Geek Wire. WSDOT also expects the high-speed rail to contribute to significant reductions in carbon emissions over time.

Heatherwick Studio's Coal Drops Yard opens its doors to the public

2018-10-29T18:56:00-04:00

Heatherwick Studio's much anticipated Coal Drops Yard project opened its doors on Friday, October 26th. The London based studio transformed two heritage rail buildings from the 1850s into a lively retail district. The goal for Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio, was to highlight the existing architectural elements while satisfying the new needs of a new urban development.

Image © Luke Hayes

Developing into London's new creative sector, King's Cross is already home to 67 acres of businesses, restaurants, and amazing architecture. The completion of Coal Drops Yard only adds to King's Cross' cultural presence within the city.

Image © Hufton & Crow

The studio artfully highlights the historical and textural details of the industrial Victorian style buildings while creating a functional retail and public space. The project's main design feature are the defining gabled roofs that link two viaducts. The flowing roofs create a focal point for the space that transforms the gamb...

Zaha Hadid Architects unveils latest photos of serpentine Napoli Afragola railway station

2018-08-29T15:57:00-04:00

Located about 7 miles north of Naples, the Napoli Afragola railway station designed by Zaha Hadid Architects has been operating for a year now. To mark the occasion, the firm released some new photos of the snake-like building taken by Hufton + Crow.

As part of Italy's expanding high-speed rail network in preparation of growing demands for train travel, the new station is the first part of a multi-phase project expected to be complete in 2022. Inaugurated last year with 18 high-speed trains in each direction, services will increase to 28 trains as new infrastructure is built. Most recently, the train station received the 2018 Surface Travel Award for Transportation.

Photo © Hufton + Crow.

Located within Italy's new north/south high-speed rail corridor, Napoli Afragola will connect some 15 million of Southern Italy's residents with the national railway network. It will also enable goods and passengers from Europe and northern Italy to have easier access to Italy'...

Zaha Hadid's Nordpark Cable Railway stations turn ten

2017-12-27T09:15:00-05:00

Time flies mercilessly, and another iconic example of contemporary architecture is already celebrating its 10th anniversary: designed by the late Dame Hadid and shortlisted for the 2008 RIBA Stirling Prize, the four stations of Innsbruck’s Nordpark Cable Railway opened to the public in December 2007. Since then, over 4.5 million passengers have used the Hungerburg funicular railway between the city center up the Nordkette mountain.

Lowenhaus Station. Photographer: Hélène Binet.

From Zaha Hadid Architects: "The Hungerburg funicular (Hungerburgbahn) is part of Innsbruck’s Nordpark Cable Railway (Nordkettenbahnen) and begins at the Congress underground station in the centre of the city. Trains stop at Lowenhaus Station before crossing the bridge over the River Inn, then climbing to Alpenzoo Station and on to Hungerburg where passengers can continue their journey on the Seegrube and Hafelekar cable cars up to its summit at 2,300m. The Nordkette mountain is within the Karwendel, the large...

Angels Flight, the world's shortest railway, is reborn and dies again

2017-09-07T19:01:00-04:00

The unexpected closure of Angels Flight on Monday, four days after the funicular’s grand reopening, seemed a fitting twist for a railway that has operated in fits and starts for half a century. Since its reopening, 21 years ago, Angels Flight has been shut down more than half the time.

Los Angeles's well known car culture quite efficiently dismantled the city's public transportation, passenger railway system, and the now long-gone network of red cars. Yet, one passenger train, and the smallest of all, keeps rising from the ashes — and dying again.

Angels Flight, the shortest railway in the world, reopened on August 31st in Downtown Los Angeles. Its comeback, after four years of absence, was short-lived and the funicular closed again for maintenance on September 4th.

The train reopened today, the 7th. Ride it while it lasts!

Crossrail unveils images of new Elizabeth line stations

2016-05-12T12:23:00-04:00

The Elizabeth line will link London and the South East from Reading to Heathrow with 10 new stations and upgrades to 30 existing stations.

Currently Europe's largest infrastructure project the £14.8 billion scheme began in Canary Wharf in 2009 and is now 75% complete. Services will begin in 2018.

Although the stations will have recognisable features uniting them; Crossrail have said that each station will have it's own distinctive character that reflects the heritage and local culture of the area.

The stations have been specifically designed to make travel as easy as possible with accessibility, comfort and safety in mind.

Mike Brown MVO, London's Transport Commissioner, said: “The TfL-run Elizabeth line will transform travel across London, reducing journey times, relieving congestion on the Tube network, and radically improving step-free access with brand new accessible stations. This exhibition will enable customers to really start to see what their new stations will look like whe...

The beautiful stations of rail's golden age

2015-09-25T11:35:00-04:00

Destination Stations, brings together architectural models, drawings, paintings and fragments of the stations themselves, to tell the story of the railway station in Britain...It will be your first chance to see any of this material in an exhibition.

Paul Kerley interviewed Ellen Tait about her exhibit Destination Stations, on show at the National Railway Museum in York from 25 September 2015 until 24 January 2016.

Locals welcome The 606, a.k.a. Chicago's "High Line", but anxiety for its future remains

2015-06-10T10:15:00-04:00

Chicago's highly anticipated elevated trail and park system known as The 606, otherwise referred to as the Bloomingdale Trail or the "Chicago High Line", finally celebrated its grand opening this past Saturday on the appropriate date of June 6 (6/06). The centerpiece of the $95 million project — which had its first phase designed by ARUP, Carol Ross Barney, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Burns & McDonnell, and the Chicago Public Art Group — is a 2.7 mile elevated trail that replaces the defunct Bloomingdale rail line. The trail will connect the Wicker Park, Bucktown, Humboldt Park, and Logan Square neighborhoods and six parks. And unlike similar linear-park projects, The 606 is open to pedestrians and cyclists to use as a new "transit corridor".

Prior to The 606, those communities were historically divided by the Bloomingdale railway and were in need of open green space. The newly opened trail is still looking fairly sparse at the moment, but later phases of the project include ...

U.S. needs reliable rail systems where 'traveling 106 mph is considered slow', U.S. PIRG asserts amid Amtrak debate

2015-05-15T20:40:00-04:00

In an unfortunate sequence of events, reports earlier this week state that the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted to cut Amtrak funding by an estimated $260 million -- one day after a fatal Amtrak passenger-train derailment in Philadelphia on May 12. As investigations on the accident ensue, public debate regarding the nation's transportation needs has reignited.

In one response, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group consumer organization released their latest statement by Transportation Campaign Director John Olivieri. Olivieri stresses in a "if they can do it, so can we" manner that it's about time American policy makers catch up with international competitors and invest on designing a safe high-speed passenger rail system.

Below is Olivieri's statement from the U.S. PIRG website:

"'This is a horrible tragedy, and our condolences go to those whose family and friends have been lost or injured. Events like this must be prevented.'

'Our policy makers should take the long view. We...

Submit your Vision42 entries to transform Manhattan's 42nd Street – Registration due September 8

2014-08-20T19:04:00-04:00

You don't have to be a New Yorker to submit design ideas for a river-to-river, auto-free light rail boulevard in Manhattan's iconic 42nd Street: Open to all architects, planners, and urban designers, the Vision42 design competition invites proposals from around the world to transform the street into a "world-class boulevard complete with a high-quality public spaces and a light-rail tram."

Registration ends September 8, 2014, and (digital) submissions for phase 1 are expected by October 1. And did we mention that $10,000 are waiting for the lucky winner as well as a feature in the Architect's Newspaper for the jury’s top selected projects? Well, there you go.

From the competition brief:

"The first phase of the competition will be entirely digital, permitting applicants to submit their entries electronically, greatly expanding opportunities for participation globally. Upon selection of finalists by the jury, those selected shall prepare and send boards for the exhibition to a designated...

China to Extend Railroad Into India Through Tibet

2014-07-25T13:49:00-04:00

China plans to extend by 2020 a railroad on the high trans-Himalayan plateau of Tibet to the borders of India, Bhutan and Nepal, according to a report in People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party [...] The planned lengthening was criticized by Tibet advocates who said it would bring too many ethnic Han migrants to Lhasa and other Tibetan areas.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Vision42 is now accepting proposals to repurpose NYC’s iconic 42nd Street

2014-07-02T21:12:00-04:00

Vision42's Design International Competition is inviting architects, planners, and urban designers worldwide to send their ideas for a river-to-river and auto-free light rail boulevard in New York City's 42nd Street.

To address the iconic street's heavy traffic and noise, Vision42 set up the competition to garner interest in their initiative and potentially repurpose 42nd Street into a pedestrian-friendly urban space. From there, they hope the competition will serve as a 21st-century model for a live/work urban environment and transportation hub.

More details below:

The winning design will be one that utilizes the potential of the boulevard to inspire New Yorkers...

The Abandoned Railway below Philadelphia

2014-05-27T13:41:00-04:00

As modern Philadelphia shapes its future, some of its citizens have turned to the artifacts of its former prowess for inspiration. Much as the High Line in New York is widely believed to have been partially responsible for the reinvigoration of not only a derelict site but also its surrounding neighborhood, a portion of elevated rail track in central Philly known as the Reading Viaduct has been hoisted into public view as a potential catalyst for urban transformation.

AIA Twenty-five Year Award given to Washington D.C., Metro

2014-01-14T13:31:00-05:00

Still standing strong after its opening in 1976, the Washington D.C. Metro rail system designed by architect Harry Weese was deemed the recipient of the AIA's Twenty-five Year Award. The award recognizes a structure that demonstrates architectural resilience for 25-35 years. The structure must also show excellence in function, execution of its original program, and creative aspects in accordance with today's standards.

These are a few of the D.C. Metro's stations.

Find out more about the D.C. Metro on Bustler.

Submit your proposal to the AIANY ENYA “Queensway Connection” competition by January 2014

2013-11-14T12:36:00-05:00

"Queensway Connection: Elevating the Public Realm," the sixth biennial competition from the AIANY's Emerging New York Architects (ENYA) committee is open for submissions until January 6th, 2014.

The competition will support the feasibility study — currently being conducted by WXY Architecture + Urban Design and dlandstudio — as part of the process to transform the abandoned railway into a recreational area for the surrounding communities in central and southern Queens.

"Queensway Connection" welcomes all design student and young professionals — not limited to architects, artists, engineers, landscape architects, urban designers and planners — to submit their ideas.

After the submissions deadline, the Jury will deliberate in February. Winners will be announced in March 2014.

The Jury:

Susan Chin, FAIA, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space.
Margaret Newman, FAIA, LEED AP, Chief of Staff to Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan at New York City Department ...

kadawittfeldarchitektur’s Salzburg Central Station wins two awards as project nears completion

2013-10-23T15:21:00-04:00

After 15 years, kadawittfeldarchitektur's redesign for the historic Salzburg Central Station is steadily inching toward completion. Before reconstruction began in 2009, the firm won a two-phase competition out of 12 architecture teams back in 1999. [...] Even before its expected completion in mid-2014, kadawittfeldarchitektur has already received the Austrian "Staatspreis Design" award and the European Steel Award.

HASSELL + Herzog & de Meuron Win Flinders Street Station Competition

2013-08-08T13:44:00-04:00

The Jury of Melbourne's Flinders Street Station competition was unanimous in the highly anticipated selection of the final winner: the beautiful vaulted roof-scape designed by Australian/Swiss team HASSELL + Herzog & de Meuron with London-based Purcell as heritage consultants. The entry by Eduardo Velasquez, Manuel Pineda and Santiago Medina was announced as Winner of the People's Choice Award.

Previously: Big Names on Flinders Street Station Shortlist - Public Voting Now Open