Award: Bee Breeder’s Green Award

A vast number of travelers every year use the complex system of railways connecting Moscow to the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan.  This collection of lines unites large swaths of a nation that would otherwise never meet culturally and geographically.  Our design is an outreach of these ideas by pulling together the common heritage of a nation to create a modern prototype for future travelers.

The form of the pod is driven by those using the space.  The large outward looking windows make spotting your train easy and give those traveling great scenic views out.  The openings cut in the patterns and the large glass front are designed to be a beacon at night. The soft glow seen through the cutouts creates a warm, inviting atmosphere. The pod should signal a safe, serene environment for travelers to wait before moving on. The naturally sloping roof and column-less interior can be seen in many traditional Russian buildings as well as the Mongolian Ger.  This is ideal for a train rest stop as it protects those inside from the elements and gives a clear uninterrupted view to both the train platform outside and the sales and amenities on the inside.

The gentle scalloping forms lend themselves well to creating a distinct public building that references back to the rich history of the area and the delicate patterning and motifs of the Russian domes. Our design pulls elements of color and pattern from the Kull-Sharif mosque and many of the orthodox churches of Kazan. While this creates a very distinct architecture that is at home in Kazan; it could easily take on the characteristics of other locales with some slight changes based on the culture and geography of each location.