Central station, Austria
23 juni 2022
Project: Central station, Graz | Austria
Architect: Zechner & Zechner ZT GmbH, Vienna | Austria
Fabricator & Installer: SFL Engineering GmbH, Stallhofen | Austria
Façade System: Tray Panels Special Design
Year of Construction: 2012
Product: ALUCOBOND® A2 spectra Titanium
Photos: Helmut Pierer + Thilo Härdtlein
UPSIDE DOWN GRAZ
By having the railway station completely renovated and redesigned, Graz, Austria's second-largest city, has also rolled up its sleeves and tackled the question of mobility. The result is a more spacious transport hub which can cope with more rail traffic and a higher number of passengers. Replacing the old tram loop with new underground tracks has created a station forecourt which is not only designed to look exclusive but also to offer protection from the elements and offer a pleasant waiting area. At the same time, the structure has become a prime example of climate-friendly, urban city spaces. Based on the loop of the tram rails, Zechner and Zechner architects developed a roof with an oval disc. Like a carabiner gathering climbing ropes, all the paths converge at the disc structure and are guided towards the station forecourt, connecting them to the railway and bus station. The ring shape has several advantages: people gathering under the roof are less likely to huddle together in one place, there is natural daylight and the roof delineates the space clearly amid the scattered circulation areas. At the same time, the disc seems to be poised on slender supports, leaving plenty of scope for the surroundings, not only in terms of function but also design. Despite its striking shape, curving outwards to appear more substantial than a flat disc, it does not dominate its environment and this is in no small part thanks to the highly reflective cladding in spectra Titanium ALUCOBOND® tray panels. More significantly, the curved surface does not just reflect the objects directly beneath it, i.e. the ground and a bird's eye view of people. The reflection generated in the convex form is like wide-angled road traffic safety mirrors. The whole, expansive station forecourt appears on the underside of the ring, but upside down. So, on the curved ALUCOBOND® undersides of the toroid shape, clad in a metallic spectra surface, viewers can see a lively overhead film in a retro sepia. Those with a little more time to spare can now relax on the grass or on stone seating on the south side of the square (planned by 3:1 Landscape Architecture). Very tellingly, Graz citizens have named the roof ?Golden Eye?, actually in reference to its ocular shape and colour, but perhaps also in anticipation of spending a thrilling evening at the cinema.