Spanish architects Subarquitectura have sent us images of this tram stop they built on a roundabout in Alicante, Spain.
With the project, which was completed last year, the architects wanted “to turn a traffic circle into a public space”.
The following is from Subarquitectura:
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TRAM STOP
Sergio Cardell Plaza. Alicante. SPAIN
Light Light
Alicante is a 400.000 inhabitants city of the southeast mediterranean spanish coast. Over the last years, there has been building a new tram infrastructure, using the old rails of the local train. This line connects all the towns of the coast, ending in Denia, a northern city of the province, where ships departure to Ibiza.
This stop, is the central stage of a new line of the tram, that links the centre of the city to the residential areas of San Juan beach.
The construction of the Tram Stop was the opportunity to bring back a stolen space to the city: to turn a traffic circle into a public space.
Through a fractal access system deformed in each side to avoid the existing trees, the travellers can arrive in a frontal way to the platform in 32 different possibilities.
Over the platforms, 2 empty boxes (36 m long, 3 m wide, 2,5 m high) create a floating void slightly over the travellers’ heads. It matches the size of the train, creating an intermediate scale between buildings and urban elements.
There is no difference between structure and envelope, neither between roof and walls. It is an isotropic material in both conception and construction.
The holes reduce the weight as increase the resistance to normal tensions, and equally decrease wind pressures among the surfaces. Light and air pass through, smoothing the shadow and generating a soft breeze in summer months.
At night the boxes are transformed into two giant lamps.
Benchs are spread over the garden close to the vegetation and the paths, creating a public place overlaying the quiet of the seated people and the movement of the people walking.
Each of the pieces has:
800 holes, in 5 different sizes:
440 diameter 10 cm
240 diameter 20 cm
80 diameter 30 cm
24 diameter 40 cm
12 diameter 50 cm
25 steel tons
13 bar lights
36 meters length
22 meters cantilevered
2 compressed supports
2 stressed supports
And…
32 access paths
20 benchs
12 bins
TIMMING
5 months designing
4 months prefabrication
3 months executing
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Posted by Matylda Krzykowski
October 8th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
very interesting…
October 8th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
graffers playground. but i like it nonetheless
October 8th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
WOW!. en verdad que los españoles estan muy por arriba. en cuanto a diseño se refiere….
Excelente proyecto…..
October 8th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Interesting indeed. Very simple really but clever.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
I like the idea of making a traffic circle a public space, but I hate urban spaces that have obviously been designed in plan view. There is no reason why there needs to be 32 different ways to approach the station. Nice looking from above, confusing on the ground.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
“I like the idea of making a traffic circle a public space, but I hate urban spaces that have obviously been designed in plan view. There is no reason why there needs to be 32 different ways to approach the station.”
If you didn’t provide these various paths from the entry to the traffic circle to different points along the train boarding deck, you would find scores of dead grass where the concrete is now.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:06 am
This is another excellent project. This is EXACTLY why I plan on graduating with a degree in spanish as well as architecture. Simply delightful.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:47 am
i see no columns…is this suspended?
October 9th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Finally, someone have figured out a way how to promote better use of round abouts. I hate it back then because it s so bloody confusing for drivers and planting trees suppose make it a better use.
kudos !
October 9th, 2008 at 9:34 am
rich and emptyness
great!
October 9th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I like the idea but when it’s raining, waiting the tram under the station will be a problem. The holes on the upper face will allow all the rain water on the waiting people.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Mate, it barely rains in Alicante !
October 9th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
How is it supported? Can’t see any structure. Is like it is hovering up in the air! Genius!
October 9th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
wow Dezeen….this is so 2 years ago!……excellent project indeed.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
what about a meteoroids, holes will let them through
October 9th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
fantastico:)
muy buen proyecto.
gracias por hacernos la vida mas feliz con obras como estas.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:16 am
This is a knowledge. Worth publishing. Good way to gacefully light the halte and keep the suroudings nice and dark at night. Earthquake does not occure in Spain, right?
October 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
A great public space….A great project…..muy bien
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:33 pm
this rocks!
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I have been there. My old office was near this roundabout. The boxes aren’t suspended, they have four legs, check the photos again.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:15 am
Bonito essss
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 am
Muy bonito, pero cuando llueve te mojas igual con tantos agujeros…bonito si, funcional no.
Very nice but with all these holes you´ll get wet when raining… nice but not functional
November 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 am
vivo al lado, y no es tan bonito como en las fotos …
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:08 am
Another example of an epic fail of form and function. The main purpose of a tram stop is to provide shelter to the passangers. Sooner or later it will rain in Alicante and there will be strong winds. Besides, the height of the canopy does not provide enough protection from the sun in the summer. As I said its an epic fail. It´s a nice cantelivered box, but with no function what so ever.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Muy bonito, pero ni un triste techo donde cobijarse de la lluvia, ni un banco a la sombra para el verano… qué cosas mas inútiles y bonitas hacen!
December 11th, 2008 at 2:59 am
I live very close to this tramstation and it’s more beautiful than pictures show. Holes in the ceeling are covered with glass preventing from rainfall.
I like it! There was a roundabout in this place before… and now it’s a wonderful green park… it’s become a meeting point and a reference in Alicante. People call it “the gruyere stop”.
This ugly city needs intervenctions like this one.
June 5th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Making of – video of the tramstop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxZMWe_4FDg