Woodhead took part in an invitation design competition for a new central railway multi-modal hub in Xining, China.
The Xining Station, the gateway to the city, is designed to integrate into the existing urban fabric and the surrounding natural landscape. The design is focused on the user’s experience; a celebration of human scale and sensory experience derived from, and unique to Xining. The station’s planning focuses the user’s activities together to encourage social communication. The design is spatially driven toward experiences that encourage sensory awareness and social interaction.
The interior of the station is a fluid complex of unified spaces. Linguine forms and fluid lines create an interior that is welcoming, legible and sculptural. A strong connection is created between the station and the public square that it meets.
The fluid roof form is an interpretation of the natural erosion that occurs in the surrounding mountainside. Fitting carefully into the site context, the dynamic building form aims to be an icon for Xining.
The station platforms are simple yet elegant. The roof structure covers the entire platform enclosing sections to provide shelter and opening in others to provide natural light and ventilation. The landscape is inspired by the geometry of the building and together with the public areas play a critical part in the integration of the station into the urban environment.
