Building on top of the station
Commissioned by Klépierre Real Estate Development, we designed the retail and hospitality pavilion next to Utrecht Central Station. The building at Stationsplein-Oost was constructed above tracks 1, 2, and 3.
Project
Retail and hospitality pavilion
Location
Utrecht, Netherlands
Client
Klépierre Vastgoed
Size
3,600 m2
Programme
Shops and restaurants
Status
Completed
Busy place
The location of the pavilion is incredibly dynamic: around 88 million visitors come here each year and there are many different types of buildings. Where the Central Station and Hoog Catharijne used to merge into one another, a new square has emerged. Beneath this square lies the largest bicycle parking facility in the world.
Construction on the track
Perhaps the most impressive aspect is the building beneath the surface. The steel supporting structure, with its many cantilevers and complex connections, was assembled on site. This was necessary due to limited load-bearing possibilities on the platform below. Additionally, the building is subjected to electromagnetic radiation because of the proximity of all the overhead lines.
Technical challenge
To still allow people to eat within two meters of the overhead lines, a Faraday cage has been constructed for protection. The railway facade has been developed in such a way that the building could be designed in minimal time, without disrupting train traffic at the busiest station in the Netherlands.
A transparent pavilion
The starting point for the design was to create calm and clarity in a busy environment. A transparent pavilion that establishes a connection with both the square and the railway side. The hospitality area is a classic station restaurant: a place where there is always something to see.
In the picture
