Foster + Partners Reveal Updated Designs for Intermodal Transportation Hub in Spain

Foster + Partners and Juan Cabanelas have unveiled updated designs for the refurbishment and extension of the Ourense FFCC Station in Galicia, Spain. The firm was originally selected as the winners of an international competition for the design in 2011 with an expansive new structure spanning the tracks. The new scheme will instead utilize the existing station building, expanding with a series of columned canopies arranged to create a new urban square and easily-accessible multi-modal hub.

The integrated design will join the high-speed rail and nearby bus station (also currently under design) into one single urban intervention, as well as create pedestrian connections between the neighborhoods on either side of the tracks through an elevated walkway and new public park. The station will accommodate the increase in passengers generated by ongoing upgrades to the region’s high-speed rail lines, offering cafes and shops that will cater to travellers and locals alike.

The modular canopy system will be made up of concrete plates on slender columns, designed to provide shelter from the city’s high-temperature, high-precipitation climate and to allow for ease of future growth. The color of the concrete will be matched to the granite found in the existing station, creating harmony between the new and the old. In front of the building, a new water feature inspired by Ourense’s famous hot water springs will welcome passengers into the city.

Inside, the main lobby has been transformed into a triple-height space that will provide an abundance of natural light and historic frescos on the upper walls will be restored. Circulation through the station has been simplified to provide a more intuitive route for passengers, with clear sightlines connecting the check-in area with the platforms. An internal link will provide a direct connection to the bus station to the west, providing an easy path between transportation systems.

News via Foster + Partners.

Foster + Partners win competition to design Ourense AVE Station

Along with engineers G.O.C. and Cabanelas Castelo Architects, Foster + Partners have won an international competition to design a new high-speed rail station in the city of Ourense in Galicia, located in northwestern Spain.