Roundabout transformation...Humz

This is another article i came across, designed by spanish architects subarquitectura, I like the idea of making a roundabout or "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. Finally, someone has figured out a way how to promote better use of round abouts. as the ones that have trees planted within them can be unsafe, i.e crime spots!

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”.

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.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…

a few comments left by residents in the area: -

ubik17 Says:
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.

asume Says: Mate, it barely rains in Alicante !
JuiceMajor² Says:
How is it supported? Can’t see any structure. Is like it is hovering up in the air! Genius!

Sullka Says:
wow Dezeen….this is so 2 years ago!……excellent project indeed.
JOSHUA Says:
what about a meteoroids, holes will let them through
wartian Says:
rich and emptyness

great!

leopoldo Says:
fantastico:)

muy buen proyecto.

gracias por hacernos la vida mas feliz con obras como estas.

One Says:
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?