liège-guillemins railway station - sncb europe Gare des Guillemins-Liege (Click for larger view)

LIÈGE-GUILLEMINS TGV STATION

2009

Design: Santiago Calatrava

Project Description

The city of Liège is now a major node in the European high-speed rail

network, which links England, France, Belgium, and Germany. When the

city’s existing station had to be replaced, as unsuitable for the

demands of high-speed rail travel, Euro Liège TGV issued a request for

proposals from European architects. Santiago Calatrava received the

commission to design the new Liège-Guillemins station, largely because

of his vast experience in the field, in projects such as the

Lyon-Satolas air-rail link and the Oriente station in Lisbon.

Calatrava conceived the station as a link between two distinct areas

of the city of Liège, which previously had been separated by the

railroad tracks. On the north side of the site is a rundown urban

area, laid out in a typical 19th century scheme. On the south side, on

the slopes of the Cointe Hill, is a less dense, landscaped residential

area. Calatrava’s design bridges these two areas with a 200 m (656 ft)

passenger terminal, built symmetrically about a northwest-southeast

axis. The arched roof of the terminal building extends over the five

platforms for another 145 m (476 ft).

The station is three levels high on the urban (north) side, stacking

an access footbridge and a level of rail platforms. At the level of

the Place de la Gare (under the platform), a strip of commercial units

helps to reinforce the streetscape. These units include the Passenger

Hall on the main axis, with the ticketing area on the left and a

bar-restaurant on the right. On the hill (south) side are five levels:

three levels of parking, a vehicular access deck linked with the

access footbridge, and a raised pedestrian walkway.

Transparency is achieved by means of the monumental vault, constructed

of glass and steel, which allows for a sense of interpenetration

between the station and the city. The pedestrian bridges and a walkway

under the tracks allow for fluid communication between the two sides

of the station. Particular attention is paid to the architectural

detailing of these transitional spaces.

The project has no facade in the traditional sense, since the

interaction between interior and exterior is seamless. The monumental

roof becomes, in effect, the project’s facade. To an observer on the

hill, the roof reveals something of the inner organization of the

station. To an observer within the station, the structural arches of

the roof frame the views to the outside. From any vantage point, the

sensation of transparency prevails.

Because the metal frame of the station must be put in place without

disrupting train service, a technique normally employed in bridge

construction is being used. The principal frames are assembled in an

area away from the trains, located at the proposed Place de la Gare.

At night, the frames are pushed in groups of six onto the principal

supports. Once the principal roofs are in place, the two canopies can

be assembled in position and glazed.

Thanks for comments.

fantastic architecture series excellent work congrats best regards gerolamo

Very nice architectural. It is dramatic with great lighting. You have cropped judiciously and well.

Hi Sadegh,

  Beautiful scene with amazing colors, lighting & details.  Take care, Patsy