STATION = PAUSE

from Transit nodes to Social nodes

Semester 7
Project Document

Sumegha Mantri
Exhibition and Spatial Design
National Institute of Design
Ahmedabad, India
April 2010

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 Now shall I walk
Or shall I ride?
“Ride”, Pleasure said;
“Walk”, Joy replied.

‘The Best Friend’, W.H.Davies.

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1.Prologue
The act of walking offers a natural pace to
sensory perception and a deeper engagement
with the surroundings. It is essential for
understanding any space. In the ‘Book of
Nature’ Ruskin Bond states:
“I believe that the journey is more important
than the destination. But, then, I have never
really had a destination. The glory that comes
from conquering the Himalayan peaks is not
for me. My greatest pleasure lies in taking path
– any old path will do – and following it until
it leads me to a forest glade or village or stream
or windy hilltop.”
When on foot, we have the time to perceive
things, to have small interactions with those
who pass by and more importantly, the time
to muse. However, this kind of tramping is not
what we do in our cities. Walking in the city
usually implies a brisk morning or evening
walk or going around in circles in a park, for
the few health conscious folk. Else, people walk
to get somewhere, and walk past hurriedly
without looking and noticing. Children are
not encouraged to go out and explore on their
own. The wilderness is absent, the roads are
crowded and the city is unsafe. It fosters a fast
paced habit of walking, when the wonder of a
walk is its engagement with its surroundings.
Walking and such leisurely walking are
important. But of greater consequence is the
existence of an environment that supports
such saunter.
“That our cities have become mere towns for
car driving men, have to be reconquered for
those who want to sleep, with an open window,
or take a stroll in front of the house, for the
women and for the old people and above all,
for the children.”
Hanns Adrian, ‘The car in the city’.
R.K. Laxman’s illustrations (bottom, left) aptly
reflects how are cities are getting populated
with vehicles, more so, the car. The car can be
viewed as an extension of the private space of the
house. A sealed private bubble on the move, far
removed from the connect of public transport,
cycling or walking. In providing the comfort
and mobility required to sustain our lifestyles,
Walking the city: Busy getting somewhere
it has created air and noise pollution, adversely
affecting the quality of urban life. However,
beyond these issues, is the matter of urban
space. The car has carved out for itself spaces
in the limited area of urban fabric – garages,
parking spaces and ever widening roads, from
what could have otherwise been gardens, parks
and other public spaces. Such development has
been the guiding vision for long, resulting in
cities which are not walk-able.
There is a need for our developing cities to
avoid getting choked by a car oriented vision of
progress, but to form into open cities, where
its inhabitants can go from one place to another
perhaps by strolling through a series of parks
and where the children are free to ramble
about and explore things for themselves, not in
the confines of garages and parking lots, but in
the vistas of parks.
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 v/s
Parking spaces
1.1 Walking The City
This project has evolved out of the diverse experiences of numerous walks
in the city of Ahmedabad.
The noise and the traffic often made it difficult to walk on the main roads.
Sometimes, there was a complete lack of pedestrian space and walking
became a constant negotiation for space with the two wheelers and cars
on the streets. On other occasions, a stroll through a quiet residential alley
would open into a small park nestled in the locality. Walking through the
narrow lanes of the ‘Pols’ in the old city was like walking through peoples
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Parks
homes. One could smell the cooking and hear household conversations.
The old city has a human reference of scale and community life is given
importance. The private space of the home overflows into the lanes of the
Pols and walking through them is an intimate experience. In complete
contrast to this is the isolation that the riverfront offers. Walking on the
concrete banks of the Sabarmati sandwiched between gargantuan walls on
both banks was equivalent to walking with blinders, unable to see the city
around and bereft of natural textures and sounds.
1.2 Ahmedabad City
1. Figure 4-4 :Vehicle per 1000 Population in Major Cities
1990 and 2002. Page 64,Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission City Development Plan Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is the Indian city with the largest density of motor vehicles1. In the last three decades, the 2006-2012. Prepared By the Ahmedabad Municipal
growth of private vehicles has been phenomenal as compared to that of public transport 2. Corporation, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority,
with Technical Support from CEPT University.
This can be attributed to the exponential rise in population and urban migration. Smaller cities are
2. Between the years 1971 ad 2001, two wheelers have
growing faster than the large metros. Economic growth has led to a rise in the middle class and a
grown by 3877%, Three wheelers have grown by 1253%
subsequent increase in their disposable incomes. There has also been a significant shift from the joint and the AMTS buses have grown by 69%. Table 4-2: Total
family structure to a nuclear family structure in society. These coupled with an absence of adequate motor vehicle growth and growth of two/three wheelers
public transport infrastructure has resulted in people investing in private modes of transport. The easy and AMTS buses in Ahmedabad (1971-2001). Page 62,
availability of loans for such investments has further accelerated the growth private vehicles. Therefore, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission City
Development Plan Ahmedabad 2006-2012. Prepared
it is little surprise that cities like Ahmedabad have the highest two wheeler density in the country.
By the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad
Urban Development Authority, with Technical Support
Recent developments3 have made the car smaller, cheaper and more affordable. Besides, the ownership from CEPT University.
of the car has been marketed as a status symbol. As a result of all these factors, people who previously
owned two wheelers are now crossing over as small car owners. If such visions of progress continue, the 3. The Tata Nano, India’s Rs.1lakh ‘people’s car’ was
commercially launched on the 23rd March, 2009.
next five years will see the mass motorization of urban India.
“I observed families riding on two-wheelers – the father
driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of
Cities like Ahmedabad will get choked. Footpaths will make way for wider roads and parks will have to him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby. It
be converted into parking spaces. What is required now is a shift in urban planning and investments to led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe,
better the infrastructure and facilities of public transport. affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family.
We are happy to present the People’s Car to India and we
hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to
many families who need personal mobility.”
Ratan Tata’s vision. ‘The Debut at last’, Businessworld,
31st March - 6th April issue.

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 The Green Urban Triangle

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2. Vision

The vision of Ahmedabad outlined in this document is that of a city without cars.
Where parks, buses (BRTS), walkways, cycle-paths and trains form an excellent
integrated urban transport system. Free from noise, pollution and traffic jams, the
experience of walking in the city would be similar to that of strolling in a park. Such
a system would be ecologically and socially sustainable.

Public transport fosters interactions amongst people. This would promote a better
understanding between them and nurture mutual respect and therefore make for a
peaceful and enriching urban environment.

The city is about its people. It’s the peoples’ sense of identity, pride and the
collective ownership of resources that enriches and maintains the social, economic
and physical infrastructure of the city. This pride comes with active engagement.
We identify with something only if we share a memory of it. Memories are tied to
emotions. Public spaces need to build this emotional connect with the people and
provide for experiences and memories to be created. Only then will they come
alive, generate a sense of ownership and hence live on.

The transit nodes of the system would not only connect the different modes of
transport, but also act as social nodes. Active social spaces where people
Meet, Eat, Entertain and Travel (MEET).

With this background, the project looks the most important transient public space
in the city – The Railway Station.

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 3.The City Strategy
Ahmedabad is situated on the banks of the river Sabarmati. It is a radial city, divided by
the river into the old, fortified city on the east bank and the new city on its west bank.
This division is not just physical, but economic and cultural as well. Travelling across
the city, this difference of the lived texture on both its banks becomes apparent.
The divide of the river is punctuated by ten bridges at almost regular intervals. The
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Outer Ring road defines the periphery of the city and along with the 132 feet road
and NH8, connects the different areas of the city internally and also connects the city
externally. The BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System) has been recently introduced in the
city. The first part of phase1 is functional and has reduced traffic and travelling time,
besides being a delight to travel in.
Proposal for Trains as a Mode of Urban Public Transport

Trains traversing the city originate at the main railway The trains cover the city in three concentric circular
station in the center of the city (Kalupur). At the station, the tracks of the local trains are
perpendicular to those of the National Railway. tracks – the inner, middle and the outer tracks. Each
track has 2-4 trains.

The trains travel clockwise and anti-clockwise on the same

track. These trains cross each other at the smaller stations,
which are elements of discovery within the urban fabric.

The crossing over – ‘Chiasmata’

Islands - spaces for public

art and installations

The horizontal cross The vertical cross Section

Plan

Islands - spaces for public

art and installations

Chhatris Chabootras Buffalo sculpture

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 4.The Railway Station

The mention of a railway station instantly conjures ideas of travel.And travel, denotes
distance and connectivity. The railway station in signifying travel also becomes a
connecting node for spaces – cities and their suburbs and towns and villages.

A train journey brings with itself, an element of excitement, part of which can be
attributed to its essentially public nature. The station is a public space. Chaotic as it
may seem, it demands an order of time and space. We do not travel alone, but with
hundreds of unknown fellow travellers, some of whom we befriend in the course
of the journey. The motion provides a view to perceive the transition of landscapes
as we reach our destination.

This drama of travel is fairly continuous, rhythmically punctuated by pauses at

stations.

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 4.1 Location of the station

The present Ahmedabad railway station was built in the early

1960s. It is centrally located in the city (facing page, top left)
and is one of the busiest junctions of western India. The image
(facing page, bottom left.) shows the distribution of space in
the station complex.

The railway station is an opening into the city. It is an important

point of entry and exit and in being so, it is an introduction
to the city.

Around the station, are landmarks that people would identify

with and relate to the city. The pair of minarets
(facing page, top right) that open onto the first platform are
fragments of the city’s political and architectural history. The
chimney of the mill in Saraspur (facing page, bottom right.)
belongs to the recent past. It stands for the economic and socio-
cultural identity of the city. Besides being visual landmarks,
these symbols introduce the city to the traveller and orient the
visitor to the rest of the city.

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 Old Plaƞorms

minarets

Parking Area

Saraspur StaƟon
meter gauge

Kalupur StaƟon
broad gauge
Present Plaƞorms

mill complex

ReservaƟon
building

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 4.2 The Nature of Space

The station is a linear system of tracks, trains

and platforms. Circulation and the distribution
of amenities are centered around this linearity of
space.

At any time, there is a large population using

the space and it tends to get crowded. The large
volumes of spaces like the main entrance hall help
dissipate the feeling of claustrophobia.This volume
of the main hall opens onto the long platforms,
their lengths covered by corrugated canopies.
These canopies are visual barriers and break the
connectivity of space. Pair of bridges, one on
each end define the limits of the active zone of
the station and physically connect the platforms.
Spatially, these bridges are long busy corridors,
with little view to the platforms and activity below
or to the city at large

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 5. The Proposal

The railway station has been visioned as a transit hub

connecting different modes of transport and as one of
the social nodes in the city where people can Meet, Eat,
Entertain and Travel (MEET).

The present arrangement of tracks, trains and platforms

has been kept constant and the strategy is designed around
them. Part of the proposal is also the adaptive reuse of
defunct urban spaces (for eg. the Mill land) in the vicinity
of the railway complex. The attempt is to hopefully
weave these physical signifiers of history and culture as
active public spaces in the urban fabric. Other peripheral
amenities (for eg. places to stay) have not been provided
for in the immediate design with the hope that demands
for such amenities would initiate collateral development
around the area. The whole is made up of the following
parts.

5.1 The Upper Platform

5.2 The Canopy
5.3 Circulation
5.3a Entrances
5.3b The Ramp
5.3c The Main Hall
5.3d Bridges

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Initial conceptual drawing

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 5.1 The Upper Platform

The local trains travel in a direction perpendicular to that of the national

railways, 12m above the present platforms.

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This upper platform is supported by a system of arches that span its entire length.
The tunnels formed by the arches would be an element of excitement for those on
the platforms and in the trains on the lower level.

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 To have the local trains pierce
through the main hall was not
feasible. This would make the
portal frames of the hall vibrate.
The trains would therefore have
to enter and exit the station
from the Saraspur end.

structure signallin

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 The freight corridor lies between
the third and the fourth platforms.
Therefore, the distance between
them is greater as compared to the
others.

To achieve the minimum clearance

height required for trains to pass
through, the arch spanning the the
distance between the third and
fourth platform was required to
be larger than the rest. For reasons
of aesthetics (the proportions of
height and span), the second arch
rises higher than the level of the
upper platform. While keeping
ng entrance the aesthetic and visual language
constant, it breaks the monotony of
the arches and the structure signals
entrance.

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 Cross section
of non-parabolic
arches.

Cross section
with common base
of 2m

Cross section
with common base
point arches.

Cross section
with common base
arches.

Cross section
with adjacent base
arches

Cross section from

3D model

Initial cross section from sketches.

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 Arch base of 1m on the platform Arch base of 1.5m on the platform

Arch base of 2m on the platform Arch base of 3m on the platform

Refinement and iterations of the various arches and the area of

contact between the base of the arches and the platforms.
Iterations Final selecion
Distribution of space on the upper platform.

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 The upper level is divided into two zones – the concourse and the platforms, distinctly demarcated by a pair of larger arches. The concourse
is the primary waiting and meeting area. Its a place where people can sit down, wait, have lunch, read a book, meet friends and look down
at the expanse of the space below. Small exhibits could be placed here and there could even be short performances on the concourse.

Main Hall Upper Concourse

Main Hall Upper Concourse

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Local trains originate on the platform that follows the concourse. Arched openings cut
across the walls of the tunnel on the platforms below. They function as points or access
between platforms and visually frame the span and the activities across all platforms.

Local Train Platforms

Local Train Platforms

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5.2 The Canopy

Besides providing protection from the natural

elements, the canopy unifies the space. The
existing individual canopies on each of the
platforms did not allow for a visual connectivity
across the span.

There was a need for a singular volume that

would encase the entire station and maintain
spatial unity. The volume was required to make
the space feel open, such that people could ‘see
the sky and feel the air of the city’.

For those entering the station in the trains, the

appearance of the canopy from a distance would
signify their arrival at the station.

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 A singular volume that encases the entire station and maintains spatial unity

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An exploration of forms for the canopy. The forms in the first row of images was finally selected.

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 5.3 Circulation

Circulation is about the relationship between movement and

pauses in movement. Spaces define the way in which people move
and are often ordered around this movement.

The adjacent image shows the macro-circulation aspect of the

station. The station is a transit hub. Bus stops on both sides and
local trains connect it to the entire city.

The micro-circulation deals with the movement of people within

the space, the connections and accessibility of the different
elements within the space. Besides, circulation refers not just
to the movement, but the spatial experience and the transition
of volumes along the path of these movements. These have been
elaborated further in the following parts:

5.3a Entrances
5.3b Ramp
5.3c Main Hall
5.3d Bridges

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 5.3a Entrances

An entrance is the point of distinction between the inside and the outside. It is an Saraspur
introduction to the space and just like the contents page of a book, it must orient
people in space.

There are six entrances to the station complex, besides entering the station by the
trains. Three from the Kalupur side and three from the Saraspur side.

Kalupur

Saraspur Entrances Kalupur Entrances

One of the entrances to the station is through the station building itself. Local
trains exiting of the upper platform are elevated above the road. These tracks
begin inclining down after they have crossed the road.Those entering the station
through this end would have to walk under the tracks. They will see the trains
pass overhead.
The right bridge entrance from Saraspur connects right across to the Kalupur end.
A pair of escalators and stairs from the side park takes one up to the bridge, through
an aperture in the superstructure. The bridge connects to all the platforms below
and to the upper concourse.
The central entrance at the Kalupur end is from the main hall. It is the primary
circulation zone.

The local train track separates the other two entrances. Both are inclined ramps
that open onto parks on both ends and connect to the cross platform bridges
inside the station.
The third entrance is through the minarets. One of the minarets will have to be
shifted from its original position to make this a wider entrance. The minarets mark
a dramatic beginning that leads one onto the long curved entrance ramp. In time,
people would start mentioning this landmark in their conversations – " िमनार के
पास साड़े चार बजे मिलते हैं,”- “lets meet at the minarets at 4.30”.

The park on the right side is a bus station and the old Mill building has been
converted into a café, with the chimney as a landmark. One can walk down the
ramp, cross the road and enter a park, go to the mill café and be informed about
the events in the city and then board a bus to reach the event.

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5.3b The Ramp

The entrance through the minarets gradually leads to a

ramp that takes one into the station. The ramp begins
to rise gradually amongst the trees on one side and the
tracks on the other and turns to reveal the inside of the
superstructure. It constantly rises to give a birds eye
view of the station and its activities. The ramp enters the
superstructure, curving above the first platform, giving a
closer glimpse of the platforms and the trains below and
the cross bridges and concourse ahead. It continues to
ascend to meet the cross bridge and then pierces out of
the superstructure into the open, amongst the canopies
of trees. The ramp continues further and finally ends in
the center of the main hall.

Ramp

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 The rise of the ramp is gradual – It grows and pushes itself out of the earth just the way plants do.

Once inside the main hall, the ramp connects

to the upper concourse. There is a dramatic
transition of volumes, from the low height
of the ceiling inside the main hall, to the
large volume of the station enclosed by the
canopy.

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 5.3c The Main Hall

The portal frame structure of the hall has been retained. Entrance to the main hall
is through the ramp at the upper level or directly at the ground level.

The ramp that rises from the minarets ends in the center of the main hall nine meters
above the ground, dividing the volume of the hall. It is supported by branching tree
like tetrahedrons and its periphery is lined with creepers that come down. This
would make people feel as if they were walking under the canopy and shade of
trees. The ramp can be reached by pairs of carefully placed elevators and escalators.
A flight of stairs just outside the first portal frame has also been provided for the
same purpose.

The main function of the ramp in this area is to connect to the upper concourse,
which is the primary meeting area and the station for the local trains. Generously
wide flights of steps and inclined moving ramps connect the ramp to the upper
concourse.

The main hall opens onto the first platform through two arched doorways, which
frame the entrance and are of the same language as the arches that support the
upper platform. The doorway just under the ramp opens to reveal a surprise. On its
left, the arched openings under the upper concourse form a tunnel and frame the
entire span of the station and the activities across it.

Outside the hall, on both sides is a grassed landscape with evergreen and deciduous
trees. The road that reaches the main hall rises very gently from a distance to meet
the steps. A single step demarcates the inside from the outside. Gradually sloping
ramps on both ends provide an easy transition for the differently-abled and for
those with heavy luggage. Once inside, one would encounter the creepers coming
down from the ramp. This unexpected encounter with the living green transforms
the entire spatial experience of the main hall and would perhaps influence people
to slowdown and look around.

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 5.3d Bridges

The main purpose of bridges is to connect. There are two sets of bridges in the station. A pair of
parallel bridges bridges parallel to the upper platform and three pairs of perpendicular bridges in between them.

The bridges parallel to the upper concourse are placed 65m away from it on either side. They
connect the lower platforms to each other and can be accessed by stairs and elevators on the
lower platforms.
perpendicular bri
dges

The perpendicular bridges connect the parallel bridges to the upper concourse. They are three
pairs, strategically placed such that they can be accessed from all the platforms. These bridges are
supported by inclined columns, at the base of which is seating for the lower platforms.

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Detail of the parallel bridges and
staircase from the platforms.

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 6. Epilogue

You say they bore their way through hills,

They roll over bridges across mighty streams,
They crash through forests and vast planes,
But at the end of their restless journeyings –
Where do they go and finally rest?”
~ ‘Trains’, Humayun Kabir

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 The complete strategy in drawings

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SITE PLAN

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 SECTION AA’ - secƟon through the main hall and the upper plaƞorm.

SECTION BB’ - longitudinal secƟon of the canopy, upper plaƞorm and bridges.

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 Long secƟon through the main hall and part of the ramp

Plan of the main hall and the upper concourse.

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The Ramp turns and pierces out of the Superstructure

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 Acknowledgements

THANK YOU

Jignesh Khakhar for guiding not only this, but the earlier projects as well.
For his time, trust and incessant encouragement with everything.

Tanishka Kachru, for her guidance and valuable feedback at every step and
for extending learning beyond the studio and academics.

Richard Goodwin for all the inspiration.

Yatin Pandya, for his guidance with raw nascent ideas.

Rishi Singhal, for showing us photography in a different light.

Praveen Nahar, for his insightful inputs in the beginning of the project.

Dimple Soni for coordinating the Exhibition Design department.

Biju Thomas and all those at the Kalupur Railway Station for giving time and
helping me understand the space.

Kanjibhai Dasadia for the selfless effort he puts into the smooth running of
the studio.

Jeetubhai, Jayesh and Paresh Soni for all the printing, photocopying and laser
cutting to the most odd of requests.

My fellow classmates – Sitangika Srivastava, Upasana Jain, Prathima

Muniyappa and Vivek Sheth for sharing thoughts on work and beyond and
for their friendship.

Sanaa and Akanksha for the many discussions in the studio.

Priyanka, Rhea, Vihanga, Samyak, Rhoda, Tanvi and Prerna for making the
studio a fun place to work in.

Tanima, Kanika, Vasanthi, Tarka, Nikhil, Neerav, Meenakshi, Rakhi, Malika

and Maria for their encouragement and enthusiasm.

Vishaka and Yash Mantri for sharing the madness and Poonam and Ramesh
Mantri for nurturing it.

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