Courtesy of ZHA, render by Negativ
Vilnius, Lithuania
2021
Design
Vilnius Railway Station
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Negativ
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Negativ
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Negativ
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Negativ
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ZHA’s ‘Green Connect’ proposal for Vilnius Railway Station creates an integrated transportation hub for the 21st century with new civic spaces enveloped by nature. Designed with the passenger experience in mind, the proposal provides a wealth of new public space and transforms the site into a destination for passengers and the local community. Integral to the city’s ongoing sustainability agenda that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists, ZHA’s proposal to upgrade Vilnius railway station incorporates a new public bridge over the railway tracks that connects the Naujininkai district to the south with the city centre and Vilnius old town; transforming the existing rail infrastructure from being a barrier that divides the city into a connector that unites Vilnius and serves as a transport hub for national and local rail services in addition to the new Rail Baltic line that links with Europe’s high-speed network.
Relocating the existing car parking in Stoties Square to a new underground facility, the square and its adjacent park will become a vibrant civic space for the city with over 300 new trees and 4,000m2 of landscaping including the creation of tree-lined avenues along its main axes and water gardens for the natural collection, filtration and purification of rainwater.
The renovation and reuse of the original station creates a new 9,500m2 concourse bridge that is a contemporary reinterpretation informed by the existing heritage building. The composition of the station’s new bridge gradually transforms along its length; from the pitched roof defined by the existing neoclassical station’s triangular pediment into softer geometries and volumes that reduce in scale to land at Pelosos Street in the Naujininkai district. A linear skylight along the length of the bridge and glazed façades over the railway tracks provide natural light and intuitive navigation through the concourse. Removing the temporary kiosks and offices installed over recent decades, the clarity of the existing 9,000m2 station is restored and linked with a new public transport terminal for the city’s bus networks. Designed as an inhabited landscape within the upgraded Stoties Square park in front of the station, the terminal’s outdoor amphitheatre and ramp lead to a public terrace on its roof.
The new concourse bridge is 46 metres wide and spans 150 meters across the railway platforms. Supported 10 metres above the tracks, the fluid forms of the bridge’s roof structure and the terraced landscape of the bus terminal are constructed in locally-sourced laminated timber that is lightweight, fire resistant and incorporates low embodied carbon.
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Frontop
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Frontop
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Frontop
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Frontop
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Nature-based solutions are integral to the design. Green roofs, landscaping and planting will lower temperatures in summer and provide heat insulation in the winter. Creating an interconnected series of natural habitats within the city, these urban green spaces are easily accessible and can be enjoyed by communities throughout the year to enhance well-being and interaction.
ZHA’s design to renovate Vilnius Railway Station and surrounding areas also incorporates energy production technologies and depolluting strategies to improve air quality within its adjacent neighbourhoods. Annual solar radiation analysis has defined the facades to maximise sunlight within its interiors in winter and reduce glare in the summer. This analysis also determined the positioning of photovoltaic panels for optimum efficiency.
Transport + Infrastructure
From an airport that sets new standards for service to a state of the art flood defense system that doubles as a public promenade, discover our latest transport and infrastructure projects.
Render by X-Universe
Phase One of the new Bishoftu International Airport (BIA) will serve 60 million passengers a year. Further phases will serve up to 110 million passengers annually with four runways and parking for 270 aircraft.
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Grand Canal Gateway Bridge
Uniting cultural heritage with 21st century engineering and recyclable materials, the Grand Canal Gateway Bridge is both sculptural and sustainable, designed for longevity with minimal environmental impact.
ZHA's design draws from Lithuanian cultural heritage, incorporating traditional motifs and art forms within a contemporary architectural language. The terminal's modular geometry originates from the rhombus, a triangular shape that holds significant meaning in Baltic folklore.
A large-scale urban regeneration project in Naples that reconnects the city’s fragmented urban fabric and incorporates the new Campania Region headquarters.
Render by Tecma Solutions
The world’s first green hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for the recreational boating industry will be initiated in 25 Italian marinas and ports with stations designed by ZHA.
Render by Negativ
Repurposing an existing shipping warehouse built in 1960 into a new 20,000 sq. m ferry and cruise ship terminal, ZHA’s design adds a fourth level to the structure to incorporate public terraces with panoramic views of the Daugava River and the skyline of Riga’s city centre, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photograph by Fernando Guerra
An enclosed interactive space spanning the River Ebro to form a gateway to the Zaragoza Expo 2008, a hybrid of pedestrian footbridge and exhibition pavilion. Four structural elements correspond to specific spatial enclosures, which intersect and brace each other. This fluid, dynamic design interprets the Expo’s theme: ‘Water and Sustainable Development.’
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
The first in a series of bridges on Chengdu’s West Line Road, the new 295-metre Chengdu West First Bridge crosses the Jiangxi River, a tributary of the Tuojiang River in China’s Sichuan province.
Render by Atchain, courtesy of ZHA
The three new stations (Teatralna, Tsentralna and Muzeina) designed by ZHA will connect the residents, businesses, cultural and academic institutions in Dnipro’s eastern districts with the city centre and the Dnipro-Holovnyi railway terminus.
Photograph by Werner Huthmacher
Alpenzoo Station
‘Shell & Shadow’: a unique architectural language of fluidity inspired by natural ice formations, for stations along Innsbruck’s northern chain of mountains. Lightweight organic roof structures float on concrete plinths, their soft shapes and contours creating an artificial landscape that describes the movement and circulation within.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Design and construction of a third gateway crossing linking Abu Dhabi Island to the Gulf south shore. Our two-way four lane highway bridge features cantilevered road decks suspended from symmetrical steel arches, which form a sinusoidal waveform – giving this huge structure its fluid silhouette.
Photograph by Roland Halbe
Completed for the northern terminal of the city’s B tramline, our concept utilises overlapping fields: echoing the energetic movement of cars, trams, bicycles and pedestrians; fusing together to form a constantly shifting but clearly delineated whole. In the car park, floor marks and light posts delineate a ‘magnetic field’.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
The new rail station at Napoli Afragola is designed as one of southern Italy’s key interchange stations serving four high speed inter-city lines, three inter-regional lines and a local commuter line.
Photograph by Piet Niemann
Located at Niederhafen on the Elbe River between St. Pauli Landungsbrücken and Baumwall in Hamburg, the upgraded 625m river promenade is integral to the modernisation and reinforcement of the city’s flood protection system.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
KAFD Metro Station will serve as a key interchange on the new network for the Blue Line (Line 1) with the terminus of the Yellow Line to the airport (Line 4) and the Purple Line (Line 6) as well as a skybridge connecting to the local KAFD monorail.
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