Valencia will be getting a new high-speed rail station. The winning design is a collaboration between RSHP, ERRE, and Sener that combines underground tracks with a series of large public green spaces above.
Travellers planning on travelling to Valencia in Spain in the future will be able to benefit from a unique high-speed rail station. The new Valencia Central Station will run underground and will be connected to the historic Estación del Norte, meaning trains will be able to travel through Valencia from north to south, overcoming the current terminus arrangement and making train travel within the city more fluent.
To make the station become a reality, the Adif-Alta Velocidad Evaluation Committee has selected a team consisting of three separate companies. Technology group Sener will be collaborating with the UK-based practice RSHP and the Valencia-based architecture studio ERRE.
“The new station will enable further progress in the city’s railway transformation, improving connectivity and efficiency through the integration of different transport modes within an infrastructure designed to respond to both current and future mobility needs,” said Jesús Planchuelo, Railway Director at Sener.
In order to blend the new station with its existing surroundings, high-speed and commuter trains as well as metro services will be located underground. However, a series of sweeping roofs that pay homage to the historic Estación del Norte will provide an airy and light-flooded environment, thus preventing the station from feeling too crowded or cave-like. Travellers will be met with natural light, fresh air, and views while journeying underground.
“The conceptualisation of the project arises from respect for the architectural beauty of Estación del Norte, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. Our strategy is to intervene in the urban space without altering any of its façades, preserving its integrity while enhancing its heritage value,” shared Jose Martí, Amparo Roig, and M. Ángeles Ros, Architect Partners at ERRE, in a statement.
The space gained aboveground by burying the station will be reserved for walking, cycling, greenery, and public life in general. The green axis will also act as a way to connect the station to the existing Estación del Norte, which is scheduled to undergo a refurbishment, and Valencia’s future Central Park.
“Given the complexity of integrating multiple railway transport modes within a single space in a clear and people-centred way, we have designed a 21st-century station for Valencia that will be truly unique. It will be bold, yet also sensitive and welcoming. It will offer an inspiring and generous experience, both for the city and its citizens, whether they are daily commuters or visitors arriving for the first time at the heart of this great city,” stated Ivan Harbour, Senior Design Director at RSHP.
At the moment of writing, a timeline has not been shared yet regarding the building works. However, RSHP will be using a lightweight modular canopy in order to make the process more sustainable and less time-consuming.
