Amsterdam has a new Eurostar terminal at its main Centraal station, quadrupling the size of the former international gateway yet retaining the spirit of the hub’s original 19th-century design by architect Pierre Cuypers, who dreamt up the city’s iconic Rijksmuseum.
While Cuypers provided part of the inspiration, behind the project are Rotterdam’s Superimpose Architecture and local firm ZJA Architects & Engineers. Their curved ceilings pay homage to the station’s 1889 barrel vaults – a building technique going back to ancient civilisations and often observed in crypts, cellars, and great halls.
This is just one of the features that helps to form a sense in which “the interior connects past and future” and “brings together various time periods, technologies, aesthetics, and efficiency” said Superimpose Architecture.
Another example of re-imagined heritage is an original brick wall that has been preserved within the new design and lit in a way that “accentuates the textures and details of this intricate brickwork and breathes new life into the experience of the station,” the studio explains. Passengers pass by on their way to platforms via lifts and escalators.
The development needed to respect the past while embodying a “terminal of the future” the architects said, helping to define “a new era for cross-border rail traffic.” It sits inside the former Amstelpassage – just one of the tunnels at the station – but has an entrance that faces the modern city.
The chosen finishes are minimalist, with an airy feel created by backlit ceilings where cloud projections play – a reference Golden Age landscape paintings by Dutch and British artists. The open-plan waiting area possesses classic green terrazzo floors underfoot – a carbon-negative material.
Sustainability is an important factor of the design, with recycling and repurposing high on the agenda. The sprinkler system was re-used and bio-insulation, recycled felt and aluminium were incorporated, as well as modular elements that can easily be shifted to accommodate other works going on in the Dutch capital’s main railway terminus.
Expanding the station has been a long-standing and contentious issue since passenger capacity on Eurostar trains has been limited by the lack of room in the hub. It’s a similar story over in London’s St Pancras International – a beloved Victorian Gothic red-brick Grade 1 listed building, renovated in the early 2000s.
There, this summer, passengers are being allowed to board trains 10 minutes earlier than the 20 minute timeframe usually applied, in order to reduce crowding in the station’s Eurostar waiting areas, which are notorious for their lack of seating and space.
