Mind-Blowing! MAD Architects Unveils Jiaxing's Stunning Train Station Hidden in a Forest Wonderland!

MAD Architects, led by the renowned architect Ma Yansong, has recently unveiled its latest project: Jiaxing's "Train Station in the Forest." The project began construction in late 2019 and is expected to be completed by July 1st, 2021. This unique train station is located in the centre of Jiaxing, a bustling city in southeast China that is known for its thriving industries, including silk production and honey manufacturing.

The project brief includes a vast area of 35.4 hectares, comprising Jiaxing Train Station, the plazas to the north and south, and a renovation of the adjacent People’s Park. Before the renovation, the existing station had reached its maximum capacity, leading to a decline in the area surrounding the station due to the disorder of the surrounding transportation system and a deficient supporting infrastructure.

MAD Architects drew inspiration from Jiaxing's historic and cultural contexts, creating a design that includes a 1:1 rebuilding of the historic station building derived from archival studies while creating a new train station underground. The new station is designed to be bright, efficient, and human-scaled, with a flood of natural light to create a friendly, comfortable environment. The main transportation and commercial functions are to be located on the basement level, allowing the ground-floor space to be given back to nature. This new green urban centre will transform into a “train station in the forest” and become a shared space between Jiaxing's citizens and travellers.

Upon completion, the old station building will become the Jiaxing Railway History Museum. The project places the busy transportation junction underground, freeing the ground floor of obtrusive infrastructure, thus allowing the People’s Park to radiate through the scheme into the city and form an urban oasis. Careful consideration to landscape and massing has formed an axis with the reconstructed old station building at its core.

Looking south along the central axis, the rebuilt station building and the "floating" metal roof of the new station will blend with the forest trees. The station concourse, platforms, and waiting hall are hidden underground, while the building’s single-story height above ground level humbly respects the scale of the old station building.

In addition to its unique design, the Jiaxing Train Station is also designed with sustainability in mind. On the roof of the new station, solar photovoltaic panels will be installed to enhance the project’s sustainability. Beneath the urban oasis, a wide variety of functions and services are connected. For instance, visitors at street level can efficiently enter and exit the transport hub, while others meander through the park, visit the railway museum, or explore the commercial area before embarking on their train journey.

The capacity of the train station will be upgraded to three platforms serving six tracks, in contrast to the previous three platforms serving five tracks, with the main upline and downline becoming two arrival and departure tracks respectively. The overall passenger capacity is expected to reach 5.28 million people per year, with peak-time capacity reaching 2,300 people per hour.

The Jiaxing Train Station is a stunning example of how urban train stations can create their beautiful environment, with comfortable scales and a blend of transport and urban functions that are both efficient and humane. It is a testament to MAD Architects' commitment to creating functional yet innovative designs that are in harmony with the natural world. Upon completion, this new urban centre will not only be a vital transportation hub but also a place where citizens and travellers can dwell and enjoy the beautiful natural environment.

All images courtesy of © MAD architects