Magnetic Receptor

The concept of the Magnetic Receptor started with taking inspiration from the hyperloop’s technology itself. One of the most interesting innovations brought forward by the hyperloop is the idea of utilizing magnets to float the pod and therefore make it lighter, allowing it to be faster by taking away friction. Likewise, the concept of this model focused on creating a building skin that floats along a magnetic building structure, emulating the weightlessness of the hyperloop. 

    One of the biggest challenges of this project was to create a concept that fit the site, without having to destroy or redirect the existing highways. To do so, the building arches over the bridge, and the structural beams warp and adapt to land in the median strip and not disturb traffic lanes. Architecturally, the model seeks to create a dynamic shell structure that warps to both create an open pavilion and to allow for the passage of the hyperloop through the building, creating a sheltered area where people can safely and comfortably embark and disembark the pods during the extreme temperatures and climatic conditions that are usual to India. The dynamic shell structure also seeks to create such a form that the magnetic skin can freely move on top as well as allow ever changing light and shadow conditions on the interior, since the innermost skin is made of glass, allowing for visitors to see the magnets moving along the surface from the interior of the building. 

On a social level, the concept seeks to adapt to the station’s main public, the people commuting from work to the suburbs. To achieve that, two types of transient pods were created. The first serve as spaces people can rent for work-study sessions, those are oval shaped pods that sit underneath a magnetic tree-like structure located in the central open area between the two pavilions, making them the main landscape feature. Whenever the pods are available, they will sit on ground level allowing for people to come in, but whenever in use, the magnetic field created by the tree is activated, allowing for the pods to levitate above ground, tying in the concept of magnetism that runs through the model. The second type of pods are also rented spaces, but are secured inside the shell and serve as kitchenettes. Those were created having in mind that, whenever the hyperloop is constructed, many workers might want or need to relocate, and therefore need a convenient place to stay while looking for permanent residences around the area. These transient housing pods would allow them to live in the station, being close to both work and their area of interest for buying a new home. 

To arrive at the final form, the concept evolved from focusing first on connectivity of highways, which were explored through looking at intersections between large highway systems, to focusing on bringing inspiration directly from the hyperloop’s technology instead. Since the hyperloop is an innovative concept that has not been seen or built before, taking inspiration from existing older highway systems did not satisfy the idea of creating a conceptual station for a new technology. That caused us to shift into looking into the hyperloop itself instead of outside of it for conceptual development, and brought up the idea of magnetism that is used in the final iteration.

To develop the model, first a structural armature was created that would serve to sustain the station over the bridge and continue through to form the pavilions. Later, two skins were developed into the armature, one on the exterior, made of cubic magnets that would freely float over the structure to create the kinetic element of the model, and one on the interior, made entirely of glass, that would allow the public on the interior of the pavilion to look out into the moving magnetic skin and enjoy the switch in light and shadow created by that movement. 

For the materials chosen, lightness was prioritized, since the concept evolved around the emulation of the weightlessness of the hyperloop, as well as causing lesser impact to the surrounding environment through the use of sustainable materials. Since traditional magnets can be harmful to the environment due to the mining process necessary for their creation, an alternative sustainable magnet was chosen which involves a hybrid film made from a thin layer of cobalt (which is naturally magnetic) covered with a form of carbon which potentialized the cobalt’s magnetic ability. The armature structure is the heaviest element, made out of steel to create the magnetic polarity for the kinetic skin as well as to sustain the large structure going over the bridge. Steel sustainability lies on its potential to be forever reused, as well as being the most widely recycled material in the world. The glass interior skin allows for light to come into the interior of the building reducing electricity costs, and for hotter days, the magnets can be strategically positioned to block excessive sunlight and reduce use of ventilation systems. 

Finally, the conceptual model seeks to adapt to the existing infrastructure, while developing an idea from the innovative technology of the hyperloop, to create a new ideal of a station that takes into consideration its main public, the daily commuters of the Mumbai-Prune areas, by giving them areas to rest and work.