What if stations give back?

More than mobility, stations can be a vital piece of public space. Four scenarios for the stations of the future.

Hosted by Studio Kornelia Dimitrova x Massif Architects

This project is now archived and was part of DDW24

This project is part of
What if Lab: the giving city

Morning Yoga at Amstel Station

Bram Petraeus

The train station - an important social hub. What does it look like as a place for more than mobility? These four speculative scenarios open new perspectives on the future of train stations, to make decision-makers think and dream about stations differently.

Stations can be essential, value-driven cross roads of social interaction

Currently, stations are designed and experienced as efficient transport and streamlined consumption. Stations can be so much more - they are vital social crossroads, where economic, social and ecological concerns meet. But how can they be designed this way? Decision-makers, and rail engineers always have to consider a range of economic and technical constraints that often overshadow the societal function of a station. Softer and qualitative values are especially difficult to prioritize in this process. To envision stations in an alternative way, we need to give this design process a new starting point that prioritizes the social values and physical environment of the station and its travelers. In this way train stations can be developed as an integral part of regional development. This is a complex task. To help decision-makers we developed 4 future scenarios, illustrated them with 4 speculative station designs. The scenario framework makes it possible to design for questions, such as What if Eindhoven would be the silicon valley of the Netherlands?

How can we start today thinking differently about train stations as public space?

In collaboration with Bram Petraeus, we made a provocative photo series at Amstel Station, exploring how a range of activities we associate with outdoor public spaces can land at the station. From the hairdresser who’s opened shop at the lockers area, to the morning yoga group and badminton enthusiasts in the main hall, to the family who’ve decided to have a picnic on the platform, each photo makes us question - what is the function of this space? Can it be more than mobility? And is that a future we would be excited for?