Railway Landscape Design and Relationship with … · Railway Landscape Design and Relationship...

Japan Railway & Transport Review 45 • August 200622

Railway Universal Designs and Architectural Features

Feature

Railway Landscape Design and Relationshipwith Form, Function and Aesthetic

Ewa Maria Kido

‘Railway landscape design’ refers to thelandscape of railway stations and theirfacilities. This article describes theimportance of the landscape of railwaystations, which includes as its elementsboth the agreeability of the station (anelement depending largely on the form,functions, and aesthetic of the station) aswell as the safety and accessibility(convenience) of the station. Thelandscape of a railway includes as its basicelements such visual images as space,lighting, scale, and detail of the railway.It also embraces the landmarks, railway,brand design of the operator and evenpubl ic ar t , commercia l ac t iv i ty,advertising, etc.The conclusion is that modern railwayoperators in Europe and Japan give carefulconsideration to the landscape of theirnew high-speed trains and modernstations while striving to enhance theagreeability of their stations by includingbarrier-free and universal design. Throughvarious improvements, modern railwaystations are becoming still more modernand offer more aesthetic public space.The landscape of railway stations is also

becoming an important consideration inurban redevelopment projects andsustainable development of communities.In Japan of the past, the ‘quality of places’was not as widely recognized as in Europeand was seldom discussed in earnest.However, in recent years, it is beingrecognized increasingly due to changingsocial conditions and growing publicinterest in a better living environment.

Landscape and Design

The term ‘landscape’ generally refers tothe aesthetic and refined elegance of aspecific object. The quality of a landscapeis evaluated based on its design andoverall impression. The concept oflandscape embraces many differentelements. These elements include size,form, feel, colour, etc., evaluated in termsof visible qualities by stereotyped analysis.They also include subjective factors, suchas utility, designer’s intention, visual andpsychological impressions, surroundingconditions (background), uniqueness ofstructure, atmosphere, etc. Landscape

depends on its relationships with form,function and aesthetic. With changingtimes, these relationships have changedaccording to contemporary architecturalstyles. For engineers, function is alwaysmost important and structures they designand build always have defined functions.Railway stations are constructed as themajor facility for railway passengers andhave various purposes. In the past,railway stations in Europe and the USAinfluenced the quality of contemporaryarchitectural styles and remained standardstructures until the station buildings wererevolutionized in terms of structure, formand function.The landscape characteristic of a specificobject is influenced by design. The word‘design’ has two meanings: ‘to hammerout an idea’ and ‘to express an idea as aspecific form.’ Therefore, design not onlymeans o rnamen ta t i on bu t a l soincorporates the creative process ofexpressing a designer’s intention by aspecific form.In the 1980s, civil engineering began todeal with landscape design and theaesthetic of structures became a subject oflong discussion. Landscape wasrecognized first in bridge and damconstruction projects. With the economicgrowth in the 1980s, design also came tobe recognized in the fashion world andthen spread to consumer products. The‘brand design’ phenomenon represents theconsumer’s recognition of products thatcan be achieved by a collection of refinedproducts, including effective advertising.At railway stations, the application ofdesign to the interior of a restaurant canbe cited as an example of fashion or style.Specific examples include the New York-style restaurant at atré Shinagawa mall inShinagawa Station on JR East’s Tokaidomain line and the Starbucks Coffee shop,sushi bar, etc., in Paddington Station inLondon and other railway stations inEurope. In the past, design was related toarchitecture, structure, product, landscape,Canary Wharf Station on Jubilee Line Extension in London (Author)

Japan Railway & Transport Review 45 • August 2006 23

and urban design. In the last 15 years, ith a s b e c o m e a t e r m o f w i d ecomprehension—barrier-free design,universal design, information design,computer design. These new concepts cannow be seen on trains and in stations too.

Basic Factors in LandscapedRailway Station

The ‘landscape of a railway’ means theaesthetics of the stations and otherfacilities. The railway station and itsfacilities constitute a station building withconcourses for railway users, tracks,p l a t f o rms , and even space f o rcommercial hotels, shopping areas, etc.,that are not basic functions of the railwaystation. The landscape of a railwaystation can be defined as the totalbalance of the station interior andexterior, the building’s architectural style,the engineering structure, the facilities formovement of railway passengers, etc.,that are all considered in the planning,layout, detailing and design of thebuilding. An aesthetic station should beeasily identifiable, friendly to people andeasy to use. At the same time, it shouldprovide a nice and rich environment.The basic aesthetic factors in the designof a railway station are space, lighting,scale, and detail. Aesthetic factors mayalso be found in the image-related designbackground, characteristics of nearbysymbolic buildings, image of the railway,brand of the operator, etc. In any case,the aesthetic factors are related to thedistr ibution of functions and thecommercial roles of the station, such asoffering a space for advertising.Space is an important factor. Every stationmust provide adequate space for the manypeople using it. The station space is wherepeople freely move through, spend timebetween trains, buy railway tickets, restbefore and after their journey, etc. Everyrailway space that is designed nicely andappropriately, like Frankfurt/Main

Flughafen Fernbahnhof—a railway stationdesigned by the architects Bothe-Richter-Teherani—offers a high degree of safety andwell-being. For example, the glass lift helpsreduce users’ uneasy feel ings ofconfinement, and the universal designoffers disabled people easy access. Glassused for lifts, floors, staircases, handrails,etc., like at Koln-Bonn Flughafen Bahnhof,also helps make the space seem wider byenhancing transparency of facilities. Thisis especially important in undergroundconcourses of subway stations. CanaryWharf Station on the Jubilee Line Extensionin London, and new stat ions onMinatomirai Line in Yokohama have bothused glass effectively. A well-plannedstation is one that allows free movementof users not only through the stationbuilding but also in the public spaces,including neighbourhood shopping areasand streets. In Japanese cities, many urbanrailway stations are used by millions ofpassengers every day. However, due totheir locations, it is difficult for thesestations to secure adequate station spacecompared to modern railway stations inEurope. Huge terminals in Europe are

utilized by hundreds of thousands ofpassengers every day. For example, theterminals at Victoria, Waterloo andLiverpool Street—the busiest thoroughfaresi n L o n d o n — a r e u s e d b y s o m e200,000 people, while Frankfurt/MainFlughafen Fernbahnhof is used by about300,000 passengers. Contrast these figureswith Japan where the biggest railwaystations are used by millions of peopleevery day. According to a 2002 trafficsurvey, the average number of passengersper day was 3,224,490 through ShinjukuStation on Yamanote Line in Tokyo,2,643,063 through Ikebukuro Station onthe Yamanote Line in Tokyo, 2,352,255through Umeda Station on the HashinElectric, Hankyu Electric and OsakaMunicipal Subway lines in Osaka and2,136,011 through Shibuya Station on theYamanote Line in Tokyo.Although the ideal station space shouldprovide a safe comfortable place, in Japan,the spaces of streets and plazas in front ofrailway stations are inadequate for thenumbers of station users. At chronicallycongested stations like Seibu IkebukuroStation, which serves 186 million

Minatomirai Station on Minatomirai Line in Yokohama (Author)



passengers per year, there are not evenany small benches for sitting and it isdifficult to offer a safe, comfortable space.A suitable railway space permits buildinga system for smoothly guiding passengersfrom station entrances to waiting rooms

to platforms, by using signs with easy-to-understand routes as well as design oftimetables, ticket vending machines,notice boards, etc.Lighting is another important stationfunction. At very large stations, the roles

that architecture and structure play inlighting are among the most importantconsiderations. A characteristic lightingstructure such as that at Lyon-SatolasStation on the TGV line improves theimpression of the station space. The bestlighting uses natural light admitted to thestation interior through glass in the roofand walls. The visual linkage betweenthe platform and concourse improves asthe amount of natural light passingthrough the platform increases as at Lille-Europe Stat ion on the TGV l ine.Sophisticated lighting from the entranceof a subway station intensifies thearchitectural impression of the stationand makes the station layout clearer. AtCanary Wharf Station designed by SirNorman Foster, the natural light admittedinto the station interior helps passengerseasily recognize the entrances and exits.The ceiling illumination helps create asafe environment and intensifies thearchitectural characteristics of the stationinterior. Illumination also has aninformation communication function;well-designed electronic informationdisplays like those at Magenta Station onthe RER in Paris designed by Jean-MarieDuthilleul make it possible to guide eachpassenger in the right direction easily andsafely. Although coordination ofarchitectural style, illumination, andspace has been achieved at manystations, it is hard to achieve interestingillumination in subway structures, whichhardly admit natural light.The scale factor should be determinedbased on how many passengers use thestation. Huge railway terminals in Europe,such as St Pancras Station and PaddingtonStation in London, are designed not onlyto provide passengers with suitable spacebut also give a good impression. Thesegrandiose stations, which resembleGothic-style cathedrals, have had variouspolitical and social meanings over theirlives. On the other hand, smaller stationshave been designed based on a more

Ikebukuro Station on Yamanote Line in Tokyo (Author)

Hammersmith Station in London (Author)


human scale with lighting helping to makethe space seem wider. For example,modest-scale local stations generally useglass in roofs and walls to admit plenty ofnatural light. However, some recent bigstations in Europe have achieved a touchof this human scale by creating widespaces filled with natural light andequipping them with diverse functionsallowing seamless movement. Althoughthe scale of Lyon-Satolas Station iscomparable to that of an airport, the largestation hall designed by SantiagoCalatrava is characterized by a uniquecombination of spatial structure and lightrepresenting the fusion of advancedstructural engineering technology andsuperb architectural style.Detail should be designed so the stationboth meets specific purposes and performsthe many different station functions. Well-harmonized details that are easy torecognize and understand are integratedusing structure, space, and light and arediscriminated by colour and material.Duivendrecht Station in Amsterdam,designed by Peter Kilsdonk is a goodexample. All the information and detailsof the station are easily understood evenby vision-impaired people and are friendlyto both domestic and foreign tourists.Landscape design at Heron QuaysStation on the Docklands Light Railwayin London using guide lamps onplatforms and in concourses helpscontrol passenger flows. Using glass andcolours for lift details is a means ofdesigning attractive interiors that hasbecome part of recent universal design.Similarly, escalators offer potential forexceptionally artistic design. Forexample, in Japan and Europe, universaldesign is being applied positively to newrailway, subway and LRT stations that arebeing equipped with lifts, escalators, andtoilets with fixtures installed at heightsfor physically disabled people. Likewise,the station pavement uses an embossedfinish that is safer to walk on. In addition,

there are various other measures tofacilitate movement by physicallydisabled people, such as eliminatinglevel differences between platforms andcar floors and providing slopes andindications to facilitate movement.Although it is difficult to immediatelymake all station facilities barrier-free,

high priority is being given to barrier-freefacilities at especially important stations,such as Nippori Station on JR East’sYamanote Line in Tokyo, which is atransfer for the Keisei Electric’s Skylinerconnecting Ueno Station and New TokyoInternational Airport (Narita).Although the comfort of passengers can be

Heron Quays Station in London (Author)

Lighting from impressive structure at Lyon-Satolas Station (Author)



improved by installing well-designedbenches, waiting rooms, snack bars, noticeboards, etc., it means that the ‘landscapeof a station’ requires concurrent design ofstation functions and aesthetics. If thelandscape can be regarded as the aestheticof form, the function is the efficientcontinuation of activities performed atmodern stations.

Basic Image of �LandscapedRailway Station�

The image of a station has much to do withits design. The design of—which can be alandmark in its locality—is influenced bythe historical and social backgrounds of thelocality, as well as the station location. Thesymbol of the railway and its operator is

the landscape factor creating a specificimage of the railway.The station is understood as a landmarkin its locality and the elements constitutingthe image have much to do with thehistorical, cultural and social backgroundsof the locality. Railway stations in Europehistorically faced a thoroughfare with aplaza at the front. Due to its impressivefaçade and spacious plaza, the station wasseen both as a gateway to the local cityand a landmark. The symbolic positionwas often reinforced by a conspicuousclock tower, like that at AmsterdamCentral Station, and impressive depot.However, most historic stations in Japanare not very impressive in terms of scaleor form but some stations, like TokyoStation and Den’enchofu Station onTokyu’s Den’en Toshi Line have becomelandmarks. Modern stations in Europehave been designed as important urbanfacilities, and some are so grandiose thatthey have become city symbols. In Japan,the stations in Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo andKokura as well the new shinkansenstations have become symbolic structuresbecause of their unique design, positionas city symbol or important role they playin their local community.The elements constituting the image of astation include the station designexpressing the image of the railway oroperator. For example, to express theimage of the Paris Metro, the uniquestation entrance symbol was modelled onthe Art Deco entrance designed by HectorGuimard at Abbesses Station in Paris. TheLondon ‘Tube’ s ign and LondonUnderground Limited logo are also easyto identify and the round Tube sign iswidely recognized as a transport brand.Company logos are part of the concept ofcorporate activities and are being re-evaluated by many transport operators inEurope. For example, the Deutsche BahnAG (DB AG) logo has been changed toimprove public recognition through asimpler modern design. The Tokyo MetroTsukuba Express Akihabara Station in Tokyo (Author)

Iidabashi Station on Oedo Line in Tokyo (Author)


is another example of dramatic changeafter rebranding from its predecessor TeitoRapid Transit Authority (TRTA) in 2004when the former logo was replaced by ablue M representing the company namebetter and offering easier understandingfor both Japanese and foreigners. Somesubway entrances stress the M sign butmore are now emphasizing the uniqueatmosphere of their buildings, such as thebrick-walled Bashamichi Station on theYokohama Minatomirai Line designed byHiroshi Naito.However, the image of a railway operatoris influenced not only by the companylogo but also by the design and colour ofits signs, its traditions, its attitude towardpublic art, etc. Public art can play animportant role in improving the image ofa railway. In view of the importance ofintroducing culture and art to stations,many railway operators have come toappreciate public art and art is becomingpart of the individual railway culture. Itis well known that a well-designed stationhas a comfortable waiting space andimproves the satisfaction of passengers byusing clear information signs, exhibitingart, holding cultural and local events,implementing other activities that enrichthe travelling experience, etc. SeveralEuropean operators even have an art ratiopolicy in which a fixed ratio (0.5% to 1%)of the budget is appropriated for art in anynew development project. Artworks werepart of projects to renew the Paris Metro,London Underground, and the StrasbourgLRT. When introducing art in renewingthe Paris Metro, the operator RATPexplained that it represented ‘support fora e s t h e t i c s , ’ m e a n i n g t h a t t h etransportation network was the ‘scenario’for building urban culture. Urban culturalstages have been created at major stationslike Louvre-Rivoli Station and St. Germainde Pres Station in Paris. In addition, liveart events and live music have becomefamiliar at subway stations in Paris andLondon. Public art can be expressed as

murals using many materials, coloredglass in windows and lighting fixtures,floor and paving patterns, sculptures,station gardens in plazas, etc. As anexample, at Embankment Station inLondon, strips of ribbon are laid out on awhite background of glassy enamel,

alongside commercial advertisements.Public art like the murals at VictoriaStat ion in London can also helppassengers confirm where they are. InEurope, public art projects are supportedby the government. For example, the artprogramme in Brussels was inaugurated

Embankment Station of London Underground (Author)

Subway entrance at Omotesando Station in fashionable quarter of Tokyo with new Tokyo Metro logo (Author)



in 1990 by the Public Works Ministrybacked financially by the Belgiangovernment. Art has been introduced torailway stations in Japan too. Goodexamples include sculptural elements atstations on the Tokyo MetropolitanGovernment’s Oedo Line, artworks at

stations on the Yokohama MinatomiraiLine, and the open-air art and artisticlandscape (by Peter Walker) at MarugameStation on JR Shikoku’s Yosan Line inKagawa Prefecture where the station plazawith steel fountain in a frame reminds usof the torii gate to a shrine and symbolizes

the main entrance to the town. Althoughmost of the plaza is paved with asphalt,the other part is covered with pebbles likemany traditional Japanese gardens.Fiberglass ‘stones’ that shine brightly whenthe evening comes are arranged neatly onthe pebbles. Exhibition of public art inJapan is gaining support from localgovernments and private organizationsand Tokyo Metro received a 100% subsidyfor its art exhibition at Tameike-SannoStation on the Namboku Line.

Commercial Role of Stationand �Landscape of Railway�

The functions of a railway station includecommercial functions influenced by theform and functions of the station. Thetraditional model station has the principaltransport functions plus travel-relatedfunctions, such as restaurants and hotels.However, in the course of thei rdevelopment, stations have come toperform many other functions too andmany now serve as interchanges linkingthe railway to an airport, other railways,buses, commercial centres, hotels,shopping centres, etc. In other words,railway stations have become key hubsoffering various attractions and newexperiences. As part of its activities, eachoperator is improving its products toenhance its image. However, commercialfunctions at some stations in Japanoutweigh transportation functions,causing confusion. Personally, I thinkretailing at a station should be done in areasonable manner while meeting theneeds of users, because performingtransportation and commercial functionsconcurrently is extremely difficult,especially in historic stations that needmodernizing. DB AG’s Leipzig CentralStation succeeded in this respect byarranging shopping malls at three differentlevels. The commercial space with a totalfloor area of some 400,000 m2 waslowered by excavating the station to allowBashamichi Station on Minatomirai Line in Yokohama (Author)

Mural at Victoria Station in London (Author)


direct access from the street to theplatforms and the modernization ofLeipzig Central Station is cited as the mostsuccessful achievement in DB AG’s stationrenewal policy.Commercial development of a station canbe achieved by creating an ‘integrated’shopping mall merged with the publicspace of the station, supplying passengerswith non-transportation services, andestablishing a ‘retail store line’ formed bya passage lined with stores, etc. A goodexample is the modern retail stores lininga glass-walled corridor in the central partof Liverpool Street Station in London.Separating different levels of functions iseffective in managing passengers and non-passengers. However, at some hugestations in Japan like Ikebukuro Station,retail stores are installed in the stationspace as far as possible and some evenoccupy part of the space reserved for theprincipal transportation function. Such ani n c o n s i s t e n t a p p r o a c h t o t h ecommercialization of stations has causeda number of undesirable results, includingconfusion and overcrowding of stationspace, conflict between interior designand architectural style, and poorpassenger flows.The response to advertising at railwaystations is reflected in the recognition oflandscape of public space. In Japan, thelandscape of public facilities has not beenfully recognized ever since the demolitionof historic structures started in the 1970s.Most stations built in the 1970s werelacking structural aesthetics and toparaphrase Ashihara, ‘despite their highlypublic nature, ... were filled withcommercial advertisements so much thatit was difficult to determine whether theywere railway facilities or commercialfacilities.’ However, as long as stationadvertisements are filled with designconcepts of cultural and healthy lifestylesand help enhance the station image, theycan be part of the landscape design.Advertisements in the Paris Metro

constitute an integral part of the stationwalls. In Japan, due care should be takenin handling station advertisements,especially in historic terminals. AtLondon’s Paddington Station in London,advertising was planned in the renewal

project and advertisements now form partof the design concept and are nicely fusedwith the building structure. Today, variousadvertising media are available, includingtraditional, spotlit and backlit posters,moving displays, TVs, plasma displays,

Mural facing platform doors Tameike-Sanno Station in Tokyo (Author)

Marugame Station Plaza in Kagawa Prefecture (Author)



messages on staircase and escalator walls,advertising in and on rolling stock,‘blitzing’ the entire station with advertisingby a sponsor, implementing various salespromotional campaigns, etc. It isimportant to establish a reasonablerelationship between architectural style,corporate design and advertising media,and give due consideration to the balanceof station space and advertising size andamount. As one extreme, many stationsin Japan are literally covered withadvertising and even Shibuya Stationd e s i g n e d b y K e n g o S u m i a n dsubsequently highly modernized is overlydecorated with advertising.

Conclusion

The importance of the railway landscapeis due not only to the direct influence ofrailway users but also to the visual effectof the surrounding environment. In recentyears, more operators are beginning torecognize the importance of landscapingin their railway renewal policies aimed atimproving their corporate design andenhancing various amenities. In Europe,the involvement of architects in railwaylandscape des ign i s decided bycompetition. In Japan, architects, cityplanners, and researchers are nominatedby a design committee and discuss theirdesign. In Europe, the importance of therailway landscape is widely recognizedin the context that good design as amarketing resource appeals to railwayusers and that a well-designed stationhelps improve the image of the railwayand its operator. Since the general publicis not attracted by stereotyped stations,due consideration should be given bothto the quality and to the diversity of design.In this context, it is necessary to take aconsistent approach and systematizeindications, assuring visual recognition ofthe ‘brand design’ of the railway companyand design diversities influencing the

design, colour, etc., of furniture and otherfixtures. The aesthetic factors in landscapenot only afford comfort to the passengersbut also help improve safety of the generalpublic. It is especially important toincrease the transparency of the stationthrough use of a wide space and glass roofand walls and thereby permit easy accessto the station. Concerning the relationshipbetween form and function, dueconsideration should be given to balance.Ideally, station development shouldensure that the architectural coordinationof station building, platforms and streetsforms part of an urban design that matchesthe city environment. Landscape also hasto do with economy. Securing a budgetfor landscaping and additional budget forenhancing the value of landscape hasbecome engineering common sense.More often than not, landscaping andeconomy are seen as contradictory. Thefusion between archi tecture andengineering is becoming clear looking atcomplex problems in recent railwaystations in Europe. New stations that aredesigned to attract many passengers areinfluencing the architectural styleapplicable to new railways. Namely, anarchitectural structure balancing form,function and aesthetic is called for.Today, local governments are alsomanag ing u rban t r an spo r t a t i ondevelopment projects along with urbanredevelopment projects. Traditionally, theroles of stations in rail transport have beenshaped by t ime and money andtransportation facilities were seen as ameans of promoting urban economicactivities. However, today, the task of

Ewa Maria Kido

Dr Kido is Researcher at Research Center For Sustainable Communities (RESCO) of CTI Engineering

Co., Ltd. She specialized in architectural and landscape design, landscape design of transportation

infrastructure, such as bridges, streets, station plazas, aesthetic design of civil engineering structures,

such as dams, water barriers and planning.

achieving sustainable development inEurope is pressing ahead based on theconcept that ‘environmental quality’ helpspromote economic growth.The landscape of transport facilities canbe used positively as a means of rebuildingspace by various methods. In Europe,many modern metro and light rail transitsystems are contributing to a better urbanlife. The modernization of railways thataccompanies urban redevelopment has asimilar favourable effect. In Japan, theapproach to landscape involveseverything, from the railway operator’sphilosophy about landscape to itsmanagerial stance on achieving optimumbalance between landscape and cost. Itdepends heavily on the degree of thegeneral public’s recognition of the publicrole of stations in improving theagreeability of railways. ■

Further ReadingHolgate 1992

2005 Statistics of Railway Users by Station

Kaminagai 2001

Ashihara 1998

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