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Glen Park BART Station

Vincent Giordano — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:23:48 +0000

At a BART event in August 2009 BART director Tom Radulovich said, “Glen Park BART station is the crown jewel in the system.”

I wondered why and set out to discover the answer. To do so I needed to learn about all the stations. In particular I needed to study Glen Park station. This is what I learned.

The BART system was planned in the 1950s and designed in the 1960s. The stations opened in the early 70s. It and Washington DC Metro were the first two systems in the nation and being pioneers of municipal transportation they had to make up their own rules. BART’s approach of employing different architects to design stations resulted in the variety of architecture that is absent in the DC system.

Different architects had different ideas for the design of stations. As with all things artistic some designs have worn better than others. Unlike other art forms, or even other architectural forms, BART stations have had to endure the test of time both aesthetically and physically. Glen Park station has passed both tests.

The station takes basic components of a station (platform, concourse, superstructure, surroundings and the means to get from one to the other) and translates them into a story about the BART system and its construction that relates to the building of monuments that have characterized human aspiration throughout time.

At the platform level, one of the deepest platforms in the system, jagged stone blocks cover the retaining walls. They are stacked like engaged columns that reinforce the feeling of being in a manmade underground tunnel. The roughness of the blocks suggests that the tunnel has been carved out of the solid rock within the earth’s core. Yet the place is not claustrophobic or oppressive. The stacked blocks lead the eyes upward where there is light and air. The roughness of the blocks is neutralized by the use of polished slabs of marble and granite for vertical cores and benches.

In the transition from platform to concourse the station’s walls shed their stone blocks to reveal rough-hewn concrete. The roughness of the concrete recalls the most basic and monumental of construction types. Vertical striations in the concrete reinforce the direction from the tunnel below to the street and sky above.

At the concourse level, one of the most compact in the system, the treatment of the surrounding walls and the use of a glass roof create the feeling of being in a monumental vestibule or, perhaps, the ruin of an ancient temple. The rough-hewn concrete walls continue to this level and characterize the exterior of the superstructure. But within the concourse are over 100 panels of polished marble that embellish the walls. They enrich the room with a finish that contrasts with the rough walls below. Yet they also complement each other; the stone blocks, the rough concrete and the polished marble are different expressions for the same element.

The use of different finishes enriches the experience of going from the platform to the concourse —from the earth’s core along rough walls to the refined room at the top. Capping the concourse with a glass roof highlights the experience of moving from the underground to the light and air above and back again.

From a distance the station appears to emerge from the BART system below. Its emphasis on vertical transformation acknowledges that the vast underground network is the core of the system and the station is merely one entry point. Design and finishes together support the theme of the station rising from the rails and platform up to the concourse and street, its perimeter walls like shards of concrete pushed upward through the earth.

The excellent design of Glen Park station secures its place in the history of architecture, however it is the use of durable and refined materials that insures that it will appeal to future generations. Based on my experiences I found the station to be an architectural achievement and agree that it is the crown jewel in the BART system.

BART Warm Springs Extension

RCCo — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:00:33 +0000

I came to architecture with a background in English and a life long interest in design. At Robin Chiang & Company I have been learning that creating architecture for the public sector is similar to writing an essay—one conceives of themes and develops narratives. To me the firm’s most successful architectural projects tell a story. For example our firm has designed Warm Springs BART station in a way that informs people of the significance of the place.

Warm Springs became part of Fremont in 1956. The area was once known as California’s breadbasket. Rich alluvial soils and a high water table enabled farmers to cultivate a variety of crops. Abundant hot springs allowed it to become a popular resort and spa. From the Gold Rush through the Victorian age Warm Springs thrived. But by the 1920s overuse depleted the groundwater putting farms and resorts at risk. In such an arid climate the water that was used up could not be replenished. The Great Depression caused the town to fail altogether. World War 2 dispersed what population was left. Now, few people know why the area is called Warm Springs.

The Warm Springs BART station could remind people of its forgotten past. The area’s most significant resource was its aquifer and the worst thing that happened was its subsequent depletion. We decided that the design of the station could be based on water to recall what Warm Springs had been and suggest its absence as a reminder of the mismanagement of this precious resource. The receiving, directing and collecting of rainwater through architectural forms has been developed as the main design theme. The theme will be reinforced by the application of glass colored to resemble water.

A colander-shaped pavilion located at the entrance of the station serves two purposes. First, it acts as a distinctive landmark that will draw attention and passengers to the station entrance. Second, its funnel-like form will suggest that it can capture rainwater and direct it down to the entry plaza where the majority of passengers will pass by.

From the pavilion passengers will ascend two sets of escalators to a covered and elevated walkway that will connect the entrance to the main portion of the station. The walkway’s slender columns, light tones and openness will frame views of the adjacent tree canopies. Translucent panels on the ceiling of the walkway, tinted in faded colors of blue and green, will remind passengers of the theme of water.

The main roof of the station will be sloped. Its simple twisted geometry will appear to direct all the water to two opposite corners of the roof. At those corners oversized downspouts will appear to anticipate a deluge. Passengers will be protected from rain by two long walls of glass suspended from the roof like two curtains made of transparent glass panels of blues and greens.

Similar panels over the bus station (embedded with photovoltaic cells if the budget permits) will reinforce the theme of water. In this area the range of drought tolerant trees and shrubs selected by the landscape architects will be most prominently displayed.

We hope that the strong allusions to water will remind passengers of why the place was originally called Warm Springs and that passengers will wonder about the reason for such dramatic roof shapes in an area that receives very little rain. Perhaps they will understand that the buildings serve as both train station and homage to nature. Such an approach to architecture is not new; instead it is very old. Many of the most ancient monuments were designed and built in response to natural conditions, to track the movements of the sun or pay homage to life-giving water.

Credits
Owner: Bay Area Rapid Transit District
Prime Consultant: Parsons Brinckerhoff and Washington Group
Architects: Robin Chiang & Company
Landscape Architects: Heygood Associates
Design Build Team: To be determined

Related Sites:

BART > Warm Springs Station > News | Chronology
The official site for BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit.
The Official Site for City of Fremont
Located on the southeast side of the San Francisco Bay, Fremont is a city of over 211,000 people with an area of 92-square miles, making it the 4th most populous city in the Bay Area. Fremont is located within Alameda County.

Glen Park Community Plan

RCCo — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:45:09 +0000

The Glen Park Community Plan is one of several planning efforts underway in the City’s transit-served neighborhoods. Glen Park with its BART station is a piece of the Citywide Action Plan to meet the need for housing and jobs.

The Glen Park Community Planning effort seeks to make Glen Park a better place to live and to help Glen Park function better for transit. The long-standing Interest in a neighborhood planning effort for Glen Park increased in response to the 1998 fire that destroyed the local grocery. After the fire, the Planning Department identified grant partners and was awarded a Caltrans grant in mid-2002. After many unavoidable delays, the community planning was started and has culminated in the plan to give the Glen Park community the tools it needs to guide future development in keeping with the neighborhood’s values.

Related Sites:

BART > Glen Park Station > News | Chronology
The official site for BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit.

The Glen Park Community Plan at the San Francisco Planning Department
This community planning process sought to provide the opportunity to balance community needs and address planning issues facing the neighborhood. Planners tackle circulation issues important to the community, including pedestrian safety, traffic flow, access to transit, and parking. Planners also evaluate ways to respect the neighborhood character through zoning, design guidelines, and other city policies. Public improvement opportunities like the use and design of buildings surrounding the BART station, the design and character of streets, and connecting public open spaces and neighborhoods were also explored.

Glan Park Station at Wikipedia
This is the only BART station in San Francisco to have parking.

Downtown San Rafael Bus Station

RCCo — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:40:18 +0000

Located in a redevelopment district at the edge of San Rafael’s downtown, the bus station occupies one city block. The station designer, Robin Chiang who was responsible for 100% of the station, combined the city’s requirement for a historical appearance and the owner’s (Golden Gate Bridge District) desire for hi-tech by recalling the steel structures of the Industrial Revolution era. The station’s canopies are made of large scale steel columns and beams visually tempered with small scale trusswork, concrete column wrappers, and cat- faced gutters. Corners of the site are punctuated by covered pavilions of steel wide flanges and etched glass.

The project does not dominate its neighborhood and relates well to the architecture of the surrounding commercial buildings. It was completed in 1992 and has been secure and relatively easy to maintain. The press joked about the cat-faced gutters, but the neighbors pointed out that the station has not had pigeon problems. The project cost $2.1 million and was completed within budget and on time.

Winner: American Institute of Architects Merit Award

Castro Valley BART Station

RCCo — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:00:46 +0000

The Castro Valley station has its platform located in the highway median above an underground concourse. The underground concourse is connected to the station entrance by an excavated tunnel that is as short as possible and opens onto a small plaza in the shape of an amphitheater. The entrance is conveniently located for access to AC Transit bus service and attended automobiles.

During the planning stage, the community of Castro Valley expressed a desire for a historical tone and cited a cherished veteran’s memorial building. Residents admitted that the town had lost most of its historic structures. The station’s designer, Robin Chiang, developed an architecture that suggested a history of building and rebuilding over a long time period. By adapting architectural treatments from different societies and eras into the contemporary components of a BART station he created a design that looked and felt familiar from opening day on.

Project Information:

Owner: Bay Area Rapid Transit District

Location: Castro Valley, California

Cost of Project: $23 million

Completion Year: 1996

Design Team: Robin Chiang, Neil Nott, Thomas Pan, David Sturges, David Ficklin, Mischa McCue Hoy and Leah Haygood (landscape architecture).

Related Sites:

BART > Castro Valley Station > News | Chronology
The official site for BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit

BART at Wikipedia
Information on BART’s history, system detail, governance, transit connection and more…

Information at Wikipedia for Castro Valley, California | BART Station
Castro Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Alameda County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, it is the fifth most populous unincorporated area in California, and the twenty-third in the United States.