BERLIN HAUPTBAHNHOFANUSHPRA SINGH A/2155/2009 | PRASHANT KUMAR A/2160/2009 SNEHALATA A/2150/2009

View of the station building from the Spree

OVERVIEW : Largest crossing station in europeCATEGORY : 1Type : Bf Daily ENTRY/EXIT: 300,000Station code : 1071CONSTRUCTION AND LOCATION : Levels : 2 Platforms:14

Shops in complex:: 80No of trains : 1,500 domesticand international trains.

Year(s) of design: 1993Opened : 26 May 2006Architect: Meinhard von GerkanLocation: BerlinState : BerlinCountry : GermanyGermany : MITTE

INTRODUCTION: The mega Berlin Train Station, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, architect Meinhard von Gerkan and Jürgen Hillmer, the STUDIO HAMBURG Gerkan, Marg & Partners, is capable of receiving more than

1,500 daily trains and 25,000 passengers. Its construction

lasted ten years have meant that some conflicts between the German rail company Deutsche Bahn and the architect, in deciding to first shorten the time of execution of the work by modifying the project. It shortened the cover of the station at 100 meters and the lower floors that serve as the underground heat exchanger to be covered, causing no daylight arrived as planned in the initial project.

overview

ConstructionThe construction of the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof is a masterpiece of logistics. While conducting the excavations, groundwater levels were constantly monitored by monitors at once that they were going up the bridges and 1.5 million cubic meters of earth were removed in barges, which otherwise would have required a convoy 1300 trucks miles long.A complex part of the construction was related to the foundation, as the building rests on a sandy soil on the banks of the river Spree. To overcome this difficulty concrete ponds were constructed at a depth of 25 meters that were filled with groundwater.Another of the engineering feats that took place in this construction was the laying of a metal bridge that crosses the station across. Because of the risk posed by building it as the station was crowded with people, it was decided to run for a weekend in which the station was closed to the public for 54 hours. Then the structure was built in two parts vertically and 1,200 tons each, and then joined as a drawbridge.

Image showing construction of structure in two parts and the joined as a drawbridge

Image showing foundation concrete pond upper structure

Image taken during construction phase ,from spree Showing construction of main pathway

construction

CONCEPT :For architects of Hamburg Gerkan, Marg & Partners, the determinant of the architecture was developed to emphasize the importance of the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof "- Lehrter Bahnhofcrossing point in an increasingly integrated Europe.The lobby of the station is framed by two curved structures 46 feet high trying to highlight the scale of the place, the importance of the station as a crossing point between Europe and link the east and west.

SPACES :

Of its 175,000 meters square 21,000 are intended for rail transport, occupying two levels and

has 14 platforms, 15,000 square meters are intended for shops and restaurants, office space

50,000 buildings and 5,500 bridge functional purposes of the railway. The platforms are spread

over an area of 32,000 square meters and the garage area occupies about 25,000 square

meters.

CENTRAL NAVEBetween two frames is the central nave that houses the station platforms, 430 meters long, oriented in the direction east - west, covered by a huge glass dome and light that extends over 321 meters

The building with north-south orientation of 45 meters wide and 159 long, are situated between the two blocks of buildings and covered by a barrel vault, filigree and glass.From the standpoint of architecture and urban planning, these structures, called building bridges form a unit with the glass vessels of the train station.The point of intersection of the two railway lines long distance is enhanced by the cruise ships of the two windows.

Bridge Building

Central nave

BUILDING BRIDGEThe two buildings of the station bridge are divided into two distinct functional areas. The areas for commercial uses, restaurants and service for rail users who occupy the lower levels and areas of 50 000 m² offices occupy nine of the ten floors of these buildings. They are functional and adaptable offices as required, by contacting the different spaces by stairs

SHOPPING CENTERWith its generous empty three floors of shops and restaurants between the two levels of terraces, the station also became the commercial and business center of the future neighborhood around the station

Total area: 175,000 m²Total retail area: 15,000 m²Parking spaces: 900Length hall station, north-south: 160 metersLongitude * hall station, east-west: 321 meters

concept

FAÇADE PORTIONS :The large and bright area, was designed using a structure that uses space grids braced by cable networks. These grids allow free surfaces and extraordinarily transparent as glass directly, or whether the supporting structure and the glazing support are the same.

ZOCALO:The station relies on a cruciform base, which simultaneously integrates the dominant diagonal blocks of buildings. The rectangular socket is accessible from all four sides by stairways and offers great public spaces to a height of 4.43 m above street level, clearly separate from the areas of circulation.

LOBBY:The entrance hall has a glass roof that connects to the bridge that has buildings on the sides, serving outside the supporting structure the same as support beams in the shape of a fish's belly, with 4, 70 meters high on which rests the glass dome of the roof.

THE GLASS roofRoof OF the new station in Berlin is a high-tech construction of the modern era. The roof running east to west from the station and covering the new commuter rail bridges was designed with CAD and advanced processing techniques

The undersides of the last two floors are designed as cross vaults in order to create high quality spaces.

VENTILATION TOWERVisible for miles, the four exhaust pipes rise well above the roof of the Hauptbahnhof, New Berlin, as are its tallest structure.Its underground part sinks about 20 meters below ground level, with a reinforced concrete structure from which emerges another steel with 60 meters high, which have been invested 250 tonnes of gold. Deutsche Bahn's logo on each side of the vent pipe can be clearly seen through a wide area of central Berlin.

View of an enrance lobby

CRUCIFORM BASE

elements

STANDS OUT FROM THE WHOLE CONTEXT,THE AREA IS A CLEAR GATEWAY, THUS REGARDING THE WHOLE AREA AS A HUB FOR BERLIN CITY

THE AREA IS SURROUNDED BY ROADS THAT LEAD TO MOTORWAYS, AND WITH NO EVIDENCE OF LOCAL BUSINESSES OR IT BEING A RESIDENTIAL AREA, IT CAN BE SAID THAT THE AREA PURELY SERVES THE PURPOSE OF ACTING AS A GATEWAY AND A TRANSPORT NETWORK.

THE STATION ALLOWS THE TRAVELLER TO VIEW FROM THE PLATFORM A GENERAL VIEW OF THE CITY CENTRE AS FROM THE EDGE OF THE PLATFORM A VIEW OF THE NEEDLE TOWER, AS WELL AS THE REICHSTAG AND RIVER CAN BE SEEN WHICH ARE FEATURES THAT ARE A FOCAL POINT FOR THE CITY

NO SHOPS, RESTAURANTS OF TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OUTSIDE HAUPTBAHNHOF STATION ,ALL THE SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS ARE INSIDE THE STATION

THIS STATION IS GEOGRAPHICALLY VERY CENTRAL TO BERLIN AND HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO SERVE ALL BERLINERS AND TOURISTS.

analysis

3D SECTION

Plan and section

ELEVATION 1

ELEVATION 2

SERIES OF IMAGES SHOWING HOW BUILDING BEIDGE WAS MADE

sections