Renovation and Rebuilding of 5 Suspension Railway Stations, Wuppertal
Client: Wuppertaler Stadtwerke
Competition 1994, 1st prize
Completion: 1999 - 2004
The project to renovate and rebuild the five elevated suspension monorail stations on the Elberfeld line served to technically improve the objects while paying attention to the typology of the historical stations. The unusual task presented by the purist steel construction required an ingenious examination of the structure as such. The station’s innate lightness and its apparent dematerialization, especially at night, are the result of intense collaborative planning by all parties involved. Generous glazing in the access and platform halls creates a light-flooded atmosphere, avoiding fear-causing spaces. Decisions guiding the choice of colour and light conduction also serve this goal. The stations’ technical services are tucked away, suspended below the platform level, and are accessible directly from the distribution bridge. The project has received an award from the Association of German Architects (BDA).
Photos: Daniel Sumesgutner