Chemnitz Main Station

The purpose of the conversion of Chemnitz Central Station was to incorporate local and regional transportation under one roof and redefine the train station as gateway to the city and central hub within the urban setting. The existing station concourse from the 1970s was stripped down to its supporting structure, while its lower section was opened up toward the city. In the upper section, the façade was clad with staggered matted pneumatic pillow elements; the corner façade, highly visible in the city, is artistically enhanced with animated light patterns. This new “urban canopy” creates a fluid public space that extends out of the building and into the surrounding urban space, thus connecting the railway station with its larger urban context.

Info

Location Bahnhofstraße 1, 09111 Chemnitz
Year 1st Prize Competition 2004, Completion 2016/2019
Client Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen

Team Erik Behrends, Olaf Menk, Jost von Fritschen, Florian Fels, Jens Schoppe, Arno Löbbecke, Andreas Nemetz, Benjamin Bühs, Jacob van Ommen, Matthias Schirrmacher, Robert Tesch and Jon C. Ferrer, Peter Menken

Consultants BuroHappold Engineering, Berlin (structural engineering/building services) – Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Stucke / Dr.-Ing. Thomas Klähne, Berlin (inspection engineers) – Ingenieurgesellschaft Lachmann-Dominok, Oelsnitz (building services) – Topotek 1 Gesellschaft von Landschaftsarchitekten, Berlin (open space planning) – Lichtvision Design, Berlin (lightning design) – Random International, London (art)

Photos Jan Bitter und Grüntuch Ernst Architects
Film Sven Regener, Leipzig

Awards
Saxony State Award for Building Culture 2019
BDA Saxony Architecture Award 2019
City of Chemnitz Architecture Award 2018
polis Award 2018
DAM Award 2018 – Shortlist
WAF World Architecture Festival Award 2017
Best Architects 17