A floating gold roof tops BIG’s proposed Västerås transportation hub

Architecture firm <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/big/" target="_blank">BIG</a> has unveiled designs for a new transportation center in Västerås—one of the biggest cities in Sweden. The 12,000-square-meter building will reconnect two urban neighborhoods—currently divided by two train tracks—beneath a curving gold roof that appears to float from afar. Designed to serve trains, buses, taxis, bikes, and pedestrians, the Västerås Travel Center has a glazed and sinuous frame informed by the “flow of people and public life.”

The transit hub is located in the heart of Västerås, Sweden.

“Like a continuous thin sheet, the roof is gently lifted at its four corners, wrapping the city’s vehicular infrastructure in multiple layers of public program and urban spaces. These four corners create welcoming entrance points, inviting travelers and visitors inside,” says BIG.

The Västerås Travel Center was designed as part of the 3B — Build Away the Barriers, a redevelopment plan that will transform the 17 acres surrounding the existing railway into a series of engaging civic spaces.

The curving roof, the uplifted corners of which mark the entrance and exit, will unite the mixed-use spaces within the platform.

The 12,000-square-meter building will reconnect the two currently separated urban neighborhoods.

Designed to serve trains, buses, taxis, bikes, and pedestrians, the Västerås Travel Center has a glazed and sinuous frame informed by the “flow of people and public life.”

Västerås Transportation Hub by BIG

Västerås Transportation Hub by BIG