Project- Canopy and Terminal
The canopy system stretches over the entire railyard and swoops down to touch the ground in each city. A complex skylight system brings natural light below and cuts into the double curvature vaults,while creating a landscape above. The angle of the glass slowly rotates as the skylights move from the center of the canopy to the edge, allowing for a constant shift in views for observers below and above. Public plazas and outdoor waiting areas along the waterfront seamlessly transition into the new terminal space.
The inner structure of the canopy was designed as a system of steel web trusses. The deepest portions of the canopy house the main pneumatic waste transport tubes as well as tubes carrying the mechanical and electrical services from the power plant. Because the shape of the arch is so shallow, the system actually performs structurally as two lightly connected cantilevers, as shown by testing in a structural analysis program.
