2016 Archive : Lodz Tramstation

Project Details

Fabric 1

ETFE
Producer:

Engineer Company 1
BURO HAPPOLD

Design Company
Foroom sp. z o.o.

Architect Name
Jan Gałecki

Architect Company
Taiyo Europe GmbH

Fabrication Company
FLONTEX

Project Manager Name
Peter Herbert

Project Manager Company
Taiyo Europe GmbH

Installation Company
Taiyo Europe GmbH

Please describe the project specifications

Lodz Tram Station Project was designed and executed based on an architectural competition held on May 2012. 3000m2 of the colorful roof covers four tram platforms consisting of a white granite. 54 bended steel columns support the slightly sloped ETFE roof and curved ETFE facades protect tram users from all weather conditions. Over the years numerous modifications of the structure and materials have been introduced, but the final version maintained the original character, which is why the design greatly appealed to the competition jury. One of the alterations involved using the smallest possible tubular poles to support the whole structure instead of the small rectangular-sectioned pillars, following careful calculation of the construction load. Glass elements of the roofing and façades that required burdensome steel substructures, have been replaced with colorful ETFE membranes stretched on large rectangular fields of the roof and triangular façade elements.

What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

Lodz city was planning to build a canopy structure over the most important public communication hub in the city. The structure was designed to cover 3000 m2 of platforms and rails. The Tram Station should also protect users from rain, snow and wind. The winner of the competition for the Lodz Tram Station design was chosen in May 2012.

What is unique or complex about the project?

It is here, in the Lodz Tram Station, that the color-printed ETFE membrane has been used for the first time, furnishing the station with exceptional shades of light on sunny days. To prevent direct unauthorized access to the membrane façade by any of the numerous passengers who change trams under the kaleidoscopic canopy, ETFE surface starts 4 meters above the ground, whereas below that level the walls are made of glass. At dusk, 54 luminaires fixed inside the support pillars illuminate the Tram Station and totally revamp its ambiance, with light beams brightening the roof and the pillars. The slightly sloped roof of the Lodz Tram Station has also passed the winter test – both the roofing and the whole structure withstood heavy snowfalls.

What were the results of the project?

This exceptional structure serves thousands of people who arrive here from various parts of Lodz to change trams or visit the city centre. Although in use only since October 2015, Lodz Tram Station has already become a local attraction, often visited by tourists from all around the world. Its unique form and functional success made Lodz Tram Station a point of reference for other tensile architecture projects in Poland.

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