Balancing aesthetics and technology

We are working on two of the three new stations; Centralen and Korsvägen. The West Link has been, and to some extent still is, a controversial project. For us, it's exciting and complex, a project with many different stakeholders where we have to take into account and be flexible to the project's constant development. It is a challenge to balance the aesthetic and architectural along with the construction engineering required for an infrastructure project of this scale.

The Centralen station will be the first to be completed, and is expected to welcome its first passengers in 2026. It has several entrances, a central entrance adjacent to the Nils Ericson Terminal, an entrance in the east towards Gullbergsvass and in the west the flow splits via an intermediate level to two separate entrances. The entrance halls are located based on existing and planned public transport hubs and other destinations in the area.

A complex public space

Planning and designing stations of this kind is both challenging and demanding, as well as educational. There is a high level of technical complexity and many disciplines that need to take, and take, each other into account, where we also help to find new solutions to improve where we can and develop together. Working with infrastructure, train traffic and tunnel environments involves many other requirements than in traditional building architecture, both from a safety point of view and the environment of a tunnel entails high demands on design, materials and products. The fact that it is also a complicated structure and a very installation-tight facility has also affected and had an impact on the design.

At the same time, it is a public space and cared for to become part of the journey for travelers. This means that we build in and hide installations and technology to give a clean and safe appearance. Passengers should feel welcome and experience the station as attractive and accessible, by easily finding their way around, in a place that feels safe, thoughtful and natural. We want it to be a place and a space, which travelers and residents of Gothenburg want to stay in and visit, and come back to.

The West Link is a major and important project, not only for us as an architectural firm but for the entire region. It is changing Gothenburg as a city, affecting travel and movement patterns for hundreds of thousands of people.

Do you want to know more about the West Link or our other projects in mobility and urban development near stations? Contact Niclas Nydewall, niclas.nydewall@kanozi.se 0707-88 07 69

Visualizations: TMRW