Image Credit : Peter Clarke
Project Overview
Reservoir Station revitalises the civic heart of a burgeoning suburb, with a design that references its historic character and looks to the future.
Genton’s urban-design led approach unifies the previously bisected High Street, to create a beacon for the suburb that is truly ‘of Reservoir’.
The form and canopy are designed to frame the visual connection between Edwardes Street and Broadway, while the elevated station creates a steppingstone to connect the high streets, catalysing pedestrian activation and providing newly landscaped public spaces.
Defining the suburban centre, the translucent canopy creates a striking civic landmark. Both form and materiality are inspired by Reservoir’s history as the key water infrastructure of Melbourne. Viewed up close or in motion by commuters, the canopy’s angles and undulations interact with light in a manner that reflective of rippling water.
In an Australian first for a station building, the project received a 5 Star Green Star As-Built rating.
Project Commissioner
North Western Program Alliance between LXRP, John Holland, KBR and MTM
Project Creator
North Western Program Alliance between LXRP, John Holland, KBR and MTM
Team
Marc Debney, Design Architect
Jamie McCutcheon, Project Architect
Steven Toia, Project Architect
Vicente Osorio, BIM Manager
David Polizzi, Senior Draftsperson
Nicole Mechkaroff, Architect
Dinel Meyepa, Architectural Graduate
Christopher Phillips, Architectural Graduate
Project Brief
The brief presented the opportunity to redefine the central heart of Reservoir, creating a comfortable and safe space with a deep connection to place.
Elevating the tracks created the opportunity of reconnecting Edwardes Street and Broadway – the former on-grade station being an obstacle between the two – linking the central community and retail spine, catalysing pedestrian activation, enhancing accessibility and public safety, and providing newly landscaped public spaces to bring the community together.
Wrapped in a translucent canopy, the design creates a striking civic landmark defining the suburban centre. Both form and materiality are inspired by Reservoir’s history as the key water infrastructure of Melbourne. Viewed up close or in motion by commuters, the canopy’s angles and undulations interact with light in a manner that reflects the nature of rippling water.
Set at an opposing angle, the addition of a secondary canopy creates an archway to frame the visual connection between Edwardes Street and Broadway. The facade’s perforated, anodised skin serves a dual purpose for the station, balancing the requirements for weather protection with the desire for views, air and light to produce a space that feels uplifting and joyful for daily commuters.
Informed by careful consideration of the surrounding context and environment, Genton’s Reservoir Station project is a testament to transport infrastructure’s ability to enhance urban settings, seamlessly integrating civic life and setting Reservoir on track for sustainable growth.
Project Innovation/Need
Traditionally, station design is focused on the commuter journey and commuter amenities. Reservoir Station’s design approach challenges this notion and demonstrates that, within the same budget, a progressive design can also address its urban context and reflect the unique character of its location to deliver design that serves both commuters and the community.
By broadening the scope and possibilities of a ‘station’, creative and cost-effective measures were used throughout the design to achieve a quality product and maintain a high amenity look and finish. Examples include:
- Multi-functional Design Elements – using creativity and innovation to turn functional/standard elements, such as the station canopy, into architectural icons with a deep connection to context.
- Material Strategy – inspired by place, materiality was selected and detailed to reference light shimmering across rippling water. Careful consideration was given to durability and minimising maintenance while ensuring a high quality aesthetic.
- Pre-fabrication – the site was predominantly live throughout the duration of construction. To accommodate this, the station buildings and elements were largely designed for pre-fabrication off-site and subsequent onsite-only assembly minimised disruption to the travelling public.
- Consultant/Stakeholder Collaboration – the station was delivered in an alliance structure. In order to push the ambitious vision forward, close collaboration was employed with all stakeholders very early in the design process. This enabled the sharing of ideas and a reduction in the number of design iterations, providing both cost and time-effective.
Design Challenge
The team worked tireless to deliver an inspired design solution to which exceeded the client brief, working through design challenges including:
- Delivering on a high quality design while ensuring the project stayed within the firm project budget
- Minimising time that the existing train line would be offline during construction
- Designing with the future in mind to accommodate expansion of the transport interchange as well as future retail opportunities
- Simplifying a complex intersection crossing to improve pedestrian safety and comfort, and reduce crossing time (which could previously exceed 20 minutes)
- Working to exceed the client brief Green Star Rating
Sustainability
Reservoir Station exceeded our client's Green Star Rating brief, to become the first train station building in Australia to achieve a 5-Star Green Star As-Built rating. In addition, the project has received the highest rating 'Leading' (89 points) for the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) As Built rating for outstanding sustainable design & construction practices. The station building and platform were designed as an open canopy to reduce reliance on mechanical ventilation. Solar access to the eastern and western elevations were controlled through perforated metal screening. Future-proofing considerations include the ability to extend the tramline under the station building, as well as expansion of the bus interchange. The station precinct design prioritised pedestrian and cycle movement.The project holistically addressed and prioritised sustainability throughout the project life cycle through initiatives including:
Reduced consumption of operational water use (by 92%) and electricity (by 41% during peak time) compared to standard practice
Improved active transport amenities by providing 108 bike storage spaces (400% increase) and connecting the east-west retail precincts through civic plaza.
Use of responsibly sourced steel and reduction of Portland cement content in concrete
Considering long term impacts of Climate Change on asset to create resilient infrastructure
Improving green space and visual amenity through native landscaping resulting in a 32% enhancement to ecology
Pursuing multiple Victorian first sustainability innovations, such as trial of recycled glass fines in concrete, remote energy & water monitoring and material saving Monopile substructure design.
Urban Design
This award celebrates creativity and innovation in the process of place making, designing and shaping cities, towns and villages. The category prioritises the connections made between people and places, movement and urban form, nature and the built fabric. Consideration given to giving form, shape and character to groups of buildings, streets and public spaces, transport systems, services and amenities, whole neighbourhoods and districts, and entire cities, to make urban areas functional, attractive and sustainable.
More Details