The HYBRID Development of Grand Terminal of Prishtina: "Total Fluidity"

University for Business and Technology - UBT

Project idea

Full Title: “BIONIC ARCHITECTURE through the POETICS of Novel STRUCTURES and TECTONICS” - The HYBRID Development of Grand Terminal of Prishtina.

- The Proposal of the main transport (bus, train, tram) terminal for the capital city of Prishtina (country Kosovo) while exploring novel structural forms and ideas. Program Included: Bus station, train station, art gallery, underground parking, retail stores, sky Walk Bridge, stores, relaxing/coffee areas etc.

Project description

The detailed description will be divided into two parts: Its Functional changes to the site and proposed draft and the Structural Nature of the project (as the structural solution was a strong point of concentration during the work)

Function:
After comprehensive analysis it was concluded that the main issues with the existing terminal are:
- Complicated Arrival and Departure pathways for the Buses.
- Buses, Cars, waiting taxis, zero level parking spots, pedestrian walkways are all using the same roads/paths creating communicating complications and dangerous zones for the pedestrians or engine-run vehicles.
- The terminal brings no attractiveness to promote local, region, national transport usage.
- The train and buss station are totally divided with no clear connection.

This brought us to the idea which includes differentiation of communication paths via vertical levels: 1) Cars on the main accessing roads which are on zero level height, 2) for pedestrians an interconnection bridge which brings together all accessing points yet stands on a higher level to stay clear of the cars, 3) for the buses we simplified their arrival and departure points adding an additional bridge access path from the main city roundabout.

The above stands as the proposed solution when it comes to have a fully functioning communication configuration.

When it comes to the proposed building, its form encircles most of the site which with its fluid form generates also the urban landscape design and specific areas. Keeping in mind that the bus station and train station are specified to be in two different areas divided by the main city road and roundabout - the connection of the two took attention as a must to exist with positive, attractiveness and functional usage characteristics with it. This way, the building morphed as a sky-walk for visitors and terminal users to continue through a direct connecting path from the bus station to the train station or vice versa.

Structure:
As a follow-up to the study of different biological forms and their adapting structural systems in the ever-changing environment, it was decided to derive their main principles and working patterns from a structural standing point. Wooden waffle structure, curved glulam beams, Truss, Steel grid and pure concrete forms were the main systems chosen to be adapted to the form and at the same time act as architectural articulations.

Technical information

Micro/Macro Analysis of Existing Terminal.
Sub Theme of Design and its Implications.

Successive Isometric Form Generation from a trajectory line and dots.
Floor Plan Isometric View in combination with chromatic lines which represented the proposed communication hierarchy.

Master plan - the wide spread and reach of the project can be seen, with the tendency of creating a similar to a 'clock-work' function paradigm while interpolated in the urban landscape.

Structural Isometric View - derived structural system presented in a simplified white model with chromatic classification of the different systems and components.

Floor plans
Sections
Elevations
Visualizations.

Co-authors

Kushtrim Lushtaku: Kl40756@ubt-uni.net
Diana Frrokaj: df42757@ubt-uni.net

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