MEDIOPADANA STATION -

REGGIO EMILIA

In 2002, the City of Reggio Emilia contracted Calatrava to create a new gateway to Reggio Emilia from the north. The program includes a new high-speed train station 'Stazione di Bologna e Reggio Emilia AV Mediopadana', a comprehensive master plan including bridges, a highway toll station and other infrastructure improvements that will facilitate access to the city. The three new bridges were inaugurated in 2007. Situated four kilometers north to the city center, the new Mediopadana Station will be the only stop for the Milano-Bologna high-speed railway line. As the city's urban hub for various local and regional public transports, the new station will be a true transporation hub connecting the city with the rest of the world. 

The new station can also be excperienced as a landmark along the A1 'Autostrada del Sole' that runs parallel to the railway line. Although the new station was developed according to the constraints of the exisiting viaduct and the high-speed railway track at 500 meters in length, the design brief called for the canopy and platforms to be constructed independently from the current viaduct. The repetition of a 25.4-meter long module consists of a succession of 25 steel portals spaced approximately one meter apart. The repetition of the sequence reaches the total length of 483 meters, which creates a dynamic wave effect. The wave lines on both the floor plan and elevation give rise to a three-dimensional sinusoidal volume. The glass canopy and facade, realized by placing the laminated glass between the portals by means of an aluminum frame covers the entire length of the platforms. 

The station is developed along the viaduct on two concourses; the railway tracks and train platforms on the upper level and access to the station on the lower level, which houses various services for travelers and passengers with ticketing offices, information counter, regional train and bus line exchanges, Taxi stands and retail units as well as space for future expansion. The station's main entrance is marked by a projecting canopy. Surrounding the station also includes a landscaped piazza, 300 parking spaces and a 'kiss-and-ride' drop-off area situated in front of the station. 

Photo credits: Simone Simone