International

Dutch Design Daily

1 / 6

By

By

By

By

By

By
Rombout Frieling lab www.rombout.design

Arctisch busstation ‘A Station of Being’

By 31-10-2019

A Station of Being, designed by Rombout Frieling lab and RISE, is an experimental bus station for the Arctic Region. The station transforms the uncomfortable experience of waiting for the bus into a transitional experience: a moment to ‘just be’ and ‘change your state of being’ before heading for a new place and new activities. A first prototype has been put into service on 2 October 2019 during the EU Arctic Forum in Umeå, Sweden.

Umeå is moving to all-electric buses. But waiting for a bus in Umeå may well mean standing on an icy platform in a snowstorm, which does not make taking the bus very attractive. First of all the designers felt that the station should continuously look out for buses coming. This resulted in a smart roof, integrating lighting and sounds. These gently inform travellers when a bus is on approach. Secondly, the designers aimed to provide a comfortable space to ‘be’. Pods, looking like rigid, wooden jackets hanging from a giant timber roof, invite travellers to lean in them comfortably.

The Station of Being at Universum, located in the middle of the Umeå University Campus, is largely made out of locally grown and produced timber and the electrical power needed is provided by the Umeå hydropower generator.

Video > www.rombout.design/station-video

More Rombout Frieling lab > 25.10.2018

Photos: Samuel Pettersson