updates #2

The investigation to the selected three sites generated some criteria in evaluating whether a station is effective to act as an urban node / neighborhood center or not. However, this board will have to be reformatted in order to reduce my verbal explanation about it.

Potential Sites

After considering different criteria for site selection, I am now in favor of the following 4 stations. These sites include different conditions of the station, and each of them has very unique context. They will be used as case study sites for the thesis. Existing stations and their context will be analyzed and documented. The intention is to suggest alternate ways to perceive Metro stations in a broader context.

Farragut North Station
- Need capacity improvement
- Pedestrian pathway to Farragut West station
- Potential intersection station with the separated Blue Line
- Downtown underground station

New Carrollton Station
- Terminal station
- Interchange of Metro, Amtrak, and Purple Line
- Transit-Oriented Development
- Above grade station

Reston Parkway Station (Silver Line)
- Silver Line connects Dulles airport with Washington DC
- Mixed-use development
- Existing active neighborhood center
- Above grade station

Oklahoma Ave Station (North of RFK Stadium)
- Major Redevelopment envisioned by NCPC
- New station on Orange Line
- Potential intersection station with the separated Blue Line
- Strategic location: East gateway to the city
- With both above grade and underground conditions
- Proximity to Anacostia River

Site Issues

As I am still struggling with the site for my design proposal, I want to sort out some thoughts by this post.

1) Not a prototype
My thesis will debate for a localized station design versus a unify architectural theme. The intention is to tie the design of the station with the urban, socio-cultural and economic context of the neighborhood. Since each neighborhood has its own character, the design on different site will be different to reflect local needs and characters. I believe Metro station is a neighborhood center, which plays important role in shaping the image of the neighborhood.

2) Limitations in renovating existing underground stations
As I said in previous post, the concrete vaults of the existing underground stations create a strong image for the Metro system as well as the city, which I think it should be preserved unless with strong reasons. And technically, it is also challenging to renovate the underground station without disturbing the train operation and to justify the cost.

Yet I think it is still possible for me to have a site as existing underground station. I imagine it may be an existing station that intersects with a new line in the future. It would be interesting to see how the two come together if the two lines do not share track.

3) Strategic and important location
My thesis argues that strategic and important location of the stations will help justifying the need to consider metro stations to be more than infrastructure. For instance, a gateway to the city, stations along major axises of the city or memorial sites, terminal stations, key intersections of metro lines or intermodal stations are all potential sites for the thesis proposal.