Station square project and area development, Herisau, Switzerland

Arriving, departing, transferring and lingering – the Bahnhofplatz is an interface between town and region. It offers direct and fast transfer connections (fast zones) and room for rest (slow zones). It also serves as an entry to the town. Herisau, near the city of St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland, has a unique opportunity to redefine the relationship between town and station, enhancing it as a point of entry, both logistically and symbolically.

Hosoya Schaefer Architects and Studio Vulkan won the Herisau Central Station Area Development Competition in 2014. By dividing the area into three long bands, parallel to the train tracks, a clear framework and sequence for the diverse functions and spaces was established. The rock face to the south and the linear arrangement of buildings to the north delimit a central band for the new bus terminal, small public squares, new anchor buildings, and a sequence of buildings and open spaces to the east.

In the second phase of the competition Hosoya Schaefer Architects and Studio Vulkan were tasked with designing the public space, bus terminal, parking, and pedestrian connections that make up the Bahnhofplatz. The overarching design strategy employs a single continuous ground surface that unites the essential fast and slow zones of the station spatially. A long roof structure, developed with Conzett Bronzini Partner, is situated centrally on the ground plane. At 7m high, 21m wide, and 120m long it organizes the public space and provides shelter and identity. Supported by eight columns, the roof is able to achieve spans of 47m with a thickness of only 15-37cm.  The central structure displaces a conventional central plaza, creating instead two intimate public spaces partially covered by the impressive cantilevered extensions at both ends of the roof. Visitors are encouraged to linger and enjoy the entrance to Herisau at their own pace.

In the wake of the bus terminal and station square a series of development projects are possible that will reposition the station area in the long term.