Union Pearson Express
Winkreative Design Stories
UP Express
2011 - 2014
Metrolinx, Toronto; Winkreative, London
Toronto, Canada
Four rail stations
Hosoya Schaefer Architects AG, Zürich (Design Guidelines)
Direct commission 2011
Winkreative, London
Zeidler Partnership Architects (Union Station), Adamson Associates Architects (Pearson Airport), Aecom (Bloor and Weston)
Architron, Zürich
Tom Arban
The Union Pearson Express connecting Pearson Airport with Downtown Toronto aims to reinvent public transport in North America. With a comfortable, seamless, and holistic design, the UP express links to local, suburban traffic hubs, creating new connections and sparking new developments within Toronto’s expanding public transport network. The stations were designed by various local offices working in a diverse set of project organizations. Yet, the goal was to achieve a unified image. Hosoya Schaefer was asked by Winkreative to develop a design for all stations as well as a coherent architectural language and to coordinate it with the architects already commissioned.
The design of the main stations at Pearson Airport, the suburban stations at Weston and Bloor and at Union Station follows a consistent experience relating to local, natural materials. Floating wooden ceiling sculptures create a unified sense of place and zones of comfort across all stations. Architectural thresholds mark transitions to the surroundings and provide orientation in time and space. The Architectural Design Manual describes the overarching architectural concepts as well as all design features for the stations, providing precise input for local designers and all brand-related interfaces.
Winkreative Design Stories
Monocle, issue 89
Morgentalquartier, Wetzikon, 2020 –
Program: Housing
Current state: Phase 51 and 52, under construction
Haus Myrte, Wädenswil, 2022 –
Program: Transformation of historical building
Current state: Phases 51 and 52, under construction
Station Square and Roof, Herisau 2015 –
Program: Station square, station roof, bus roof
Current state: Phase 41, under construction (partially)
MEWA-Areal, Wädenswil, 2018 –
Program: Culture, Restaurant, Housing, Retail
Current state: Phase 31, preliminary design
Wilhelmsburg Rowing Clug, Wilhelmsburg (D), 2020 –
Program: Clubhouse, boat hall
Current state: Execution Pla
House A, Geneva, 2021 –
Program: Residential house
Current state: Renovation, ongoing
Primary School Christoph Merian, Basel, 2019 –
Program: School
Current state: ongoing
Herriberg-Feldmeilen station, 2020 –
Program: Retail, housing, bus yard
Current state: framework plan
Airport Engadin, St. Moritz, 2020 –
Current phase: construction project
Cooperative Housing, Wetzikon, 2020 –
Current phase: tender
Fabrik.sg, 2020 –
Current phase: Project phases design to operation
Boulevard, ETHZ Hönggerberg Campus, 2020 –
Program: Campus Boulevard redesign (with Studio Vulkan)
Current state: ongoing
Viererfeld, Bern, 2018 –
Program: Housing
Current state: on hold
Bahnhof Romanshorn, 2022 –
Current state: study (with Sudio Vulkan)
Kaserne Aarau, 2022 –
Current state: urban framework
Areale Wittenbach, 2022 –
Current state: urban design commission
Stiftungsareal Neumünster, 2022 –
Current state: study
Kieler Schloss, 2022 –
Current state: Public think tank on usage and architecture
Campus Heidelberg, 2021 –
Current state: Masterplan process, in-depth studies
Otterbach Süd, 2020 –
Current state: urban framework plan
Innovation Park Bergedorf, 2020 –
Current state: urban framework
Station Area Dietikon, 2019 –
Current state: urban framework plan
Campus Bochum, 2018 –
Current state: project support
Metalli, Zug, 2017 –
Current state: project support
Bahnstadt Nürtingen, 2017 –
Current state: project support
Areal Neugasse Zürich, 2016 –
Current state: completion of master plan, public consultation
Elbinselquartier Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg, 2015 –
Current state: project support
Tech Cluster Zug, 2015 –
Current state: transformation plan
Station Herisau, 2013 –
Current state: areal development
KNZ Wil West, Thurgau / St. Gallen, 2011 –
Current state: project support
Metaverse, 2022 –
Current state: ongoing
Entwicklungskonzept Würzenbach, 2022 –
Current state: ongoing
ESP Hochdorf, 2021 –
Current state: spatial-urban as well as use- and circular-based development concept
Deep Urbanism, 2021 –
Current state: ongoing
cividi gmbh – civic data intelligence, 2019 –
Digital tools for the analogue city
Current state: ongoing