23 SUL Changes Morumbi Underground Train Station Into a Fresh One

Due to the arrangement of spaces that were previously less friendly to pedestrian footing, an underground Morumbi Train Station located in Sao Paulo, Brazil needs a major overhaul, especially on the upper floor and first floor underground. Metropolitan Transportation Company Sao Paulo appoints 23 SUL to change the Subway Station to be better.

the process of building a subway station that is integrated with the bus terminal

Judging from the construction that has been done at the Station Morumbi Subway before then Transportation Company Metropolitan Sao Paulo has guidelines for changing stations with executive architectural design, supporting urbanization, and arranging landscapes that can reflect visual communication. 

bus terminal integrated with subway station

The changes made by 23 SUL are very significant, namely by regulating the horizontal and vertical circulation. Starting from the road area for the pedestrian area that is made wider so that visitors can put their things to bring. Laying and placement of circulation areas vertically and horizontally are strategically placed, so that they can create wide access, the configuration of the lobby area as circulation main, and unify the access between the Subway Station and with Bus Station. 

a roof structure that casts a shadow like a mosaic

wide area of human circulation and minimal vertical support

In addition, changes are also seen in the design of the station roof. Form the roof is a large flat roof, with a colored metal frame white and supported by slender metal pillars and concrete walls. Closing the roof as a whole uses transparent and opaque glass material. With this material, natural light from outside can be drawn in underground floors, then reflecting its light properties from the walls concrete goes to areas that are difficult to get the sunlight directly from.

The roof truss structure intersects with the material's opaque transparent glass producing a mosaic-like shadow, the movement of which is stable and directional according to the direction of movement of sunlight.

subway station situation

underground horizontal circulation

With such a contextual design, Morumbi Train Station underground received several awards such as; the Biennial of Architecture of Sao Paulo 12th, XI Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (Biau), 5th Institute of Architecture Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Award, Award APCA 2019 - “Urban” Category, IAB Awards 2019 - “Culture Category and Institutions”, and the 2019 IAB Awards - “Mixed Structure” Category. The architectural design applied provides a relief visual experience as well as light, majestic appearance, and quality of vertical circulation and adequate horizontal.