New Tramdepot Bern
A regular, stripe-shaped jointed hall forms the covering structure for the new tram depot Bern.
With its simple shape the building succeds in negotiating the internal requirements regarding economic efficiency and organisation, as well as the external constrains such as the irregular shaped perimeter and the long, narrow and skew-angular site, and translating it into a succinct form.
The geometry of the hall arises from the operational need for a maximum column-free, unobstructed parking area, based on the length of a tram type (42. 5 m) and the demands of the necessary
curve radii, tramway loading gauges and ty distances to the ideal vehicle circulation.
The glass roof is supported by a shedstructure comprised of steel framework trusses with coulmn- free spans of up to 90 m (phase 3).
One single row of steel columns separates the parking area from the service areas and train wash facility, the wheel maintainance garage and the storage unit. Besides, it serves as a vertical connector between the underground ducts and the installations at the ceiling (catenaries,, lighting, sprinkler system,, etc.). The lifting gates of the front facade with gate heights up to 10 m open and close vertically.
To provide longitudinal bracing the internal and external columns are constructed with geometries. They are mapped as a basic motive of the facade in structure and rhythm of the facade from and thus inform the overall appearance of the building. The static height of the cross beams results from the possibilitiy to expand the hall coulmn-free. For the future expansion phases (phase 2 and 3) the existing facades can be dismantled and the trusses can be extended:
Phase 1: Area ca.13’000 m2 / Volume ca.130’000 m3
Phase 2: Area ca.16’000 m2 / Volume ca.165’000 m3
Phase 3: Area ca.20’000 m2 / Volume ca.210’000 m3
The external appearance of the hall is characterized by the lightness of the glass-aluminium cover. The use of white glass, the special surface texture (type Solar) and the shifted layering (1/2 grid) lead to an ever changing expressions depending on the light conditions.
Under grazing light conditions a strong similarity occurs between the white colour of the glass, the matt light of the surface and the shiny aluminium skin, lending the building a sculptural expression. At the same time, the fine array of shifted vertical joints between the u-shape glass profiles produces a soft textile appearance. Under certain light conditions the red tram trains, signals and the pattern of lines displaying the steel trusses are shimmering through the translucent skin.
At night the building changes into a bright lantern. Inside, the light occurs in the rhythm of the
shedstructure, partly directly, partly reflected, illuminating the interstices between the sheds, modulating the mood of the building.
The colourscheme in anthracite (graphite coating of the wood) and black (steel) generates a quiet background in front of which the vehicles are staged.
The large areas of glazing between the trusses and across the facades provides optimum solar
gain and allow to operate the building without a heating system. To avoid overheating during the summer, vent flaps in the lower facade and in the upper sheds can be opened for air circulation over night.
Rainwater drainage is directed across the inclined surfaces of the longitudinal facades, collected in the lateral channels and recycled in the train wash facility. 2’000m2 of solar collectors on the roof surfaces with southern exposure contribute to the sustainablity of the building.
Open design competition, 1.Prize
Design development as of 2007, Construction 2009 – 2011
Location: Bolligenstrasse 62-68, 3006 Bern
Consultants
Gleisbau: Basler & Hofmann, Zürich und Bernmobil
Betriebshofsteuerung: Hanning & Kahl, Oerlinghausen
Fahrleitungen: Furrer + Frey, Bern
Elektro: Herzog Kull Group, Schlieren
HLKS: PGMM Schweiz, Winterthur
Sicherheit: Gruner, Basel
Gebäudesimulation: AFC Air Flow Consulting, Zürich
Bauphysik: BAKUS Bauphysik & Akustik, Zürich
Landschaftsarchitektur: Raymond Vogel Landschaften, Zürich
