Saskia Tideman - Multi-modal Transport Hub

My multi-scalar proposal constitues a multi-modal transport hub for San Marino featuring a train station, park & ride facilities, bus stop and cable car station. These diverse functions are capped by the Ministry of Transport, whose location informs the governmental body into developing policy in-situ, surrounded by the vibrant buzz of a country in movement. The program of the project was chosen based on a contextual analysis.

This project stemmed from in-dept archival work that sought to understand the layers of history embedded in the territory in order to reconcile past identity with future needs. The concept responds to the context of the micro state within which small changes can have disproportionately big impacts on the country's networks.

Initial context research.

Vertical Mapping : topology within a networked territory.

The Republic of San Marino is located in Central Italy. It is entirely landlocked, located10 km from the Adriatic Coast. Its only transport connections are by road. The absence of an airport leads to a very high levels of dependence on Italy.

Tourism in San Marino contributes a large part of San Marino's GDP, with approximately 2 million tourists visiting per year. Most tourists who visit San Marino are Italian, usually consisting of people who come to spend holidays in the Romagna Riviera and decide to spend a half-day or at most a night in the country. The vast majority of these tourists travel by car due to the lack of appealing transport alternatives. This may be explained by lack of infrastructure. With an increasing local and tourist populations and an aging population, new collective modes of transport must be explored.

These photos depict the degradation of public space as the built environment struggles to accommodate the increasing number of privately owned vehicles. - Historic photos (Source unknown (n.d.)) and Google Map Street view (Oct 2010)

Air, Rail, Road, River : San Marino advertises itself as a transported oriented nation. The transport modes shown on the faded stamps above are currently non-existent, only driving remains.

Train links to Borgo Maggiore and beyond

(Source unknown, nd.)

Vehicular links to Borgo Maggiore and beyond

(Source unknown, nd.)

These historic photos demonstrate of the status of Borgo Maggiore as a gateway to the Città, through which all South bound routes from Rimini cross. Above, Borgo Maggiore is highlighted in white while transport routes are shown in orange. The train service begun in 1932 and stopped in WW2 due to bombings. It was never put back in service.

One road based travel remains.

Borgo Maggiore, just north of the historic core, presents itself as a transport node.

Oil Painting ‘Sanctus Marinus Italice San Marino. Sancti Marini Sub Urbium. Amsterdam 1702’ by Pierre Mortier

The self-written design brief outlines how project should remedy to multi-scalar issues through urban acupuncture by:

> Increasing car parking capacity locally without hindering the quality of the historic nuclei with a concealed multi-storey Park & Ride facility accommodating cars, bicycles and motorbikes.

> Providing access to alternative mediums of transport by linking parking to rail, bus and gondola stations.

> Increase pedestrian permeability in the local context by integrating the transport functions of the site in tandem with walking routes.

> Maintaining green space on-site and provide external public space.

Borgo Maggiore, a past, present and future node

Site Model of Mount Titano

Archival drawing of Borgo and the station, circa 1930s. San Marino Archives.

The proposal seeks to make used of the disused tunnel connection to the Citta.

Creating an artificial ground within Mt Titano and reconnecting to existing transport infrastructure

Creating an elevated platform providing a much need plaza in Borgo Maggiore.

Establishing datum levels matching th surroudning tropographic gradient to stack the program

Sectional concept

My proposal for Stazione Maggiore responds to the much needed reassessment of the country’s transport strategy and infrastructure. The multi-modal transport node invites San Marino into the future while reconciling with its past by bringing back to life century old tunnels. In the context of a rising demand in transport due to increasing local and touristic populations, the project calls for efficient and sustainable grouped transport solutions. This will enable the Città’s parking zones to be redeveloped, thus enhancing the UNESCO site.

The multi-modal transport hub features a train station, Park & Ride scheme, bus stop and cable car station. These diverse functions are capped by the Ministry of Transport, whose location informs the governmental body into developing policy in-situ, surrounded by the vibrant buzz of a country in movement. The building embraces the intricacies of blurred boundaries between public and private space, where the animated circulation paths offer glimpses into the many modes of transport. The terracing conceals the building’s mass within the cliff-like Southern site boundary while improving site permeability, inviting pedestrians to meander. Marrying the intention of place making with improvements made to existing transport infrastructure, Stazione Maggiore responds to both local and national issues through urban acupuncture.

The context of the micro state enables infrastructural projects to have a disproportionally big impact on their surroundings at both a local and transnational scale. Stazione Maggiore here enables improved access from Rimini which is well connected both by rail and air to Italy and beyond. Locally, the project engages with the fabric of the town of Borgo, its habits, routes and heritage infrastructure. The project was developed following the principle of circularity whereby buildings are built with dry construction methods and are fully dismountable.

Train station structure reusing the historic arched retaining wall (bold outline)..

Though the specification of key characteristics, the multi-storey carpark can be re-purposed to alternative purposes. Form and function are integrated to allow for an efficient climatic strategy. The different requirements of each part of the program are identified, and the climate control measures are bespoke to each space. The main features of the climatic strategy are thermal comfort, ventilation, lighting. Sustainable features are integrated to the design such as rain water collection and inter-seasonal thermal storage through geothermal piles.

Climate Strategy

Content by Saskia Tideman