Cityringen

The Cityringen metro line, consisting of 17 new underground stations, provides a loop around Copenhagen’s city centre. Cityringen focused on enhancing the traveler experience by putting the emphasis on passenger experience. The metro is a fully automated, high-frequency, driverless system and the stations do not have ticket barriers. Every station has two lifts that take passengers from the platform directly to street level, making the metro fully accessible for all. As commuters enter the stations, the clean station design helps them to see all the way down to platform level; and conversely, at platform level they can see the exit above. These clear lines of sight help people to easily navigate through the metro. The architectural approach across all 17 stations was to use a ‘kit-of-parts’ design. This led to a rational design and modular construction system. Durable self-finished surfaces were chosen to provide high-impact solutions with low maintenance requirements. Fittings and finishes, such as the wall cladding, were specified in 5.5m modules. This matches the module of the passenger screen doors used on each platform to separate passengers from the tracks, with the repetition of this module at all stations reinforcing the identity of the new metro line. Metro passengers can navigate from the street to the platform without feeling as though they are venturing underground. To achieve this, most of the 17 new stations feature skylights. The skylights also act as emergency air vents, thereby reducing the reliance on smoke ventilation systems. The lighting design is fully integrated with the architecture and uses the feature ‘origami ceilings’ as reflectors. Each station has an compact footprint of app 64m x 20m. In order to minimise their impact on the city during construction, stations were placed under existing parks and squares. This has allowed new landscaped plazas to be created above many stations. The new line is an example of elegant, efficient and intuitive station design, centred on delivering an effortless and enjoyable travel experience for Copenhagen’s citizens and visitors, and building on the strengths of the city’s existing system. It proves that the architecture of rail systems can contribute greatly to a city’s identity, with a sustainable design that can be maintained cost-effectively, long into the future.