Glenroy Station

Redefining the suburb’s heart with a central public plaza, the Glenroy Station project strengthens pedestrian connections between the retail centre and new development areas through the creation of a public forecourt spanning the rail trench and above the platforms. Commissioned by the North Western Program Alliance, as a part of the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project, the project sees the removal of the level crossing at Glenroy Road, through which 19,000 vehicles pass daily. Transforming the centre of Glenroy, the station precinct provides new green public spaces, linking the east and west sides of the rail corridor for safe public access, and resolving the competing needs of trains, buses, vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians operating in a small area. Genton’s urban design strategy involved relocating the station away from the heavily trafficked intersection at Glenroy Road, to prioritise pedestrianisation through the creation of a bridge linking the retail centre of Glenroy to the eastern side of the corridor to catalyse new opportunities for urban renewal. Inspired by the basalt plains on which the site sits, a translucent canopy of perforated, anodised aluminium covers the station, forming a bold structure that allows for permeability through the station while maintaining visibility and safety. The scale of the station building is designed to appear grounded in the landscape, and over time to blend in with surrounding greenery as the landscape matures in future years. Within the station, the soffit of the canopy and internal walls are a vibrant copper tone, a striking accent that creates a warm, light environment for commuters. The bridge link was widened to 14 metres to enhance connectivity between Post Office Place and Hartington Street at the ground plane, making the project more than a train station by encouraging pedestrian movement between both sides of the tracks. Landscape and material prompts are employed to carefully and subtly separate cyclist and pedestrian zones. Collaborating with landscape architects Mala Studio, the project includes a new linear park running from the station entrance to Glenroy Road that will provide pleasant passage between the activity centres of Post Office Place and Wheatsheaf Road. A linear bus interchange minimises space requirements for those in transit. Genton – Architect. MALA Studio – Landscape Architect. John Holland Group - Builder. KBR - Engineer. Metro Trains Melbourne - Operator.