Terminal Hoenheim

Zaha Hadid’s 2001 Terminal Hoenheim is located in the suburbs of east France in the city of Strasbourg. Hadid’s idea behind the design was to encourage people to leave their cars outside of the city to help alleviate the congestion and pollution within the city.  The design included a train station and a car parking area for 700 cars. She wanted to create an energetic space that defined its function and purpose to the users while maintaining open circulation that optimizes natural light.  Part of Hadid’s design was to give the space an ever changing identity and to do this she created a contrast between black tarmac and white lines. This was to give the illusion of an  “imaginary shadow” which would link the train station to the parking lot.

 Hadid wanted to create a three dimensional space that was enhanced by its playful use of light. She uses lines that overlap one another to show the continuous movement. Whether they are painted on lines or light lines that come together to create an attractive space that defines the programs spaces of waiting, storage, toilets, shops and parking.

To create the ever-changing space Hadid divided the parking lot into two parts known as magnetic fields. The magnetic fields are the white lines that define the spaces where cars are constantly coming and going.  She placed a light post on the line of each parking space that was opposite of the color of the ground and line in order to give the “imaginary shadow.

The model shown shows the over hang structure and how when light is casted through the openings it reflect the lines of the parking spaces. I think Hadid was successful in showing three-dimensional movement through this approach but the approach she used outside is not as strong. It is hard to understand the concept she wanted to achieve in daylight. Instead it looks like a bunch of stationary light posts that do not reflect the constant movement of cars and light.

The cutout shows how the lines in the roof create the lines of the parking spaces on the plain concrete ground. I think this a great way to show how light changes a space at different times of the day.