Architecture firm Mecanoo has announced the opening of the first phase of its new train station and city hall complex in Delft, Netherlands.
Together with municipal offices and city hall, the station sits above a new train tunnel being built to replace the old concrete viaduct that has divided the city since 1965.
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Mecanoo creative director Francine Houben said: "When you look outside, you see the city and the old station as a modern ‘View of Delft’ by the painter Johannes Vermeer.
"Arriving in Delft is now an unforgettable experience!"
The design was led by Mecanoo’s Francesco Veenstra, who aimed to integrate the character of Delft’s past and modern day.
Dutch firm Benthem Crouwe has designed the station platforms below ground.
The station has a vaulted ceiling with a historical 1877 map of Delft and its surroundings, connecting it with the city hall currently under construction.
Walls and columns within the station hall are adorned with a re-interpretation of Delft Blue tiles.
The glass facade of the building reflects the Dutch skies and the panels of fused glass with lens-like spheres provide a window design visible throughout the city.
A high degree of energy-efficiency can be achieved through the combination and rhythm of open panels of glass and closed fused glass panels, the architecture firm said.
The lowered roof lines at the corners of the station provide a gradual transition towards the existing small-scale development of the city centre and the adjacent Wester Quarter.
Image: Delft’s new railway station designed by Mecanoo. Photo: courtesy of Tycho Muller.
