Chicago Union Station / Graft Architects

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Union Station, by Germany-based Graft Architects will treat the user group as two: the traveler and the inhabitant.

The traveler has a destination, a purpose, a need to get through the process as efficiently as possible. The penetration into the site will be minimal; the tickets purchased en route, the space and time between the city and the outbound areas are optimized. The inhabitant seeks an extended stay; the coffee shop, the sunday morning market, life anchored to the city. The station becomes a rock jutting out of a raging river. The place of the inhabitant is at the center of the chaos, a place to better experience the city, a place to relax, a place to watch the chaos unfold.

The station serves as infrastructure for the city. It’s not a singular building, a place confined by boundaries.
The interface with the city is blurred, inside and outside undefined.

Seen at designboom. More images after the break.

 
 
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lex says:

unbelievable bad “renders”

 
# April 12, 2009 at 11:50
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Balkan says:

Mars ATTACKS!!!!!!!!!!:)))))

 
# April 12, 2009 at 12:55
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JAE says:

would like to see a section

 
# April 12, 2009 at 12:55
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Lucas Gray says:

Is this monstrosity actually being built or is it just a proposal? The more I see of Graft’s work the less I am impressed.

 
# April 12, 2009 at 13:32
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Fino says:

Are people even doing architecture anymore?

that is all.

 
# April 12, 2009 at 13:39
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pedja says:

once upon a time,this would have been considered attractive,fresh,new,futuristic but really,it’s just 100% pure ****

 
# April 12, 2009 at 15:05
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mvm says:

people
people
you have to consider that right now, we are in a recession and architecture firms are cutting their budget down, so they are letting go of the people qaulified and hiring unqualified for a cheaper price, meaning ideas and quality standards are lower

 
# April 12, 2009 at 16:26
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ericwest says:

i love interior renders but the ex terior …huhm too alien >.<

 
# April 12, 2009 at 22:56
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rossi says:

Bad renders? It’s bad fullstop, if it was good architecture the renders as they are would be good too…. it shouldn’t matter is what I’m saying.

 
# April 13, 2009 at 04:50
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mac says:

What a load of cr..! This is even beyond

 
# April 13, 2009 at 11:07
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NMiller says:

That is the most incoherent concept statement I have read in a long time… on top of poorly choreographed space making and bad representation. what is this? 2nd year studio?

 
# April 13, 2009 at 11:46
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architecture student, train user, american citizen says:

I was just using Union Station last week… I really hope these changes to it don’t happen. Chicago is a city that has always been innovative in many areas of architecture, but by dumping all they’ve learned when this thing was designed is just awful. Chicago has a heritage, a built tradition, and brains. Look at the new developments in grant park and the new Gehry stuff… looks different than what has previously been built but it doesn’t intrude into the city – it offers what it is as a compliment to existing structures.

 
# April 13, 2009 at 18:22
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Luke says:

is that an… airship?

 
# April 13, 2009 at 20:40
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cutie says:

It is so easy to criticize something. Haters!

 
# April 13, 2009 at 21:50
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simba says:

wow if this is architecture to someone, then i’m disgusted at some people’s innovations.

 
# April 13, 2009 at 22:46
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blubba says:

This is so unbelievable arrogant to its context – I’am stunned!

 
# April 14, 2009 at 13:51
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jonasll says:

indeed, 2nd year studio

 
# April 14, 2009 at 13:54
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E says:

Is that a zeppelin port?!? Who the hell designed this, Bucky Fuller? What a travesty.

 
# April 14, 2009 at 14:46
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Steven says:

The art is nice.

 
# April 14, 2009 at 16:44

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