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Top: Park Station entrance.
Top: Rosebank Station entrance.
Planning the stations
follow the general guidelines – the two elements of the architectural design that have to permeate throughout all structures are the wavy roof reminiscent of the top formation of the acacia tree and the trunk and branch structure of the tree. These elements are applied to the station buildings, bus shelters, parking facilities and even the emergency shafts.”
A consortium of architectural practices was formed to establish the architectural guidelines for the structures. The firms that came together are Bentel Associates International, Siyakha Architects, and TPSP Architects, to form the Gautrain Architects Joint Venture (GAJV). One of the main consultants involved in developing the guidelines is architect, Tom Steer. He was involved in many of the preparation stages before any of the tenders were awarded and has been intimately involved in the conceptualisation of the stations. “Each station has a macro and micro influence that we had to consider,” he says. “The Gauteng province’s motto is ‘strength in diversity’ and we decided that each station should have its own theme to create some interest for the commuters. The themes, however, must still
Above: Sandton Station entrance.
The themes chosen for the stations celebrate the diversity of cultures in South Africa as well as the wealth that we enjoy in terms of resources, technology, financial strength, our history, our political standing in Africa and our people. They are: › Park Station – people, mining and gold; › Rosebank – commerce and retail; › Sandton – finance and investment; › Marlboro – music, art and culture;
Above: Marlboro Station exterior.