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Swiss Firm Offers Bubbly Shelter to Bus Travelers

Swiss Firm Offers Bubbly Shelter to Bus Travelers

As of late bus stops are proving to be unexpectedly fertile grounds for architectural innovation. Swiss architects Vehovar & Jauslin are the latest to try their hand at the task in the form of a seemingly floating structure that provides shelter for a bus hub in Aarau, Switzerland. The canopy was realized with the help of engineering firm formTL who appear well-versed in undertakings of a similar ilk.

The covering’s cool tone derives from a blue-tinged upper membrane that filters through a clear underbelly. This ETFE-foil skin is printed with a bubble-pattern and filled with air to create a curved surface. A steel ring hugs the canopy’s perimeter and helps to protect its fragile inflated contents.

The entire amoeba-like form sits atop metallic columns that double as light sources once night falls. Sheltering a ground area of 10,764 square feet, the structure is pierced by a central three-pronged opening that welcomes natural light into the station. The project was first begun some nine years ago before its eventual completion late last year.


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