RETAINING LETTERS

Three immense concrete letters mark the southern entrance to Jena Bus Station and act as support for a spectacular roof which shelters 8 bus stops from both sun and rain. The motion and mobility inherent in transportation and traffic are represented by the roof’s sinuous wing-like profile. The roof itself consists of a central IPE beam, surrounded by steel struts. At the outer edge, these struts are linked by round poles, and more poles act as bracing to ensure additional stiffness. An aluminium profile substructure is mounted on this frame and it, in turn, supports the roof cladding. Using ALUCOBOND® meant that curved elements could be created accurately without any buckling or distortion. The selected finish in Sunrise Silver Metallic imparts a tangible lightness, and three-dimensional elements made of glass-fibre reinforced plastic were painted in the same colour, making them indistinguishable from the façade panels from the exterior. The selected surface offered yet another advantage: the exterior lighting is mounted upside down and, when it is dark, the roof is illuminated from below. The uplights turn the roof into one immense reflector. The diffuse, uniform illumination ensures no harsh shadows are cast and that alternating light and dark zones are kept to a minimum. Two functional buildings complete the ensemble. A break room for employees is located at the southwest edge of the bus station. The waiting room for passengers with integrated kiosk and toilet facilities, providing seating and protection from the weather, is snugly incorporated into the layout of the bus station. Both buildings are rendered in a warm red tone and create a pleasant contrast to the metallic roof. Architect: Deckert Mester Architekten, Erfurt, Germany Fabricator: Henke AG NL Dresden, Germany Year of Construction: 2010 Product: ALUCOBOND® metallic colours Sunrise Silver Metallic Photos: Deckert Mester Architekten