In Sweden, the world's first public transport stop was created, designed specifically for the Arctic region for countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada, the United States (Alaska). What is interesting is that in just a few weeks of the operation of such a stop, passenger traffic increased by 35 percent. Mayors, take note!)
The Rombout Frieling Lab architecture bureau in Eindhoven, together with the Swedish State Research Institutes, created a public transport stop designed for cold and windy climates. The design decision for the stop called Station of Being (State of Being) is not based on artificial heating, but on the behavior of people in general. The architects took into account the fact that in winter, passengers prefer to stand rather than sit at stops, so instead of benches for seating, individual fences made of natural wood were proposed, which can be leaned on. Such fences completely protect against snow and, moreover, rotate, so you can turn away from the wind and blizzards.
The research institute has established a very interesting pattern, we quote: “We found out that one of the reasons why people prefer their own car to public transport is the need for personal space for each person. That is why we came up with wooden structures that hang from the ceiling and allow people to comfortably settle in their own cocoon place. ”
In addition, they believe that the need to peer hard into the distance, waiting for transport, creates an emotional burden for a person. We, unfortunately, no one even has such questions ... Therefore, in the new stop pavilion you can completely relax and close your eyes - lighting and a jingle (special sound signal) will notify you when the bus is approaching. Of course, in Ukraine this is difficult to imagine, we would say it is almost impossible even, but we hope that the more people read / see / find out, the more demanding our society will become. Thoughtfulness lies even in the jungle. Each route has its own sound and light identification - the bus stop is equipped with smart sensors.
At the same time, such a stop consumes as much electricity as a regular one. The prototype was commissioned by the authorities of the city of Umea, where it was installed.
We, at deZZign, hope that in Ukraine we will begin to design a public space based on what people need for their present needs, and not for a tick. Projects such as this move our world forward, creating ergonomics that are right for their climate and specifics! Bravo, Swedes!
The Bigger Lesson
What makes Station of Being worth talking about isn't the technology - it's the underlying method. The research team started from actual observed behavior instead of assumptions about what a bus shelter is supposed to look like, and let that behavior dictate the design. That's a genuinely transferable principle for any human-centered space, public or private: watch how people actually use a place before deciding how it should be built, rather than defaulting to the standard solution because it's familiar.
