sou fujimoto among architects for bus stop designs in krumbach, austria

sou fujimoto among architects for bus stop designs in krumbach, austria
(above) BUS:STOP sou fujimoto
image © 2014 adolf bereuter

seven international architects — engaged in close collaboration with regional partner offices and local craftspeople — have designed small shelters for the village of krumbach, austria in the bregenzerwald. ‘project BUS:STOP’ comprises the work of sou fujimoto, rintala eggertsson architects, architecten de vylder vinck taillieu, ensamble studio/antón garcia-abril and débora mesa, smiljan radic, amateur architecture studio/wang shu and lu wenyu, alexander brodsky who have visualized small-scale functional buildings in the public sphere for the local inhabitants. ‘BUS:STOP’ creates a dialogue with the people, landscape and local culture, building upon the traditions of skilled trade in the area. the project is currently exhibiting at vai vorarlberger architektur institut until august 2nd, 2014. in addition to the scale models, the exhibition presents photographs and film material about the making of the seven small-scale covered waiting areas.

‘our intention is to design a BUS:STOP where people can meet, enjoy the views, and that, furthermore, functions as a landmark in krumbach. both bus passengers and non-bus users can use this bus stop as a meeting point. everyone may climb the tower-like bus stop to enjoy panoramic views of krumbach. a transparent forest of columns can create interesting scenery in a site surrounded by nature.‘ — sou fujimoto

BUS:STOP DVVT
image © 2014 adolf bereuter

‘how it is possible that a simple idea of a roof originates from a constantly re-occurring vision of a sol lewitt drawing, and how that drawing was once positioned between doorbells and a light switch and how then, at one moment in the month of april, between winter and spring, white and colour made that drawing appear completely different and how then a bus stop had to be invented in that month of april.’ — architecten de vylder vinck taillieu of DVVT

BUS:STOP ensamble studio
image © 2014 adolf bereuter

‘ensamble studio’s BUS:STOP for krumbach explores the appropriation of a local technique –used to stack wood planks in the drying barns in the region – and translates it into an architectural space. a single assembly detail resolves both the mechanics and the rough aesthetics, resulting in a low-res construction process that can crystallize in many forms, ambiguous between the sculptural and the inhabitable. our bus:stop is just one of many possible improvisations.’ — ensamble studio

BUS:STOP rintala eggertson
image © 2014 adolf bereuter

‘the kressbad site has the immediate quality of directionality, where one does not want to turn one’s back on anything. one side, confronted with the landscape at a distance, waiting for the bus, alert and ready to get up for a ride, the other is facing a tennis match, focusing away from the road. the structure becomes the sum of these viewing activities, a gathering and organization of paths of attention. the resulting architecture is clad with wood shingles allowing the local high quality craftsmanship in wood to be showcased.’ — rintala eggertsson architects

BUS:STOP alexander brodsky
image © 2014 adolf bereuter

‘we tried to design a typical krumbach bus stop.‘ — alexander brodsky

BUS:STOP wang shu
image © 2014 adolf bereuter

‘this is a bus shelter, but not merely a bus shelter. it is like a 120 slr folding camera that people can sit in. it is not only an abstract lens, because the camera is built by local wood and craft. the lens focuses on the scenery, the symmetrical, the static; sunlight illuminates the interior as gentle breezes filter through it; our gaze is guided to the mountains far away. the symmetry of the camera will undoubtedly trigger symbolic implications, but this symmetry is broken by the sloped eaves at the side.’ — wang shu

BUS:STOP smiljan radic
image © 2014 adolf bereuter

‘I have seen a public space at peace in krumbach. urban exteriors seem to be the natural extension of small, protected interior spaces. zwing BUS:STOP seeks to express this domesticity. we have taken the ‘mould’ of a piece of a ‘stube’ and reproduced its beautiful height, its ceiling figures, and transformed its materiality to create a feeling of familiar estrangement.’ — smiljan radic

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