AZPML's rabat railway station proposal references north african architecture

AZPML’s rabat railway station proposal references north african architecture
all images by SBDA

international practice AZPML have released their ambitious masterplan and railway station proposal in the city of rabat in morocco. submitted as part of a competition, the design envisions the new station as a representation of the future urbanity and the deep-rooted history of the city.

the masterplan sees the development of two discreet buildings; aligned with the two avenues adjacent to the site and creating a land reserve and an urban park at the center. within the programmatic bands, commercial spaces, residential units and hotels will be integrated to drive the public use. this layout has the purpose of responding to an optimized acoustic environmental performance as well as a comfortable urban microclimate.

the interiors will feature retail and commercial opportunities

AZPML’s proposal exercises in working with the existing landmarks and scheme of rabat rather then erecting a signature building. using this strategy hopes for the masterplan to seamlessly merge with the traditional architecture in the city through form, texture and material. the façade features a lattice pattern which is often used in north africa and the middle east, while the iconic hassan tower is also a reference, the renders show the transport hub offering a distilled image of the tower – illustrated through the characteristic parallelepiped massing combined with a earthy color and texture.

the proposal hopes to represent the ancient culture of the city together with its modern development

see dutch firm mecanoo’s railway station proposal for the same competition here.

the lattice screen symbolizes the local architecture

throughout the station the important hassan tower monument can be seen