Public Transport Authority (PTA) Perth Underground Information Pods

Full description

RESEARCH BACKGROUND:
Construction of new underground platforms in Perth's CBD railway station has changed the way that passengers use the station. Iredale pedersen hook were commissioned to design a pair of information 'pods' that would provide a clearly identifiable presence for the Perth Transport Authority and maximise the opportunity to innovate public transit.

RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION:
Drawing on the technology of car manufacture, the pods were assembled from components that clipped onto a core structural frame. Appearing as aerodynamic vehicles, the glowing, green 'pods' hover over escalators, providing dynamics and atmospherics to the nondescript circulation space that surrounds them. This construction approach is driven by the logistics of building over an escalator, and it embraces the culture and aesthetics of vehicles and mobility, while minimising material wastage. 'Transperth Green' is applied to the exterior Alucabond shell of each pod providing an immediate identity to the transport network. The clear structural glazing of the front elevation exposes the activity of the information centre to the underground station entry. Internally the individual network line colours are present in the display cabinets that hold corresponding coloured brochures for each of routes.

RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE:
The project was published in AR magazine, Australian Design Review (Geoff Warn, 'Perth Transport Authority Underground Information Centre, 8 Dec 2010); and in e-architect, UK ('PTA Pods, Murray Street Mall, 7 Sept 2010). The PTA Info Pods received the National Award for Sustainability at the Dulux Colour Awards and won the National Staron Design Award and received a commendation in the Iwan Iwanoff Award for Small Project Architecture in the 2010 RAIA WA Chapter Architecture Awards.