Putrajaya is a model new sustainable city initiative undertaken by the Malaysian government to create a new capital. Fundamental to the planning of the new city is the full integration of transportation infrastructure and the design of a monorail rapid transit system. The Malaysian government enlisted VIA Architecture to develop a station prototype that would create a welcoming, light-filled point of reference in the urban landscape. The design is a modern, regional re-interpretation of the European subway entrance canopy tradition. The resulting strong form conveys both shelter from the weather and welcome to the transit system beneath the street.

VIA effectively developed an innovative, sustainable solution to the problem of ventilation, cooling and lighting for the underground stations. To save considerable cost over the construction of conventional cooling towers, architects transformed linear, decorative fountains located in the adjacent ceremonial boulevard into cooling ponds. In addition, VIA designed the shape of the canopies to act as a scoop that encouraged the flow of natural ventilation to the spaces below.

Modulation and perforation of the canopy surface created a dappled light, providing a visual transition from low underground lighting levels to bright daylight at the surface. In the evening when cooler outdoor temperatures encourage greater urban activity, the illuminated shelters act as focal points in the city landscape.

Designed to be fabricated from the same materials and in the same manufacturing plant as the new subway cars, the shelters became not only an additional source of cost savings but an expression of local craft and technology as well.

Typical of our firm's approach to sustainable infrastructure, these structures use creativity and technical understanding to achieve cost-effective solutions that are not dependant on traditional patterns of energy consumption.