Reservoir Station revitalises the civic heart of a burgeoning suburb, with a design that references its historic character and looks to the future.
Genton’s urban design led approach unifies the previously bisected High Street, to create a beacon for the suburb that is truly ‘of Reservoir’.
Elevating the tracks created the opportunity of reconnecting Edwardes Street and Broadway – the former on-grade station being an obstacle between the two – linking the central community and retail spine, catalysing pedestrian activation, enhancing accessibility and public safety, and providing newly landscaped public spaces to bring the community together.
Wrapped in a translucent canopy, the design creates a striking civic landmark defining the suburban centre. Both form and materiality are inspired by Reservoir’s history as the key water infrastructure of Melbourne. Viewed up close or in motion by commuters, the canopy’s angles and undulations interact with light in a manner that reflects the nature of rippling water.
Set at an opposing angle, the addition of a secondary canopy creates an archway to frame the visual connection between Edwardes Street and Broadway. The facade’s perforated, anodised skin serves a dual purpose for the station, balancing the requirements for weather protection with the desire for views, air and light to produce a space that feels uplifting and joyful for daily commuters.
The station and precinct are designed to exceed functional requirements of a train station – such as platforms, ticketing offices, communal waiting areas and amenities. The layout of the station entry creates a public forecourt designed as a steppingstone between the major roads surrounding the station, and a comfortable resting point for pedestrians moving between Edwardes St and Broadway.
Comprehensive design and materiality reviews ensured delivery of optimal value to the client, with an open station under canopy design selected to reduce cost and increase amenity for users. Material costs were considered over the project lifecycle and intended to minimise maintenance requirements – such as the anodised aluminium finish to the screen, solid raw materials including polished precast concrete and stainless steel, and brickwork in the station forecourt which alludes to the suburban inter-war and post-war Architecture of the area.
Genton worked closely with engineers KBR and landscape architects McGregor Coxall to maximise sustainability initiatives on the project - including 100% responsibly sourced steel and 92% reduction in operational water use compared to standard practice, in addition to innovations such as trialling glass fines in concrete mix – leading to the station becoming the first in Australia to be receive a 5 Star Greenstar As-Built rating.
