How can a transit station orchestrate the flows of urban life?

Situated as an intermediary juncture between the suburbs and the city of northern Manila, Grand Station acts as a critical nexus within the city.

Through a series of methodical conceptual studies, CAZA reconceived the former railway and metro hub as a mixed-use retail space.

We centered our concept on the transitions around the actual architecture, rather than on the form itself. This allowed us to conceive of Grand Station as a “leftover” that enables the urban flows around it.

We created a seamless pedestrian circulation system and maintained the building’s existing structural links with all major railways. A sunken open-air garden at the heart of the cubic structure unifies the outdoor public platforms that connect to pedestrian streets and the elevated railway station.

Our design unites animated public spaces with varied shopping amenities, and asserts the site’s importance in the urban fabric. It effectively balances the programmatic activation of lifestyle amenities with an attentive respect to the station’s history.

• PROJECT TEAM: Carlos Arnaiz, Laura del Pino, Jessy Yang, Alex Tseng, Linnea Cook