Expo MRT Station
Text by Eugene Tan
The basic function of a train station is to provide shelter to passengers waiting to board or alight from carriages. The Expo Station brings this further by providing comfort to passengers using technology and making it a local landmark by adopting its iconic appearance.
Two dramatic roof structures announce the station: a stainless steel disc with a 40m diameter covering the ticket hall, and a 130m long ellipse (clad in titanium which requires little maintenance) sheltering the passenger concourse. The station serves the Singapore Exhibition Centre and is designed to handle up to 17,000 passengers per hour with its spacious passenger hall and sixteen fare gates.
In one of the warmest climates in the world, the choice of roof materials has an environmental significance. The stainless-steel soffit reflects daylight into the concourse, while the titanium cladding deflects the sun’s rays, creating a microclimate on the platform that is up to four degrees cooler than the surroundings.
Expo Station has a great symbolic value as an urban gateway. Being a public landmark, it ‘belongs’ to the masses and makes a statement for the nation. The look was said to symbolise the country’s willingness to experiment with new ideas and technology.
