Rosa Parks Transit Center

Rosa Parks Transit Center is located in Detroit. Named after the African American activist for human rights, this station plays an important role in the transportation network of the city. Detroit is well known as the center of American car industry, so everything related to transport has a special significance in this city. This is one of the reasons why such an attractive structure was selected for the design of this transit center. The design team is FTL Design Studio, the same one that made the design for the Sun Valley Music Pavilion. The covered area is about 4500 m2, and consists of terminals and a building with amenities.

The open membrane structure is divided in seven identical parts. These parts consist of a double curved membrane, one A column, and edge beams. Edge beams in transverse directions are made as trusses and curve-shaped. They are positioned between every two parts of the structure, and also at the two opposite ends of the structure. Since they are not covered by membranes, there is a gap in between membranes which lets the rain and snow through the structure. Longitudinal edge beams positioned at one side of the structure impair the good impression about the structure. Their role is in providing longitudinal stability, but it seems not much thought has been given to their esthetics. They appear to be heavy and disturb the overall architectural idea. The A columns serve as supports for the membrane structure. Their height is about 30 meters, and their supports are about 20 meters apart.

The membrane structure has a very attractive and unusual shape. To get this shape two simple cones on rectangular bases were used, one pointed up and one pointed down. In such a way, rainwater from both cones is collected in one place, and it can be used for different purposes right at the transit center. The span of the structure is not very large, about 15 meters in transverse and 35 meters in longitudinal direction. The two-cone shape is repeated in every seven parts of the structure. PTFE material was used for the structure. The advantages of PTFE over PVC membrane are a longer lifespan of about 30-40 years, and a higher tensile strength [4]. However, it is more expensive and harder to produce. The main reason for selecting PTFE membrane is its ability to resist dirt because of the top coating layer that is made out of teflon which does not hold on the dirt from the polluted air in big cities like Detroit. The downside is that PTFE membrane has the brownish color after installation, and needs to be exposed to sunlight for a certain period of time to get the final white color.

It has to be pointed out that the biggest issue about the structure of the Rosa Parks Transit Center structure is its openness. This is solely a functional deficiency, since it does not provide sufficient protection from either the rain or the sunlight. This could have been prevented by altering the form of the structure, with minor structural changes. However, the visual appearance of the structure as it is, is very beautiful. An especially nice visual effect is achieved at night when the structure is lit by artificial lighting. The light sources are positioned so they emphasize the curved form of the structure. At night this transit center becomes a visual landmark, like lighthouses used in maritime transport.

Excerpt from: masterbuilder

Vuk Milosevic, Nikola Cekic,
Miomir Vasov , Milos Dacic
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Nis