Architect's Statement
Whilst considering the special and utilitarian requirements set by the School, our prime design generators are as follows:

• We remind ourselves that this is a building in the Tropics and in Asia;
• The wind, the sun and the rain infused with the Asian spirit shall help shape the building. In this project we have attempted to establish that `the reality of a room is to be found in the space enclosed by the roof and walls, not in the roof and walls themselves' as the ancient Chinese sage Lao Tze revealed to us some 2,500 years ago. This reality transcends Time and Place;
• The mature trees on site, rather than being seen as getting in the way of development, were retained to 'co-exist' with our development. We have gently 'bent' the building along the main North facade to accommodate two existing trees. The canopy is also shaped by these trees;
• And of course, not forgetting the children and staff who are the prime users - here, we introduced some elements of fun... a sense of playfulness and discovery within the spatial elements. This resulted in the entire sections of classrooms being lifted above the ground level to create an "undercroft" play area, with steps leading to the playing fields doubling up as seating, thus, taking advantage of the 1.5m difference in levels between the existing School and the playing fields.
• 'Pods', bean-shaped holes are carved out of the "pilotis" to make the undercroft spatially 'light and fun' for the children.
• Overhanging roof eaves, up to 5m deep together with generous flowing 3m corridors are introduced to provide shade from the western sun. These also encourage cross-ventilation through the building. The corridors also serve as spectator viewing stands over the playing fields.

Reproduced with permission from : architecture ASIA Issue 1 / March 2003 - May 2003

Alignment

The ERL service adopts a direct link between KL Sentral and KLIA The CRS service on the other hand, stops over at three intermediate stations in Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS), Putrajaya and Salak Tinggi (STS). For a distance of 17km the rail link follows the existing rail corridor alignment between Brickfields and Serdang. From here on, a new alignment of 40km has been laid, between Serdang and the airport, for a combined total of 57 km, which allows a train to take no more than 30 minutes to complete the whole distance. The new alignment, which allows for operating speeds of 160 km/h, and a high frequency service, will initially be operated by a total of six 4-car trains every 15 minutes. By the year 2020 the frequency is likely to be increased to 10 minutes with up to eight 8-car trains.

The ERL services bring a new face and concept altogether to rail transportation in Kuala Lumpur, and in many ways, takes the city to the same status as other developed cities such as London, Oslo, Stockholm, Milan and Hong Kong, cities that already have similar high speed rail links. Together with other transportation infrastructure initiatives in the city, the ERL services have helped transform the travel lifestyle of locals. However, some elements of service are more than a notch higher than the rest. For instance, travel time between the city and KLIA is just 28 minutes, a speed unmatched by other means of surface transport currently available; the service frequency also allows commuters to plan and manage their time more accurately. In addition, travellers departing from KL CAT can check-in for their flight and check their baggage through as well. This means passengers are then free to relax prior to their flight: to walk around, make calls, use the internet, have a meal or do some shopping.

Station Design

At the basic level, the Malaysian identity is seen in the ceilings, walls and floors. These, due to the large scale of the spaces, are the areas most visible to and create the most impact on passengers. The interior design of the departure and arrival concourse is an attractive space with raking steel columns supporting gentle curved ceilings. The geometric floor pattern is generated from a conceptual woven pattern evocative of traditional Malaysian handicraft. The entire layout of the stations was based on its functionality, the guiding principle of which was seamless travel. Some of the common characteristics in the entire project are the rolling design features and the finishes. The platforms and concourses have similar features and identity, such as homogenous tiles at the platforms and granite tiles at the concourses. The stations were also designed to accommodate all age groups and special categories of users. For instance, from the drop-off area to the platform, there are unobstructed elements to accommodate wheelchairs and baby strollers; all levels are also easily accessible through ramps and lifts and escalators. There are also bright yellow tactile tiles on the floor for the visually impaired. These, together with the floor tiles of different colours, make up a geometric pattern that represents the multiracial mix of people in Malaysia. This pattern is arranged in a flowing manner from the entrance to the ticket area, to the lifts, and all the way to the platform edge. The client's corporate colour of purple was used extensively to create a continuity of identity that is reflected in all aspects of ERL's operation.

The contemporary Bandar Tasik Selatan and Salak Tinggi Stations boast an attractive and unique design. The curves and the refreshing style of the roof in particular, reflect a sense of movement, that of trains and epitomises the high-tech look, consistent with the state-of-the-art technology used for the ERL system. Overall, the architectural design of these stations reflects an abstract 'organic' imagery with the undulating, gently curving roof being its most dominating architectural feature. The design also features a re-adaptation of Islamic architectural imagery - arches and palm trees, for instance into structural steel elements. These are then manipulated to create aerodynamic architectural profiles to convey a sense of movement. The heavy tropical rain in Malaysia was also a consideration that led to an innovative design for the rainwater down spouts. Rainwater is diverted by means of gravity along the edge of the roof, and spouts naturally into bowls at either end of the platform. These complement a series of other rainwater spouts and bowls in the station terminal areas. The design also extends to the track layout with two through tracks and an additional loop track on each side. There are two platforms of 75m long by 8m wide for KLIA and KL Sentral-bounds passengers. The track layout allows for a future extension of the platform to an ultimate length of 150m.

Other Buildings

Secondary, supporting buildings have also been influenced by the overall design philosophy. The buildings in the ERL Depot, which includes an administrative building, a main workshop for the inspection, repair, maintenance and stabling of trains and a vehicle workshop for the inspection, repair and maintenance of auxiliary vehicles, for instance, also follow the 'organic' design concept. Even though most of these buildings are merely functional buildings, design considerations and an attention to detail, were carefully orchestrated to create a consistency of stylistic expression.

Review by Kevin Mark Low

Reproduced with permission from : architecture ASIA
Issue 1 / March 2004 - May 2004

Materials, Structure And Construction

Project Significance And Impact

The station was designed as an open terminal building. The H-shaped floor plan creates a multi-volumed space spanning the transit concourse at the centre. One leg of the "H" contains the parking spaces while the other houses retail and office spaces.

The concourse level was raised to allow for the free flow of the rail tracks at ground level, enabling the commercial spaces to occupy strategic peripheral locations in line with the city-within-a-city concept of the KL Sentral development.

The Main Concourse is a 3-storey atrium space with a curved glazed curtain wall and is supported by structural steelworks complemented with granite floor.

The Transit Concourse serves as the interchange space linking the Main Concourse with all the train platforms. This concourse features a series of prominent skylights and suspended geodesic domes. The skylights and the domes cast shadow and light on to the concourse and dramatize the movement of the passengers.

Crowning the complex is a series of Hyperbolic Paraboloid (HP) shell roofs flanked by wave roofs to each side. The HP shell roofs together with the suspended domes and granite flooring patterns celebrate architecture as well as Islamic architecture. These features also enrich the high-tech structural steelworks of the station. Spanning the east-west axis of the station, the sweeping wave roofs reflect the directional flow and motion of the railway tracks below.

The wave roofs are supported by steel columns branching out at a high level into radiating smaller members. These structural expressions and the distinctive form of the HP shell roofs emulate the KLIA roofing system, creating a symbolic gesture for the station being an extension of the airport: the city air terminal for Kuala Lumpur.

Two granite cladded building blocks flanking the lightweight structures in the middle define the contrasting massing of the station design. The wave-like formation of arches on the blocks' main facades further expresses the dynamic movement. The planning of the station and the architectural features of the building celebrate a new experience in rail travelling.

Reproduced with permission from : architecture malaysia
2003 vol 15 no 1