Train Station Michalovce

Michalovce is a small town in eastern Slovakia. The train station is located on the outskirts of the city center, adjacent to a train stop, a busy intersection, and a gas station. The layout of the transport terminal is based on a spatial solution concept developed by Ing. Radoslav Harbuľák.

The design was created in close collaboration with the architecture and design office ellement and the development department of designcité+, which is part of the mmcité+ company that realized the construction of the canopy. Together, we tried to create a lively, visually attractive place that can serve as an alternative public space where waiting passengers would feel comfortable. The station is divided into a jointly covered section for long-distance buses and a section for local public transport, with individual stops. Both areas are connected by a covered passage leading to the train station.

One of the most striking elements has become the climbing greenery that separates the arrival and departure areas of the long-distance transport station. The green belt is interrupted by passages that have a lower height of the roofing, thus creating an intimate space for passengers. Another green wall separates the small structures of the public transport stops from the bus stands. The dual green plan enhances the space for passengers and also acts as a screen filtering out exhaust fumes from departing buses. The basic supporting structure was left in hot-dip galvanized steel, and we supplemented the uniformity of the structure with colors in a combination of yellow, orange, black, and white.

Unfortunately, the design did not include surface treatment solutions. Nevertheless, this realization is an example of how it is possible to introduce elements of contemporary architecture and design even into a small town with limited economic possibilities.