Transience: Underground Station

The new train station in Minoo, Japan, is part of the extension of the subway line toward the new Osaka University campus. It is located on a border between the mountains in the north and cities in the south. The project offers the opportunity to think about future interconnections of public spaces through a succession of layers that connect the above and below, north and south, and natural and artificial landscapes. The roof is constructed in seven layers that frame our views towards the mountains and the city and brings light and natural ventilation. It covers stairs and escalators in a continuous atrium that extends the public place underground. This is a place of convergence made of transient, living moments that bring together various people, functions, and social interactions into a succession of layers under the city.