Foster + Partners has completed stations in Saudi Arabian cities Mecca, Medina, Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City, connected by the 280-mile Haramain high-speed rail line.
The stations, "conceived as gateways to each city", are designed to offer a unified appearance to between 60 million and 135 million passengers anticipated to use the high-speed line each year.
"We have designed all four stations, resulting in a consistent approach and intuitive wayfinding strategy throughout the network," said Angus Campbell, senior partner at Foster + Partners.
Foster + Partners has completed four high-speed rail stations, including one in Jeddah
All four of the stations, which can handle up to 20,000 passengers an hour, have been built using the same modular system. They are all covered by flexible vaulted roofs supported by grids of steel columns ? described by the practice as structural trees.
Structural trees support the roof at Medina station
The modular system meant that each station could be designed to fit its site, and that in the future the grid can be extended to increase capacity.
"The stations are based on a common 27-metre-square module containing the roof, concourse and platform, which is flexible enough to be reconfigured for both through and terminus stations, while also making it possible to extend the stations in response to changing passenger requirements," continued Campbell.
The modular system at Jeddah station means it can easi...