MOLLY O'DONNELL JORDEN

This study of a train station in South Bend, Indiana was developed to accommodate a new high speed rail system in coordination with a group master plan proposal focused around South Bend International Airport. The station terminates the north-south axis of the master plan with a transportation hub and grand public space, including a large green plaza which completes the “emerald necklace” and offers respite from the long commercial corridor. In order to hold the axis, the main facade sits perpendicular to the street, and a directional shift within the building allows the continued usage of the existing Amtrak rails. The station design draws on the massive-wall architecture of the Studebaker era in South Bend and the concept of a “cathedral of steam” presented in a book by Christian Wolmar.