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i Wayfinding A study on European public transport centres in general and Knutpunkten, Helsingborg in particular Filippa Lönegren Department of Architecture Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg, Sweden 2013 Wayfinding - A study on European public transport centres in general and Knutpunkten, Helsingborg in particular © Filippa Lönegren ABC-Tryck AB Gothenburg, Sweden 2013 Examiner: Ola Nylander Tutor: Inga Malmqvist Master Thesis Department of Architecture Chalmer University of Technology SE-412 96 Gothenburg Sweden Images and photos by author unless otherwise stated Abstract Wayfi nding is a big part of our daily lives, although public transport centres, unstructured interviews to we generally do not notice it until we get lost. Good collect information and empirical observations which Acknowledgements wayfi nding is particularly important in public were conducted at four European public transport transport centres where many users are unfamiliar centres. To analyse the observed objects a walk- with the setting, and many have reduced wayfi nding through evaluation was conducted at each setting. The I would like to thank my tutor Inga Malmqvist as capabilities due to stress or worry to miss a departure. fi ndings are applied and tested on a case study, the well as my friends in our feedback student group for Therefore, this study looks closer at the wayfi nding public transport centre Knutpunkten in Helsingborg, guidance. A big thank you also goes to Ivar Krepp, processes and how wayfi nding design can be imple- and are formulated as general recommendations for Carl Welin and Lena Åberg for providing useful mented to improve intuitive navigation through public improved wayfi nding prior to its’ upcoming re- information about Knutpunkten. To Mum and my transport centres. construction. The suggestions are illustrated verbally friend Maria who bared with me during our empirical and in diagrams and photos. observations. A fi nal thank you to Raul for moral and This master thesis is an investigative and descriptive practical support. study which aims at answering the following research The fi ndings of this study indicate that the main question: Which are the main architectural and architectural and graphic factors regarding wayfi nding graphic factors important for intuitive and effi cient for fi rst time visitors within public transport centres wayfi nding in complex building structures such as include, but are not limited to: identity, the building public transport centres? should be identifi able within the urban structure and the different functions should be identifi able within A secondary aim is to raise the question of wayfi nding the building, clear and readable spatial organization, Key words within the discourse of architecture, and highlight the visual and audible access combined with physical importance of considering wayfi nding throughout the access, consistent and reliable signage, and fi nally life span of a building. affordance based spaces and building elements which Wayfi nding, spatial perception, affordance, are perceived as logical and intuitive. public transport centres, spatial planning. The methods used in the study include a review of the theoretical framework as well as the development of Table of contents 1. INTRODUCTION 5. CASE STUDY 1.1. Background 3 5.1. The region and the city 40 1.2. Aim 5 5.1.1. Public transport in Helsingborg 40 1.3. Limitations 5 5.1.2. Development 41 1.4. Explanations 5 5.2. Knutpunkten 42 5.2.1. Short history 42 2. METHODOLOGY 5.2.2. The vision of the architect 42 2.1. Literature review 7 5.2.3. Current situation 45 2.2. Interviews 7 5.2.4. Organisation 47 2.3. Empirical observations 7 5.2.5. Walk-through evaluation 48 2.3.1 Walk-through evaluation 7 5.2.6. The new detail plan 51 2.4. Case study 8 5.2.7. Analysis 52 5.3. Identifi ed problems and suggested solutions 54 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 5.3.1. Facades 54 3.1. Spatial perception 10 5.3.2. Spatial organisation 54 3.1.1. Basic orientation system 10 5.3.3. Entrances 55 3.1.2. Visual perception 10 5.3.4. Bus terminal 56 3.1.3. Auditory perception 11 5.3.5. Train platforms 57 3.1.4. Haptic perception 12 5.3.6. Ground fl oor 58 3.1.5. Olfactory perception 12 5.3.7. Second fl oor 59 3.2. Affordance 13 5.3.8. Signage 60 3.3. Wayfi nding 15 3.3.1. The wayfi nding process 15 6. DISCUSSION 3.3.2. Wayfi nding design 17 6.1. Spatial perception 62 3.3.3. Components of wayfi nding design 20 6.2. Affordance 63 3.3.4. Impaired orientation capability 23 6.3. Wayfi nding 63 3.4. Public transport centers 26 6.4. Public transport centres 64 3.4.1. Short history 26 6.5. Empirical observations 65 3.4.2. Tendencies 27 6.6. Case study 67 3.4.3. Typologies 28 6.7. Findings 67 4. EMPIRICAL OBSERVATIONS 7. FINAL CONCLUSIONS 69 4.1. Helsinki Central station 30 4.2. Prague Main train station 32 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY 70 4.3. Berlin Hauptbahnhof 34 4.4. Copenhagen Central station 36 9. APPENDIX 74 4.5. Indirect observations 38 1 Introduction Introduction 3 1.1 Background Wayfi nding is a big part of our daily lives, though we When wayfi nding has been considered during the might not always notice it. We have to fi nd our way planning of a building, the users will be able to appre- through the city, along streets and through buildings. ciate the architecture, instead of trying to fi gure out The times that we are aware of using our wayfi nd- how it works. The building will be navigated intuitively ing capacities are when navigating in an unfamiliar and afford the user to proceed in a certain direction. I environment; we are there for the fi rst time. People fi nd my believes formulated beautifully by Klasander tend not to think about wayfi nding until they get lost. in her PhD Suburban navigation: In this thesis the focus will be precisely that; people fi nding their way in an unfamiliar building structure. “Design professionals must deal with aesthetics, but for those who want their designs to make an impres- Imagine that you are in a hurry for a meeting or a sion, it may be a useful reminder that use comes departure, you are entering a large building for the before form in people’s memories” (Klasander, 2003 fi rst time; and you are completely lost. The frus- p 49). tration is rising as you struggle to fi nd your way reading confusing signs and time keeps running... A badly organized building on the other hand, makes the user get lost and feel frustrated. This in turn Wouldn’t it be wonderful then if the building itself creates stress and aggression as well as being time could guide you in the right direction, without you consuming. The result is an ineffi cient building. even realising how it happened? Intuitive wayfi nding - when it works you don’t think about it, but when it Wayfi nding might be particularly important in public doesn’t, it really annoys you! transport centres with a large variety of users and where many people are visiting the building for the Research in wayfi nding investigates the processes that fi rst time. It is a challenge to provide good wayfi nding take place when people orient themselves and navigate conditions in public transport centres due to many through space. How people fi nd their way, what people factors such as their scale, complexity and disconnec- need to fi nd their way and how they communicate tion with the surroundings. In addition, the users of directions, as well as how people’s verbal and visual public transport centres often have reduced wayfi nd- abilities infl uence wayfi nding, is explained in the ing capabilities due to stress and worries to miss a theories (Raubal, 2008). departure. Wayfi nding tasks can be categorised according to their Travel by public transport is increasing and public functional goals: travel with the goal of reaching a transport centres are developing, why it is interesting familiar destination, exploratory travel with the goal to look into this sector regarding wayfi nding. There is of returning to a familiar point of origin, and travel an expected increase in numbers of passengers in the with the goal of reaching a novel destination (Raubal, near future, and with this comes the need for rede- 2001). A task within the last category is most often velopment and streamlining of the public transport Figure 1 performed through the use of symbolic information centres. Because of this there are a lot of expansions Climate impact per passenger kilometre (Raubal, 2008). and renovations currently under planning and ongoing compared to car travel, index 1 around Europe as well as in Sweden. (Trafikverket, 2012) Introduction 4 The tendency to locate more functions not directly common. Stockholm is the region where the market related to travelling, such as shops and workplaces, share for public transport is the highest, while Västra in the building, is also changing the role of the public Götaland, Skåne and Uppsala all share the second transport centre in the city. It is developing into a place (Svensk Kollektivtrafi k, 2013). meeting place, not just for travellers (Bakerson, 2009). The study begins with a summary of the theoretical One of the reasons for the increasing travel by public background, containing spatial perception, affordance, transport is the sustainability issue. It is the environ- wayfi nding and the development of public transport mentally friendly way to travel; locally, regionally and centres.