BELLA VISTA METRO STATION

CASE STUDY
 KEY DESIGN

Perimeter- 400m x m

Area - 4350m x m
 Features

Bella Vista Metro Station has the following facilities:

800 parking spaces at the station's commuter car park on Byles Place

35 bicycle storage spaces

4 local taxi stands

21 kiss-and-ride spaces

2 local bus stops

Configuration

Bella Vista Station is a open-cut station located 6m below street level. The station is covered by two giant canopies with leaf-shaped
structures, to allow shade for customers. It is the only station on the Metro Northwest route to include two of these canopies.

Station access and entry is via a pedestrian plaza facing Lexington Drive, near Celebration Drive at Bella Vista. Pedestrian footbridge
access is also available over Old Windsor Road.
 The following are key components
of Bella Vista Station:
LOCATION
1. Old Windsor road
2. Celebration Drive
3. Existing T-way
4. Service Building
5. Kiss and Ride
6. Bus Stands
7. At Grade Car Park $
Multilevel car Park
10 11
8. Island Platform and cutting
9. Pedestrian footbridge
10. City and Station Entry
11. Country and Station entry
12. Precinct Street D
13. Precinct Street E

Bella Vista Station is located between Kellyville Station and Norwest Station. The platform is orientated
on a north south axis with Celebration Drive to the south and east, and Old Windsor Road to the west.
 Arial view of Bella Vista Station

The platform is located in a cutting between Celebration Drive and Precinct Street D bridge
Other components of the station include a new pedestrian footbridge crossing Old Windsor Road to provide connection to existing residential
area at grade and multi level car park north of Precinct Street D and a traction substation north of Precinct Street E.
 Local Context
•That Figure is taken from the Bella Vista Structure Plan
and illustrates the Bella The NWRL includes a new station
at Bella Vista. The new train station will be located on an
extension of Lexington Drive, north of Celebration Drive in
Bella Vista within the area existing land uses. The legend
outlines the key existing local places of note.

•Bella Vista Station is uniquely situated just at the end of

the twin railway tunnels and just before the sky train takes
to the air on its journey to Kellyville and Rouse Hill.

•Located on the western edge of the Norwest Business

Park the station will serve the business parks, as well as
local residential areas of Bella Vista.
Statutory Context
BBELLA VISTA
BELLA VISTA METRO STATION
HIRARCHY OF SPACE
 Access and Parking access
The Station Access Plans describe traffic requirements and related pedestrian movement for the precinct. These have
informed the precinct kerbside provisions for bus, taxi, kiss and ride and on-street parking.
The parking, pedestrian and cyclist access arrangements and facilities are consistent
with the requirements of the station access. Plans and pedestrian cyclist strategy.

__ Bus stands are

located on Precinct
Street A between the two OLD WINDSOR ROAD

station entry points.

__ Taxi ranks are FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AREA

located on Precinct Street

B close to the pedestrian
crossing point.
__Kiss and Ride bays are Primary Plaza

located on Precinct Street Pedestrian Route

Pedestrian Route FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AREA

A between Precinct Cycle Route

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AREA

Streets B and D. Shared User Path

Cycle Parking
__ On street car Parking
Taxi stand
parking is located furthest Bus Stand

from the primary plaza and Kiss and Ride

station entry.
C
MODES OF LOCAL CONTEXT ( BELLA VISTA)
PARKING ACESS
 Site Interactions
Interactions between the Bella Vista Station and its immediate surrounds that have informed the design are summarised in
the adjacent diagrams. Refer Figures
1. Threshold 1 2
Acknowledge the significance of
the threshold between tunnel
and corridor characters.
. 2. Green Link
Opportunity to extend corridor
planting through the precinct
and reinforce the vegetated Figure 1 BLV_Threshold. Source: HASSELL. Figure 2 BLV_Green Link. Source: HASSELL.

connection.
3. Bridges 3 4
Optimise access points across
the cutting to ensure the track
line is not a barrier in
the public domain.
4. Access
City End provides immediate
access point for pedestrians
commuting to and from the Figure 3.12 BLV_Bridges. Source: HASSELL. Figure 3.13 BLV_Access to the Station. Source: HASSELL.

existing business park. Country

End addresses access
requirements for car
park users and future
development areas.
 Bella Vista

THRESHOLD
GREEN LINK BRIDGES

ACESS TO THE STATION

 Design Opportunities
The design opportunities informing the
design of the Bella Vista Station and its
immediate surrounds that have informed the precinct are summarised in the Diagrams.

1. Station Setting
Opportunity to provide a station within
a Cumberland Plain Woodland 1 2
setting. Key views down streets,
around the station and into the
woodland are maximised.
2. Station Identity
Opportunity to create an easily
identifiable station through the
design of an identifiable Station
Canopy and an integrated Public
Art strategy. 3 4
3. Shady Public Domain
Opportunity to create a
comfortable place for pedestrians
though a clear hierarchy of spaces
and the design of shady settings
where possible.
4. Activation and Connections
Opportunity to provide a setting for a
variety of active and passive
activities while providing
distinguishable landscape
treatments which assist with way
finding.
 STATION SETTING SHADY PUBLIC DOMAIN

ACTIVATION AND CONNECTION

Landscape Site Plan and Precinct Elements

5 6
2 4
2
1 1
3

1 Plaza spaces
2 Streets
3 Terrace cutting
4 Multilevel car parking
5 Grade parking
6 Landscape Buffer
7 Pedestrian Bridge
MULTILEVEL PARKING
 Plaza Spaces

Plaza Spaces are the social spaces for Bella Vista Station. The Primary Plaza spaces are located at both station entry points.
The city end plaza being the more significant space in response to the desire to provide a community gathering space close
to the existing business park .
City End Station Entry:
__ Trees are arranged in an informal
grid to optimise amenity and shade within the
constraints imposed by underground
service rooms.
__ The plaza area under the canopy
allows unimpeded pedestrian movement in SERVICE BUILDING

and out of the station. There is minimal 1 4 5 4

furniture placement in this area. 3 2
__A community plaza space at the entry to
the station precinct from the south will
accommodate public events, meeting
and waiting activities. Seating elements 1 City End Primary Plaza
2 Country End Primary Plaza
promote stopping and resting, with these 3. secondary Plaza
4. Paid Concourse
being located near trees for shade. 5. Station Platform

Country End Station Entry:

__ The Primary Plaza space is associated with the street entry areas from both Precinct Street A and the future road.
__Signature precinct trees within the Primary Plaza identify the entry points to the station. Trees, planting, and low seating
elements act as a vehicle barrier to the plaza space.
PLAN
 Sustainable Landscape Design

Sustainable practices reflected in the precinct design include the employment of WSUD practices of swale drainage through
car parks, introduction of native tree species and selection of drought tolerant plant species.

The main features of the

sustainable design
of the precinct are
illustrated on Figure
and summarised below.
__ Generous
planted areas for optimal
permeable surfaces
__ Trees and
landscape close to
station providing shade
beyond built canopy,
along with light coloured
surfaces to reduce urban
heat island effect Public Art Trees
__Tree planting within car Tree Planting
parks, streets and plaza
spaces for shade, shelter __ Vegetation buffers around the precincts provides connected plantecorridors
and cooling microclimate __Incorporation of continuous massed planting beds along streetscapes where
benefits footpath and plaza requirements allow
__Selection of diverse mix of drought tolerant, native plant species. Species do
not require irrigation once established.
 Heritage Interpretation, Interactions and Public Art

Heritage Interpretation
There are no heritage interactions in the Bella Vista Station Precinct.

Public Art

Public art for Bella Vista

Station will be in
accordance with the Hibernia scandals
Pyrus calleryana Xylosma sentocosum
public art plan Light
Line Social Square.
Elements are arranged 3
and orchestrated to make
a cohesive composition 1
fusing together 4 5
architecture,
landscape, engineering, 2
lighting, science
and art.
1. Urban Grove- Cultural Trees
2. Social Spheres- Sculptural + Play
Elements
3. Incidental Play- Ground Play Elements
4. Light Line- Platform and Threshold
Lighting
5. Light Screens- Vertical Transport
 Planting in BELLA VISTA

Street Trees Cumberland Plain

Woodland
Eucalyptus cerebra
Eucalyptus moluccana
‘Public Art’ Trees Pyrus calleryana
Pittosporum
tobira

Pittosporum tobira
Pyrus calleryana
Cumberland Plan Woodland
Eucalyptus cerebra
Eucalyptus moluccana
Eucalyptus tereticornis Eucalyptus cerebra Eucalyptus moluccana

Eucalyptus moluccana
Traffic and transport analysis
TRAFFIC SPEED AROUND THE SITE
TRAFFIC SPEED AROUND THE SITE
Street Typologies Main Street (Mawson Street): 20m
wide corridor providing a single
3.5m wide lane in each direction, a
2.5m wide off-road cycle path
buffered by tree planting and
varying width footpaths and verge
on both sides of the road
Celebration Drive: 3.5m wide traffic
lanes and 2.5m indented parking
bays on both sides plus 3.5m wide
footpaths.
Local Streets: Provision of a 3m
wide traffic lane and 2.5m wide
indented parking bays defined as
slow streets to dissuade traffic.
Pedestrian footpaths of 2m width
on both sides to encourage
active transport

Neighborhood laneways:
laneways serving as driveway
access to parking basements but
designed as shared use spaces
with pedestrian priority. Each
laneway would include 4.5m wide
roadway and 3m wide pedestrian
and landscape zone.
Celebration Drive may include
driveway access points to allotments
where access via a local street is not
feasible due to the gradient of the site.
All access points would be designed in
accordance with AS2890, relevant
Roads and Maritime and Hills Shire
guidelines, with focus on adequate
distance between driveways and
adjacent intersections. These designs
would be subject to further refinement
during the detailed design process for
each lot at the development
application stage.
Emergency vehicle access

All streets have been designed to

allow emergency vehicle access,
including the Mawson Avenue bus-
only section. Detailed design of the
internal street network intersections
and vehicle access locations would
need to consider the needs of
emergency service vehicles to
ensure safe and easy access to all
areas of the site.
 Car Parks

Combined multi level and at grade car

parking will have two entry and exit access
points. The at grade parking is a leafy, well
vegetated car park with swale planting
breaking up the expanse of hard surface. Car parking

Pedestrian movement through the car park

is directed towards a ‘spine’ footpath to the
south.

Parking types are gathered

together for
easy of user navigation. Priority of car
types
nearest the station are accessible parking,
future electric recharge spaces, compact
cars and standard cars.
 Architectural Design

There are eight new stations along Sydney

Metro Northwest with three station
typologies. Bella Vista Station is part of the
open cut type.
Built Elements Typology - Open Cut

__ the platform is in a cutting at

the depth
below street level of approx 8m
__ the station has two entries to
maximise walk-up catchment from the
surrounding
precinct and Norwest Business Park Canopies
Facades, curtain walls and roof lights
__the city end of the station is the Screens and balustrades
entrance to the rail tunnel Station pods
__ landscaped terraces transition Vertical transportation
Fire egress stair
between street level and track way Services pods
__ the station is entered are via a Platforms
paid concourse at either ends of the Platform screen doors
Primary plaza
platform Concourse paid plaza
__the station services are located on
three levels towards the city end to __ a new precinct street network is provided with public access from both
allow integration with tunnel services sides of the station. Unpaid connections are provided to create a permeable
precinct and integrated community.
 Built Elements Design
1. Terraces
Landscaped terracing to provide customer
connection with street level from the
platform.

2. Concourse
Open concourse and gate line free from
obstructions with clear circulation routes
and sight lines to destination.

3. Station Entries
Station entries and paid concourses are
located at both ends of platform with lifts
and escalators to serve primary passenger
approaches.

4. Service Buildings
Minimise service buildings at street level to
reduce visual and physical impact to
precinct by consolidating majority of station
and tunnel services at the city end.

5. Future Uses
Safeguard the long term potential for
integration of community and/ or retail
uses
adjacent to/ in front of the southern service
 Bella Vista Station’s key built elements are summarised below and illustrated on the adjacent Figure Refer...
Station Configuration

Key components of the

station include:
__An island platform
approximately 8m below
street and concourse
level Platform

__Two station entries,

primary and secondary
__ Vertical
transportation consisting
of one lift and a pair of
escalators at each
Entries.
__ Customer
facilities including toilets
are located in the paid
concourse at both the
city and country end
entries. The city end
which is considered the __ Street level service building for services requiring direct street level access
primary entry Landscape terraces provide a transition from platform level to street level.
will also include the
parent room.
 Shared Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge

A shared pedestrian and cycle bridge is proposed at Bella Vista Station over Old Windsor Road to:

__ Link the
existing community
west of Old Windsor
Road to the station
precinct
__Accommodate
pedestrian and cyclist
movement.
Bridge piers have been
located to avoid
existing utility services.
Roof coverage is
provided to the bridge
deck, stairs and
landings.
 Bella Vista Services Building

Two Service Buildings are proposed in the

Bella Vista Station Precinct. Refer Figure

The service building

adjacent to the
commuter car park will
house a traction
substation.
The facade treatment
of the building will be
consistent with the SERVICE BUILDING

Sydney Metro
Northwest station
services buildings
design.
The site will be a
secured facility
requiring
authorised access.
 Station Entry

The station can be accessed from two entries at the city and country end. At each entry a primary plaza is provided to
orientate the customer and provide direct and legible way-finding to the station entry and ticket gate line.

The paid concourses

are fully covered by
the main station
canopies. Customer and
staff functions essential
to the paid concourse
are provided within
‘concourse pod’
buildings.

The scale and position

City end Country
of built forms within end
the station entries and
paid concourse
areas have been Paid Concourse
Primary Plaza
carefully considered to
ensure the environment
is as open and
transparent as possible.
 Station Accommodation Strategy

The station accommodation has been categorised into four types

and has been integrated with the precinct and station design to
enhance the customer experience both physically and visually. 2
1 3
1. Customer Facilities 1
4
Located on the paid concourse at street 3
level in two pods and situated to best
complement and support customer flows.
2. Staff Facilities
The Station Manager’s Room has been
placed on the paid concourse to satisfy
operational requirements.
3. Back of House
Staff back of house and maintenance
rooms have been placed in the street level
service building opposite the city end primary
plaza. This allows the primary plaza end of the
building to be sleeved with activation.
4. Station Service Buildings
1 Customer Facilities
Critical station services have been situated 2 Staff Facilities
3 Back of House
at the lower levels and within the street 4 Station Service Building
level service building. Only services
requiring street access are provided at
street level to minimise the visual impact to
customers in the station precinct.
Noise Barriers
Principles

Visually integrate noise barriers into the rail corridor and urban or landscape NoiNsOeISEBWAaLrLSriers

setting, as part of a coordinated whole of corridor design.

3000
3000
Initiatives
Figure _Noise Barriers in the Rail Corridor.

_ The height of noise walls are minimized consistent with the requirements of the STEEL POST 4500

noise and vibration mitigation recommendations.

_ Follow linear alignments with long, even curvatures and run parallel with the

2400
rail track. The ground plane below noise walls is as even, as horizontal and as

600
linear as possible.

600
_ Ends of noise barriers terminated with a curved or raked wall section to
integrate with adjacent structures or landform, or terminate by over lapping with HEBEL PANELS

GROUND LINE

adjacent structures in a planned and considered way. CONCRETE FOOTING, TO BE DETAILED BY

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. REFER TO
PACKAGE 102.
_ Noise barrier panels comprise robust, vandal resistant materials. Coating
TYPICAL NOISE WALL ELEVATION - 2.4M HIGH
systems and applied colors readily available, easily and exactly matched 1
--- 1 : 20
throughout the life of the wall. Colors selected respond to rail restrictions and
eliminate any conflicts with rail signaling (no reds or greens, for example). Figure _Typical Noise Wall Elevation.
_ Joints, fixings and panels are carefully coordinated.
_ The apparent scale and visual impact of noise walls reduced with suitable
planting.
_ A minimum 1.5m clearance provided from the outside of the noise barriers to
any planting to enable inspection and maintenance access.
ANALITICAL DRAWING OF NOISE BARRIERS

SECTION
 Public Domain Pavements
Principles
_ Ensure the safe, efficient movement of pedestrians, including people
with disabilities, through high quality paving design.
_ Assist with wayfinding through the public domain
Initiatives
_ The paving composition will have a consistent approach system wide,
using one colour with tonal variation, with subtle variations in tone and
finish to emphasise the wayfinding and movement of people. This
consistency of ground plane design will create a line wide identity and
recognisable brand for the stations.
_ A hierarchy of paving types appropriate to function and location are
provided in the station precincts
_ HIgh quality concrete paving units surface the primary and secondary
Journey into the Station
plazas. Paver unit size, paving pattern and layout detailing highlight the
Journey out of the station
primary plaza from secondary plaza spaces.
_ Insitu concrete is used for footpaths across the remaining Zones of Pause

public domain areas.

_ Safe and equitable pedestrian access throughout
_ To optimise the legibility of precinct spaces, paving consists of
simple, linear patterns that relate to the main direction of travel.

The expected movement of people in and out of the stations is illustrated in the figure
opposite. This includes zones of ‘pause’ at the sides of the gate line and lifts within the
concourse.
Primary and Secondary Plazas
The Primary Plaza paving is intended to provide a threshold or
‘welcome mat’ to the station entrances. The paving typically starts at
the street edge and continues through into the station concourse. 1
This paving is intended to facilitate the movement and wayfinding of 2
people through the station precincts.
The Secondary Plaza paving is intended to facilitate the movement of
people through the footpaths and street edges.
The approach to paver size relates to the nature of the Primary and
Secondary Plazas. Primary Plaza pavers are larger dimensioned,
responding to the typically larger scale of these spaces with a mixture of
large, medium and smaller size pavers within the Secondary Plazas, which 1
respond to the smaller human scale spaces facing the street.
Streets and Pathways 2
The footpath pavements outside of the Primary and Secondary Plazas
are a natural grey concrete, finished in a light broom finish
perpendicular to direction of travel. 2
The colour of the concrete blends into the adjacent ‘mid
grey’ tone of the Secondary Plaza paving, which 11 Primary Plaza
transitions into the finish and tonal variation within the
22 Secondary Plaza
Primary Plazas.
 Sustainable Design and Maintenance
Sustainable Design
For the Sydney Metro Northwest, Sustainability Criteria Sustainability Initiatives
sustainability means building public The Sydney Metro Northwest is targeting A natural systems approach has been adopted to
transport for current and future generations industry best practice in sustainable design. All ensure project wide sustainability initiatives
stations, interchanges, car parks and have been integrated within the design of high
that optimises environmental and
maintenance facilities have been designed to quality sustainable station.
sustainability outcomes, transit service
achieve:
quality and cost effectiveness. Water catchment and reuse initiatives include:
_ 'Excellent' rating (Design and As Built) using
Strategies for sustainable design and _ The employment of Water Sensitive Urban
the ISCA Infrastructure Sustainability (IS)
implementation across the project include: Design practices with a multi- tiered urban water
rating tool v1.0
_ station architecture: initiatives for cycle management strategy that seeks to retain as
_ 'Bronze' rating using the TfNSW Sustainable
building orientation, passive design, much storm water as possible to support plants,
_Design Guidelines v3.0.
compact design, materials and finishes _ Reduction of embodied carbon such as, local ground water and integrated wetland
and furniture through the use of sustainable timber, low features.
_ landscape and urban design initiatives carbon steel or fly ash in concrete _ Harvest and recycle water from station canopies
relating to the provision of a shared cycle _ Rainwater harvesting to supply precinct for reuse during operations using a modular
paths and associated cyclist facilities, underground water storage tank
ecology, plant selection and irrigation. irrigation _ Use of grass or vegetated swales to capture
stormwater drainage.
 ENVIRONMENT STUDY
Colour + Light + Time
The vibrant colours of the region’s varied orchard produce are given expression in the line-wide colour
spectrum and station specific colour palette.

The reds, oranges, yellows and greens have been developed into eight station identity hues that
permeate and identify all elements of Light Line Social Square with place specific meaning.
The station identity colours are manifest via
It is transparent and diurnal in the line-wide suite of
light, both natural and electronic and will coloured glazing including Skylight Lanterns at the cut
highlight the passing of time over the and cover stations, Light Screens at the viaduct
seasons, the day and the network . stations and vertical transport at all stations.
Colour is environmental and seasonal in Colour is electronic and programmed in
the Urban Groves and highlighted with Light Line’s line wide, fully automated,
moments of saturated colour in the Social
Spheres sculptural elements. platform and station threshold lighting installation.
KEY ELEMENTS OF THE STATION
SECTION
VIEW OF BELLA VISTA METRO STATION
Concourse Canopies_Open Cut
Design Intent
The concourse canopy in the open cut
stations comprises two interconnected,
arched elliptic roof structures spanning 48m
atop concrete buttress supports. The canopy
includes a central glazed roof bridging the
station cutting that provides natural daylight
over the primary circulation area of the
central concourse. This aids intuitive
wayfinding and orientation.

The arch form of the canopy provides shelter

to the paid concourse, gateline and unpaid
customer touch points within the primary Canopy Structure Plan.
plaza.

Canopy Elevation. Canopy long section

DESIGN DETAILS

The canopy is characterized by a resilient external shell in the

form of a metal sheet lining, and a warm internal timber
soffit that is both inviting and welcoming.

Material selection and detailing has been carefully developed

to ensure the finish is of high quality , durability and easy to
maintain and clean.

Geometry
The pure geometry of the roof is derived from two equal
segments of a cylinder, which have been sliced and
pitched at 15 degrees towards each other.

The structural grid is derived from the pure cylindrical

geometry, by extruding lines at equal spaced intervals
along the inclined cylinder segment.

The two pitched roofs are then tied together via a diagrid
structure, faceted on the structural grid supporting the
central glazed portion of the canopy.

Exploded Axonometric Canopy Design.

 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

The prefabricated elements—precast concrete and steel for the cut-and-cover stations—including the first-ever use in Australia of precast
wall elements for soil-retaining applications, Barron says.

He notes that the initial plan was to use crawler cranes traveling 200 m along the cast-in-place station box. “This method would have
added additional surcharge on the station walls, increasing their structural size,” he says. Instead, crews used tower cranes with capacities
as high as 330 tonnes, enabling them to build the stations quickly and safely. Up to 80% of the main structural elements are prefabricated,
including 50-tonne box beams spanning up to 22 m.

The main elements of the “leaf” canopies were also prefabricated and erected on site, adds Barron. Their spans ranged from 40 m to 56
m, with a clear height beneath them ranging between 11 m and 15 m. Placing the canopies with cranes required accurate positioning to
allow connection to the four supporting points situated on buttresses. “Once connected to their buttresses, temporary propping was
secured to allow installation of the bracing elements,” says Barron. Use of prefabrication for long-span trusses resulted in more than a
40% reduction in steel weight, he says.

This is the only Sydney Metro station with two of these unique landmark canopies, inspired by the local blue gum leaf.

The canopies have been put together in a series of precision operations with more than 100 tonnes of steel lifted into place for each.

Each canopy is 36m long and 34m wide, and rise 11m above the concourse level

. Sydney Metro Station Design on Vimeo

THANK YOU...

Submited by,
Dipesh Bhaliya
Jay Gajiya
Sagar Chavda
Mihika Patel