Designing Reservoir Station was driven by a desire to reconnect with the local cultural and social context, while embracing the opportunity to re-imagine the multi-modal transport hub. Genton capitalised on the introduction of an elevated rail corridor as a way to unify the retail and community centre of Reservoir through the creation of a new public space under an iconic piece of Architecture in the centre of the suburb that would act as a geographical beacon within the surrounding municipality.

The design solution wraps the elevated platform in a translucent canopy large enough to define the station as a prominent civic landmark. The structure is divided into a larger and smaller canopy, and, with the opposing angles of these canopies acting as an arch to define the edges of the new ground-level public space. The outcome is a clear visual connection between Edwardes Street and Broadway, with the central connection of a ground-level public forecourt forming a stepping-stone for pedestrians and commuters moving between the two high streets.

Sustainability initiatives in Genton’s design approach – such as the use of recycled glass sand in the concrete, the inclusion of rainwater storage and remote metering of water and energy consumption – saw Reservoir Station recognised as the first Five-Star Greenstar Rail Building in Victoria. The design of the station has both created a central beacon for the suburb, informed by history of the place, while also reconnecting the two retail high streets, enhancing safety and activation of the area with transformational benefits that will develop over the years to come.

We are proud to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the Country in which Reservoir Station is located. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.

Photography: Peter Clarke