RAILWAY TECHNOLOGY
Smart tunnels for Copenhagen metro T
Copenhagen’s new circle line on the underground railway network puts technology and thematic design into its fabric
echnology, architectural design, functional simplicity and sharp focus on safety. These are some of the defining features of the recently opened “Cityringen” circle line running 30m below the streets of
Copenhagen. Opened in September 2019, the new line comprises
17 stations and more than 15km of dual tunnels. The Cityringen line extends the former underground network of Copenhagen and connects the city centre with the districts of Vesterbro, Nørrebro, Østerbro and the city of Frederiksberg. Copenhagen has had an underground system since
2002. The two lines, M1 and M2, run between Vanløse in the west, Vestamager, and Kastrup Airport in the south-east of the Danish capital. The opening of the Cityringen line connects the inner city districts with Frederiksberg and the central railway station.
CITYSCAPE INSPIRATION Taking inspiration from the surrounding regions of the 17 stations on the line, each entrance was given a unique design. With its objective of making the stations more than
simply the constructed result of building specifications, but more in keeping with the environment as individually designed urban spaces, Arup designed the station entrances with an array of different colours and shapes. The aim was to provide passengers with clean lines of sight for a seamless street-to-platform journey and make the stations themselves pleasant civic spaces. The architects used ceramic panels made by
Moeding in the façade design of seven of the stations. Used for the first time in this application, the orange peel effect glazed surface emphasises the natural material and, thanks to its easy upkeep, is very well suited to construction projects of this type. This effect was achieved during the baking process, which caused a wave-like relief to the glaze, creating a
40 /// Testing & Test Houses /// April 2020
vivid surface that changes depending on the viewing angle and reflections. In addition to individual designs, the developer specified the use of a natural building material and the need for a minimalist façade requiring as little maintenance as possible. The lead-free clay and loam brick panels form part of a rapid rear-ventilated façade system that can be installed and removed simply without the need to follow a specified assembly sequence. At the seven locations of Frederiksberg Allé,
Gammel Strand, Copenhagen Central Station, Østerport, Nørrebro, Poul Henningsens Plads and Vibenshus Runddel, the company used almost 12,000 ceramic panels coloured red, green, white and grey.
STATIONS WITH A THEME The common thread used throughout the design of the Cityringen was theming the station design to provide recognisable navigation aids to passengers. The underground authority, Metroselskabet, chose to use a shade of red that reflects the colour associated with the Danish State Railways (DSB) for all of the stations that provide a connection to the overland rail network, such as Copenhagen Central. Other stations consistently reflect their
surroundings at the surface level. The glazed panels coloured in different shades of green at Frederiksberg
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