The project for the central bus terminal of the city of Majes, designed by the team of Jimmy Liendo Terán, Kátia de Oliveira Vieira and Carlos Arellano Rivera, is located in an irrigated desert area and is part of a plan to provide an equal distribution of the production activities by improving the circulation between the cities in the South of Peru. Their concept, which won the second prize in the national competition, is based on two ideas: first, the separation of the movement for arrival and departure; and second, the plot with a difference in height, about 4,5 meters between parallel sides, which is hard to notice because of the size of the terrain. More images and project description after the break.
Understanding the future urban possibilities allows us to interpret the station as a continuation of Av. Colonizadores and Av. 400, which are situated on different heights. This way, searching a comfortable place where the movement of the pedestrians doesn’t interfere with the roads, we thought of accompanying the different separated flows with a subtle shadow like a pergola, making the covered squares very appropriate for the desert.
Thinking on the predicted future growth of the station, we proposed to do all ground adjustment work for the whole project in the first phase. This way further heavy ground works are avoided with future expansion, work-roads are considered and the landscaping supports an extension without drastic changes on the roads for the busses and the circulation of the pedestrians.
The topographic placement of the bus terminal separates the spaces functionally without using real closures, keeping checkpoints in the entrance halls, at the superior square and at the entrance cabins at the bus. The project aims to be consistent in considering the proposed public space not only for the specific use of a bus station, but as a motivator to appropriate internal and external spaces of the terminal by the citizen, enriching the place as a reference of the urban life.
A prestressed concrete structure houses the arrivals and departures areas, hall, waiting area, public toilets and shops. This structure is determined by the “free field” needed to support the program. To avoid the increase of constructed areas, over this concrete square hangs a large pergola supported on reinforced steel columns with metal bracing. This shaded area houses the terminal administrative service areas as well as some external waiting and shopping areas protected from solar radiation.
As a way to make the building more comfortable and help improve the surrounding landscape formed by the main access on Av. Colonizadores, we proposed areas of humidity, which in some cases maintain sprinkler irrigation and allow the growth of some adapted plant species. They could function as reflecting pools and at the same time improve the humidity of the air in the terminal, marking the arrival and departure of passengers, and an important value for the town of Majes and its implementation in the Peruvian desert, increasing the boundaries of agricultural production with the arrival of water.
Architects: Jimmy Liendo Terán, Kátia de Oliveira Vieira, Carlos Arellano Rivera Location: Majes, Arequipa, Perú Associated Architect in Arequipa: Oscar Málaga Structural Engineer: Jorge Zaven Kurkdjian Budgets: David Leiva Category: National Public Competition – Bus Terminal for Majes City Status: 2nd prize Organizer: Colegio de Arquitectos del Perú and Caylloma Municipality Customer/Contractor: Caylloma Municipality Date: October 2011
