Engineering 101: Stability

The weather is getting warmer, and soon we'll be in the peak of the Swiss construction season. Every year, the winter cold prevents much from happening in the way of civic development. Thus, as soon as the ground thaws, the bulldozers magically spring into action wherever they happened to be last left. A major revamp project is about to begin in front of the main train station here in Winterthur. The central bus depot will be torn down and rebuilt.

Winterthur central bus terminal as seen from the train station

In some ways, it's exciting. I don't mind the old structure, which is not much more than a raised platform surrounded by curb and with a clear plastic roof keeping the rain and snow at bay. However, the modern look they show in the conceptual presentation on the video screens mounted in and about the current place does look appealing. The plan includes a rectangular sloped roof made of aluminum panels with seemingly random sized holes drilled in an array, all jutting out from a central column. The 3D rendering shown morphs into view as a similarly shaped large tree (assumed to be the inspiration) fades. Perhaps even more interesting is the prospect of living here long enough to see a largely familiar landmark removed and replaced by something new, particularly when it will require a good deal of time and effort.