Mecanoo & Royal HaskoningDHV create transport hub inspired by national park

Tenderstream member Mecanoo and Royal HaskoningDHV have designed a striking new multi-modal train station for Ede, a city famed for its proximity to the Veluwe national park located in the heart of the Netherlands. In 2008, the city authorities and ProRail decided to the expand the Ede-Wageningen station after property development nearby was estimated to increase passenger numbers to around 25,000 per day by 2030. 

As the most iconic element of the station’s design, the wooden roof mimics a tree canopy, uniformly connecting the various quadrants of the transport hub and ensuring orientation from all sides. Triangular skylights allow daylight to fall on the platform and lead passengers to the pedestrian tunnel. Rodrigo Louro, Associate Architect at Mecanoo, stated: “The composition of the timber canopy, stepping up and down, is reminiscent of the experience under the canopy trees in the Veluwe forest. Our goal was to design an efficient transportation hub, but also to connect people with nature, offering a very pleasant atmosphere for all users.” 

Nature was also accommodated in a literal sense, with adaptations made to keep a substation in place to act as a bat cave – along with optimised lighting. A rare species of cricket only living on railway tracks informed the landscape design, ensuring their habitat was retained. 

To establish a truly green transport hub, a large indoor bicycle parking facility has been integrated into the design, together with a pedestrian and cycling bridge to the east of the station, which provides an unrivalled view of the Veluwe. Kirsten Colenbrander, architect at Royal HaskoningDHV, explained: “By creating seamless transitions between numerous modalities – including cars, bicycles, and pedestrians – our design with changing daylight and different materials, this is public transport that passengers can truly enjoy. We have created a place where they feel comfortable in a calm and peaceful environment; a place to be, rather than just a place to go.” 

The new station is already open for passengers, while the parking garage, pedestrian and bicycle tunnel are under construction and expected to be complete in 2026.

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

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