Intermezzo
Bus station and third place – a community centered design approach for small towns
Description
Imagine a bus station where people like to spend time, a third place where people meet and hang out. That’s the idea behind Intermezzo. Intermezzo turns the central bus station of a small town into a recreational space that enhances quality of life and fulfills mobility needs at the same time. Mobility and transfer zones make it easy to change between different modes of transport. The park-like hangout zone redefines waiting time as free time in which people have the choice of how to spend it. This is achieved primarily through the furniture.
The Intermezzo furniture was designed based on observations of pupils’ waiting behavior at a bus station. The furniture pieces reflect the circular shape of group situations. They are modular segments that can be set up in various combinations to meet the needs of both large interactive groups and small groups. Each segment can be mounted in three different ways — either as a bench, standing seat, or table — and has hooks for hanging bags.