On Monday, the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) released a new rendering of stations that will be on the West Island branch of the REM.
Here is a recap of the design of the stations on the REM West Island branch:
Des Sources, Fairview-Pointe-Claire and Kirkland will be three elevated stations. This structure allows these future REM stations to serve thousands of people without breaking up the territory by keeping the vast majority of pedestrian, cyclist and road access open. It also limits the footprint and minimizes the impact on roads by spanning the A40’s on- and off-ramps. The structure also guarantees increased frequency and fast travel times for direct access to downtown in less than 30 minutes, travelling over the traffic.
REM stations all observe the same main architectural principles and include the concepts of transparency, movement and wood. However, each station is adapted to its surroundings and has its own typology (underground, trench, level, on a slope or elevated). Elevated stations are differentiated by their vertical volumes. They have separate platforms, one for each direction, located on each side of the elevated platform.
All REM stations will have elevators to ensure greater accessibility for people with reduced mobility. A guidance path, i.e. a path where the pavers are raised, is embedded in the ground to allow people with a white cane to orient themselves in the station and head for the platforms.
The partition glass of the station creates an effect of verticality. This pattern then changes and becomes horizontal along the platforms, following the users’ movement.
Finally, the architects have developed a colour strategy that will be incorporated into the REM network. The REM is divided into six sections, each of which has a distinct colour theme. The stations on the West Island branch will integrate the forest green colour as reminiscent of the parks on the West Island. The colour themes apply to the stations’ ceramic walls and tile floors, the furniture and plantings, or islands of biodiversity around the stations.
