Michael Mandeville
The station proposal addresses this disconnect through two basic means. The first is by creating a physical connection, over the train tracks, from The Henry Ford to the West Dearborn downtown and the Rouge River Park via a pedestrian bridge. The bridge, however, is conceived as more than just a means to cross the track. It is instead an experiential path, traversing the expanse of the site to reach its apex over the train tracks.
The second means of connection is through site work. The proposal calls for the site to become a destination on its own, to foster interaction between residents and visitors alike, by reclaiming some of the vast parking lot for public use, with a community garden and other green space.
The building form itself derives from fulfilling these two basic means. The station, instead of one building, breaks down into the intermodal components and spreads throughout the site, which anchor these public zones. The various building forms also act as the supports for the bridge above, opening up within to create inhabitable spaces for indoor waiting.