Over-the-top remake for historic train station

The Salzburg, Austria, Central Train Station is a major transportation hub, connecting nearly 15,000 people to surrounding towns and bringing tourists to admire the breathtaking mountain views. The original station, built in 1908, consisted of a building with an arched marble hall and an arched two-part metal hangar on an island platform. Renovation plans in 1999 ran into controversy, as historical preservationists insisted on maintaining original pieces of the station, while the trains had to continue to run on time during construction. The architect, kadawittfeldarchitektur, enlisted Sefar® Architecture, Depew, N.Y., in its quest to bring natural light to the historic and elegant arched metal hangar.

The 250-ton steel hangar was dismantled, moved, reassembled so the two arched pieces were riveted together and shaped longitudinally with an overarching fabric roof structure that transfers external loading from wind or snow to the steel arches at precisely determined points. The translucent white roof membrane is Sefar’s TENARA® 4T40HF, woven from high-strength expanded ePTFE fluoropolymers, fluoropolymer coated, providing flexibility without wear or loss of strength. TENARA covers 18,300 square feet of the hangar and provides 38 percent light transmission, with durability, weather resistance and flame resistance. The membrane fabric will not crack, crease or develop mold or mildew. The revitalized train station includes a new shopping mall and other modern conveniences, while preserving the historic ambiance of Salzburg’s past. Read more at Sefar’s TENARA website.