High-tech Architecture in Expo MRT Station

Two sculptural roof elements overlap in the skies creating a dynamic visual effect, as they appear to hover weightlessly in the air above a heavy concrete base. A 40-metre-diameter disc clad in stainless steel marks the station entrance accompanied by a 130-metre-long blade-like form sheathed in titanium that shelters the train platforms. Its reflective soffit is constantly animated with the reflections of passengers and passing trains. The people who flocked to Expo MRT on its opening day on 10 January 2001 knew instantly that they were witnessing an innovatively designed piece of architecture. In this essay, the Expo MRT is first studied with a breakdown of its form, typology and curated experiences. Its modernistic influence is then analysed through its architect and his design influences, its use of materials and ornamentation and its influence on the Singaporean society as a piece of high-tech architecture.

Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampines

The Expo MRT is a train station built to serve the Singapore Expo Centre, an event venue that draws as many as 6 million people annually. Its design consists of a large shell-shaped roof recalling a space age architecture; fittingly, a topic of interest for Norman Foster since his childhood days. This roof is uniquely supported by two ‘Y’-shaped pillars from outside the passenger platform, allowing a clear view across the station as well as a fluid flow of passengers due to the absence of internal columns. Environmentally, the station’s open form has other benefits, encouraging a cooling flow of air through the building. The choice of roof materials also has an environmental significance. The second part of the roof’s structure, and the most noticeable, is the large stainless steel dish supported by thin angled stainless steel columns. Its daunting size and position helps to act as a kind of signifier; indicating the entrance and exit of the station poetically. The steel dish also helps to reflect the ever-changing and moving visual patterns of passing-by commuters and cars throughout the day, as well as the different times of the day like the sunrise and sunset.

The creative minds behind this architectural feat is renowned global architectural firm, Fosters + Partners, led by Sir Norman Foster. Sir Norman Foster and his company Foster + Partners are based in London with a design approach rooted in sustainability. With projects of a large variety of types ranging from cultural spaces such as the UAE Pavilion of Shanghai Expo (2010) in Shanghai, China, to office towers such as the Apple Park (2018) in Cupertino, USA, and the renowned Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters (1986) in Hong Kong, China, Foster + Partners has won many awards under the leadership of Sir Norman Foster since its founding. Sir Norman Foster believes that architecture is about the expression of values. He is one of the pioneers of the high-tech architecture movement through using design approaches that emphasise on structural expression and ecological design. The Willis Faber & Dumas Headquarters (1975) in Ipswich, United Kingdom, is the earliest example of such an expression by Sir Norman Foster and his then partner and co-founder of Foster Associates, Wendy Cheesman. This office building design consists of a free-form plan that redefined social dynamics in the workplace while featuring glass-clad walls and energy conscious design efforts such as a green roof. The reinvention of conventional programmes and the extensive use of materials such as glass gives the building its identity as a piece of high-tech architecture, a style grown from the modernist style.

It is meaningful to consider the role Sir Norman Foster played in the high-tech architecture movement in order to then investigate the design motivations that led to the form of the Expo MRT. Despite his humble origins, through hard work and talent, Sir Norman Foster was granted an opportunity to study at the Yale School of Architecture in 1961, where he met Richard Rogers. Richard Rogers and Sir Norman Foster then went on to produce several works that would earn the name ‘high-tech architecture’. High-tech architecture utilizes new advances in technology and building materials, emphasizing transparency in design and construction. Today, Richard Rogers is also regarded as a pioneer in the high-tech architecture movement, with works such as the Pompidou Centre (1971) in Paris, France and the Lloyd’s building (1978) in London, United Kingdom. One of Norman Foster’s renowned works, the Sainsbury Center for Visual Arts (1978) in Norwich, United Kingdom, is also highly regarded as a piece of high-tech architecture. This project reconstructed the typology of an art gallery, using the high-tech style, characterised by its open steel structure, on a cultural building instead of an industrial building. This enduring relationship between Norman Foster and high-tech architecture offers significant insights to the design influences of the Expo MRT; in its materials, ornamentation and its symbolic meaning.

Architecture materials have been constantly evolving due to discoveries of new materials. As humankind gains knowledge about the potential of various materials and learns to make full use of it, new possibilities of architecture follow. Key features of the high-tech architecture style include the use of steel, glass and other lightweight materials. In the 1880s, there was a rise in the number of iconic steel structures, ranging from the Brooklyn Bridge (1883), the world’s first steel suspension bridge, to the world-famous Eiffel Tower (1887). Stainless steel that is developed for exposed surfaces is favourable in the construction of the Expo MRT’s exterior as stainless steel possesses qualities of durable weather resistance. More importantly, the high strength low weight stainless steel structures require less support, making it possible to achieve the seemingly weightless and minimalistic-looking UFO plate structure—a prominent element of the Expo MRT. Both the dome-shaped roof and the UFO structure are supported by steel columns and a diagrid steel system. Embracing their high strength and durability, members are optimised in terms of thicknesses, positions and slants to withstand their respective loads. This approach is relevant to Le Corbusier’s principles, where supports rested according to precise calculations will effectively elevate the roof. This results in a column-free ground plan for the train platforms, where there is a clear line of sight as one walks through the station.

Many point out the aesthetic and material differences between Fosters’ works and those of other modernists such as Louis Kahn’s work. Louis Kahn was a firm believer that there should be an honesty in the materials and their use, providing an intriguing and true authenticity. There is a famous film called ‘How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?’ where the works of Sir Norman Foster are scrutinised to exemplify the intention of high-tech architects to have their buildings look weightless and floating. It is interesting how Foster’s approach seems to diverge from Kahn’s whose works were built from unhidden brick and concrete. Kahn embraces and honours the materials, bringing a sense of monumentality and spirituality to his buildings.

The choice of roof materials was carefully made as it is to be an integral part of the environmental response system designed by the architect. Due to the reflective nature of the polished titanium surface, sun rays are able to reflect throughout the building, providing natural light to the interior while effectively reducing heat absorbed by the platforms. Just like the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (1997) that was architected by Frank Gehry, the captivating and metallic materiality of the titanium form catches light and reacts to the lively urban programs surrounding the MRT station.

As part of the garden city, the Expo MRT does not fall short of greenery. There is a tropical garden tended at the inner zone of the ground floor where plants are strategically placed along the boundaries of the station. While acting as barriers, they filter heat and glare while allowing the space to be open-aired and achieve good air circulation. They also add colours to the dull palette of the station, making the whole station look less heavy.

During the prehistoric times, ornaments are mostly inspired by nature and culture. In the early 20th century, ornaments almost disappeared due to industrialization and the changes in perceptions towards ornaments.At the forefront of this movement was Adolf Loos. With his text ‘Ornament and Crime’ published in 1908, Adolf Loos challenged and heavily criticized the excessive use of ornaments, causing a drastic shift in paradigm. He substantiated his argument by criticizing the act of exploiting human labour in production and referred to the use of ornament as “a crime against the national economy that… results in the waste of human labour, money and material”. These statements influenced the way modernists perceived ornaments. The ‘refusal wave’ hence persisted until the dawn of the digital age.

The postmodern ideology brought back the use of ornaments, breathing new meanings into ornaments. Ornaments returned due to the establishment of new concepts in the natural sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. In his book “Complexities and Contradictions'', Robert Venturi expressed that “Modern architecture uses expressive ornament and shuns explicit symbolic ornament… all of the simplistic modern facades are in fact a type of ornament. They turn the building into an ornamented whole”. High-tech architecture is one of the styles that arose during the postmodernism period. High-tech architecture is characterized by the integrative use of advanced technologies in the construction of the buildings. Representatives of high-tech architecture include Sir Norman Foster, along with Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, Schwegar + Partner and more. Among their works, there is an underlying language where structures of the buildings are exposed and treated as ornaments. Technical elements organized in a repetitive sequence are also classified as modern ornaments. From the exterior, the envelope of Sir Norman Foster’s Expo MRT is made up of clean and “simple” surfaces supported by minimalistic-looking supports, creating a lightweight visual. Despite its simplistic styling that eschews unnecessary fluff, the modern architecture remains unique with prominent curvatures and angular lines. The Expo mrt is an ornamental whole.

The form of the Expo MRT is characterized by being parametric in character, originating from mathematics. The dome-shaped surface is lined with numerous triangular-shaped mirrored stainless-steel panels within. These elements qualify as ornamentation. Parametric design has become one of the most widely used modelling processes in the architectural industry and computer-aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) make the realization of intricate ornamental elements possible. There is now a strong linkage between the aesthetics and new technologies. This means of production can take place at competitive costs and also generates precise work, inverting the logic of frivolous-looking overdone detail—a result of work exploitation as pointed out by Adolf Loos—and unnecessary twist in material. Patterns, a term that is used interchangeably with ‘ornaments’, start to play many roles and functions—structural value, symbolic value and environmental interventions—constituting a huge portion of the building essence. Patrik Schumacher mentioned how parametric architecture has produced dynamic and high-performance ornamentation. This is seen in buildings such as the Musée du Quai Branly (1999) by Jean Nouvel, where the aperture façade creates a changing and complex lighting effect from layering daylight. The windows are made up of metal eyes that dilate according to outdoor light conditions, allowing control over thermal exposure and interior lighting. Another example is Zaha Hadid’s King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (2007), where the amalgamation of crystalline forms responds to environmental conditions and internal programme requirements.

Sir Norman Foster, a known figure who popularized the use of the diagrid through high-profile projects like the 30 St Mary Axe (2001) in London, United Kingdom, and the Hearst Tower (2003) in New York, United States. Though they appear to be remarkably different in silhouette, both adopt the same system of diagrids, expressed in a similar pattern of triangular external struts. Each building produces a beguiling effect, offering structural clarity. Similarly, the diagrid system majorly improves the aesthetic view of the interior of the Expo MRT. It reduces the amount of steel used by up to one-fifth as compared to using a brace frame structure, optimising the use of the structural material. Some may argue that this is in line with Louis Kahn’s conviction where he stressed on using materials to their fullest potential. With the exoskeleton of the building’s form in place, the architect can cut down on internal supports, saving space and building materials while allowing naturally broad apertures and greater flexibility for systems installations.

In the modern era, the role of ornaments has expanded indefinitely. Ornaments are now more than aesthetic decoration and can have a functional role in the building. It could even be giving symbolic value to the architecture or being an important element in satisfying lookers psychologically. Architects are more open to the possibilities ornaments could bring. The mapping system of the diagrid is like an advertisement for the material thrift. In this era, the representation of structural robustness takes on a deep moral resonance. Speaking a reassuring language of stability, it is a representation of its real physical economy and resilience.

In his book “The Grammar of Ornament” that was published long ago in 1856, Owen Jones discouraged copying of ornaments but rather encouraged designers to instead be inspired to examine the underlying decorative principles behind the objects. Jones describes “going back to nature like the ancients did” as nature has a great variety of line and form and has endless potential. The most immediate forefather to the current wave of diagrid buildings is visionary engineer R. Buckminster Fuller who actively worked with Sir Norman Foster in his last decade. He pointed out that “nature’s own system of coordination [is] based on triangles”. Nature has certain mathematical underpinnings. Again, we are inspired by the natural order to design ornaments. This time, with the aid of advanced technologies.

Sir Norman Foster is possibly one of the most prominent architects of his generation, having accumulated an extensive collection of innovative designs, such as the Expo MRT, over the past six decades. The aptly named term ‘high-tech architecture’ has become synonymous with Sir Norman Foster and his works. From glazed roof-frame canopies that cover the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court of the British Museum (2000) in London, United Kingdom, to the tallest bridge in the world Millau Viaduct (2004) in Millau, France, Foster’s works are certainly grand yet convey a sense of sophistication and lightness, all while communicating the underlying structure and function of the project throughout its interior and exterior forms. The approach of transparency and fascination with the aesthetics of the industry can be traced back to his design influences conceived from working with certain modern architects in his first architectural firm ‘Team 4’—featuring the likes of Richard Rogers and his wife Wendy Cheesman—before venturing out to start his own practice. One of the final projects of Team 4 before the group disbanded was the Reliance Controls (1967) in Swindon, United Kingdom. This project was one of the first buildings of the new high-tech architecture style, which Foster would eventually become the defining architect of. The Reliance Controls boasted uncompromising simplicity and a unity of general conception; it was bare and exposed, yet reflected a modern radical statement. The building received a lot of attention and it won the first Financial Times Industrial Architecture Award.

Almost forty years later, the same ideas of lightness, transparency and sophistication have manifested themselves in the Expo MRT. The large stainless steel dish, colloquially referred to as the ‘UFO’, hovers ominously in the air, giving a sense of lightness to the station. Also, it is strategically placed such that it reflects light into the station reducing the need for artificial lighting. The large shell-shaped roof covering the main station and train tracks, held up entirely by two ‘Y’-shaped pillars, makes room for fluid flow of the 17,000 daily peak-time passengers. This construction gives transparency to the MRT station as there is minimal obstruction to the field of view of the passengers as they roam around the platform. The use of material also adds to its sophistication; titanium, stainless steel and glass, with concrete finishing at the base.

Sir Norman Foster is no stranger to creating architecture that redefines building typologies and the Expo MRT is one of those works. At the time it was built, Expo MRT arguably had the most unique and striking MRT station design in Singapore. In a speech by Mr Yeo Cheow Tong at the opening of the Expo MRT station, he mentions that “This station will stand out like a beacon for its functional excellence, with a design that is elegant and yet visually stunning.” The design elements of Expo MRT, such as the diagrid structural frame of the roof interior, had most likely inspired Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) to design MRT stations in the later parts of the East-West line similarly. For example, Gul Circle MRT, Pioneer MRT and Joo Koon MRT were built with the same exposed diagrid structure for their roof enclosures years after the construction of the Expo MRT. The basic function of a train station is to provide shelter to passengers waiting to board or alight from carriages. In this regard, the Expo MRT redefined the MRT station by providing comfort to passengers using technology, incorporating aesthetic and sustainable design to establish its identity as a local landmark with an iconic appearance. With the later additions of the Circle Line and Downtown Line in Singapore’s MRT network, the architecture of MRT stations had been taken much more seriously. An architectural design competition organised by the LTA in association with the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) was held for stations such as Stadium MRT and Bras Basah MRT, creating dramatic spaces for MRT stations focused on good design and innovation like never before.

In an interview with Sir Norman Foster and the Fundación Arquia, he mentioned that the most important buildings to him are the ones that can influence, create new worlds and celebrate the public domain. And although not explicitly mentioned by him, the Expo MRT amongst many of his other works appeal to one or more of these attributes. The Expo MRT’s influence extends beyond the station’s architectural design. It commands power over its particular building typology due to factors such as the station’s prominent location, being a train stop away from Changi Airport and also the gateway to the Expo Convention Theatre which hosts over 600 events and over 6 million people annually in its heyday. Thousands of people stop by the Expo MRT every week, where they are greeted by the sophisticated architecture of the interior. Likewise, as event-goers commute back, the choreographed light reflections from the steel dish in the distance leave visitors in awe. The Expo MRT has a great symbolic value as an urban gateway. Being a public landmark, it ‘belongs’ to the masses and makes a statement for the nation. The futuristic look of the Expo MRT was said to symbolise the country’s willingness to experiment with new ideas and technology. The Expo MRT had the power to influence the futurescape of MRT stations in Singapore, both structurally and symbolically. As Sir Norman Foster predicts in the interview, “The science fiction of my early youth was the reality that was to come later.”

From this thorough analysis, it can be observed how Sir Norman Foster’s design ethos manifests itself in the design of the Expo MRT. From the extensive use of steel and titanium to itself being an ornamental whole to the high-tech architecture style it has, the Expo MRT sets the precedence for the design of MRT stations like how Sir Norman Foster has for architects of his and future generations.