Gimme shelter: BURRI

Can you remember? Almost 30 years ago, the city of Hanover made something of a name for itself with the ‘Bus Stops’ project. Leading architects and author-designers were each asked to design a distinctive, sculptural bus stop, and those invited to contribute included such illustrious names as Frank O. Gehry, Alessandro Mendini, Jasper Morrison and Ettore Sottsass.

Each of the designers created a bus shelter in his or her own typical style, putting his or her stamp, so to speak, on small-scale architecture in public spaces. Some of the designs still inspire us today with their courage and visionary power – others were so typical of their time that they now seem somewhat outdated. In any case, the project succeeded in shining a light on the bus stop as an object and place of great significance in the urban space.

When you think about it, small-scale architecture such as this fulfils central functions for the inhabitants of and visitors to a city – providing safety, creating identification and orientation, offering a place to shelter or rest, and contributing significantly to the quality of life. We have all experienced the situation of waiting at the stop for the bus or the next train, in the rain, at night. And it is precisely these general conditions of waiting that can be designed.

Swiss company BURRI has earned a good reputation among architects, urban planners and landscape designers with its flexible and attractive products for public spaces. Founded in 1903, the company is now run by the fifth generation of the Burri family and its expertise in the development, manufacture, planning and maintenance of small-scale architecture in urban spaces is also valued internationally. In the field of bus stop infrastructure (HSI®), the company has made a name for itself as a total contractor for high-quality bus stop installations in major large-scale projects in the canton of Zurich (Glattalbahn, Limmattalbahn) and has built up a great deal of experience and knowledge.

With the new HSI® ONE series, BURRI has now further-developed the proven HSI® ZERO BUS bus shelter and expanded it into a comprehensive, modular system. The first version of the bus shelter was designed by architect Kai Flender for the Glattalbahn and it is now used by many Swiss municipalities and transport companies. The design of the new generation focused on three specific areas: disabled access in accordance with the applicable BehiG standards, a modular structure, and the possibility for digital and media extensions.

For example, in order to improve accessibility to the waiting area for the disabled, the axial dimension of the supports has been adapted. HSI® ONE complies with the recommended manoeuvring areas for wheelchair users of 4m and 5.40m respectively, in accordance with the recommendations and guidelines of specialist organisations. In addition, the bench is now available in three different versions and can be inserted into any segment of the bus stop shelter to allow the necessary manoeuvring and free-standing areas at the bus stop, whichever the case.

Each variant of the bench has armrests, making standing up easier. In addition, all three bench models are ergonomically designed on the basis of the BURRI geometry for senior citizens, which increases seating comfort and makes it easier for older people to sit down and stand up. The backlit or illuminated notice boxes for timetable information have also been optimised according to BehiG requirements.

The new bus shelter lighting is even more energy-efficient and has been optimised for better and standard-compliant illumination – and also in the immediate area in front of the bus shelter. Light thus becomes a factor that not only increases the subjective feeling of safety, but also objectively contributes to better safety. With the ‘intelligentLIGHT’ feature, the light can also be controlled in such a way that it adapts to the time of day as well as the number of passengers.

And how about digital services, which serve the purpose of making waiting as pleasant as possible for people? It starts, for example, with the optional integration of USB charging ports for smartphones and tablets. With BURRI easyDFI, timetable information can be displayed in real-time and community information can be transmitted interactively. So-called ‘acousticMONITORING’ also contributes to the prevention of vandalism.

Thanks to newly developed, easy-to-locate prefabricated foundations, the bus shelters can be installed in a timely manner – without high engineering costs. The foundations also have a higher surface quality compared to in-situ concrete foundations. Special attention was not only paid to matters below ground, however, with various greening options available for the roof of the HSI® ONE that promote biodiversity as well as possibilities for the integration of solar elements, for example.

So, if you're an architect, landscape architect, transport engineer or urban planner looking for a fully developed bus shelter concept that supports disabled access, is technically innovative and modular, and whose individual elements can be easily exchanged and customised, look no further: The wait is over!

© Architonic