By Adam Murphy, Senior Project Architect
The Glen Park BART Station platform is one of the more interesting public spaces in San Francisco. While not as expansive as the bus platform of the now demolished Transbay Terminal, Glen Park’s platform offers an experience in public transportation that is not easily matched elsewhere in the Bay Area.
The use of materials such as concrete, granite, and steel along with copious amounts of natural light combine in a manner more reminiscent of spiritual spaces rather than the secular function of a commuter train station. Concrete arches marching down the length of the platform harken back to more traditional building forms, those of cathedrals and basilicas from ages past, whose memory is temporarily disturbed by the intermittent passing of the next train. Heavy concrete pilasters running the length of the station, while detailed simply in the style of modern architecture, imply a rusticated sensibility found in the catacombs of ancient Rome. The use of granite on the floor and on the walls surrounds travelers with quality materials that also reinforce the facility’s solidity and permanence.
Photo by Thomas Hawk
While standing on the platform during the middle of the day, the light cascading down from the entry level above remind me of gothic cathedrals, right down to the colors of the wall fenestrations. If you have only passed through the station, I highly recommend getting off your next train at Glen Park and take it all in.
