Katarzyna Jasińska

Technical Issues
1/2016 pp. 37-43
ISSN 2392-3954

UNDERGROUND AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CONTEMPORARY CITY:

FUNCTIONAL, SPATIAL AND VISUAL ASPECTS

Katarzyna Jasińska
Warsaw University of Technology
Faculty of Architecture
Koszykowa 55
00-659 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: arch.katarzynajasinska@gmail.com

Abstract: The use of underground space creates new opportunities for contemporary cities. Underground becomes a
promising location for specific technical and industrial facilities, as well as public buildings designated for recreational,
commercial and cultural purposes. Due to the growing number of subterranean buildings and increasing human activity
below the ground level, it is a challenge for many contemporary cities to integrate the newly emerging facilities with the
existing urban structure. This paper presents review of planning and architectural approaches to an effective
underground space design. The analysis of so far experience of various cities around the world shows that the
functional, spatial or visual integration can contribute towards improving the quality of the urban environment as well
as enhancing users' comfort. Among the factors determining the success of the contemporary underground facilities
there are both the selection of the functional program and location in the urban structure as well as the detailed design
solutions. During the design process the fundamental problems related to integration should be therefore addressed
simultaneously at several dimensions – at the city dimension, at the district and close neighbourhood dimension, at a
given facility, and sometimes even at individual space.

Keywords: integration, underground space, architecture, urban planning.

Introduction spaces pointing at the complexity of the discussed

problem. Second, specific aspects of integration are
The rapid urbanization and densification of the cities are described in detail.
among the major global problems. Today, almost 4
billion people live in the cities and by 2050 the number Underground space design
is expected to rise to nearly 7 billion [14]. The process of
the global urbanization is developing rapidly and Underground facilities that constitute the subterranean
contemporary cities need to learn how to cope with this layer of contemporary cites can be divided into two
challenge. For many congested urban environments the fundamental groups that distinguish between the groups
underground space planning becomes a promising of uses they target: 1) product-oriented uses and 2)
resource in this respect. Space below the ground level is people-oriented uses [6].
perceived as an additional spatial and service layer of the Facilities designated for product-oriented uses include
contemporary city [1]. Increasingly, it also becomes a mainly infrastructural facilities, storage, parking or
promising environment for situating public use buildings industrial buildings. These facilities are mostly physi-
designated for transportation and commercial functions cally and visually isolated from above ground urban
or recreational and cultural purposes. Due to the growing tissue. From the functional point of view they, however,
number of buildings and the increasing human activity, constitute an important part of the city, supporting the
taking place underground, the integration of the performance of the whole urban structure. Buildings
subterranean level with the existing aboveground urban such as rock caverns or road and waste water tunnels
fabric is crucial for further and sustainable development have a potential to improve urban development by
of cities. reducing air pollution and facilitating mobility. Placing
The aim of this study is to identify a set of potential such structures underground has several advantages such
solutions that affect the assimilation of the underground as protection from noise or vibration, limited visual
layer with the urban fabric. The research focuses on the impact or preservation the land surface for uses requiring
review and the analysis of the existing planning and above ground environment.
architectural approaches to the development of The second category of underground facilities that refers
contemporary underground facilities. It provides an in- to people-oriented buildings includes mostly buildings
depth literature review and description of local visions of used for leisure and recreational purposes, exhibition,
several underground buildings. First, the paper uncovers culture, commercial and public transport facilities. These
key aspects of physical characteristics of underground buildings often constitute an important part of the urban

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 UNDERGROUND AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CONTEMPORARY CITY: FUNCTIONAL, …

public space. Some of these facilities, for example metro master or sectorial plans focusing on the underground
stations, attract hundreds of users every day and increa- development into the ongoing urban planning policy.
singly perform as an urban activity nodes [11]. Due to One of the best examples with this respect is the city of
the high human activity, people-oriented buildings Helsinki in Finland, which is the first city in the world
require special design. For them, in contrast to the that has developed the Underground Master Plan for the
product-oriented structures, spatial and visual isolation whole municipal area. The plan provides the framework
becomes a significant drawback. The most negative for managing and controlling city's underground
consequence of the use of underground facilities for non- construction work and allows for choosing suitable
service functions is probably the strong discomfort that locations for underground facilities [15]. It also describes
the majority of the population expresses under the space allocation for long-term investments projects (such
ground level. The isolation causes the loss of connection as traffic tunnels), the existing underground facilities as
with the natural environment and separation from the well as the reserved rock resources for unclassified
external conditions, including weather and - most impor- future use (Fig. 1). The Underground Master and
tantly - sunlight. The lack of a direct view of the Sectorial Plans are also introduced in smaller cities such
outdoors causes a feeling of disorientation and sense of as Arnhem (Netherlands) as well as in the big
entrapment. Carmody and Sterling [6, 7] argue that the metropolises like Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai or
negative effects are all related to one of the three basic Beijing (China) [3, 8].
physical characteristics of the underground facilities: 1) The three-dimensional approach allows for sustainable
lack of visibility from the exterior; 2) lack of windows; development of the city and enhances overall safety and
3) being underground. They also claim that the degree of economic efficiency. The underground space planning
the integration can be one of the mitigating factors for enables the vertical expansion of the urban structure and
reducing the negative reactions [7]. can become a powerful tool for preventing dangerous
Thus, in the planning and design process of underground processes associated with high density, urban sprawl or
facilities it is especially important to pay attention to stagnation in the development of city centres that
creating a pleasant and healthy environment, both contemporary cities have to deal with. The important
underground and above the ground level. Well designed, obstacle on the way to an effective and integrated urban
integrated places can enhance human's well-being in the planning is, however, the diversity and mixing of space
underground space. On the other hand, an effective uses [12]. Underground corridor that contains
planning of subterranean utilities can contribute to commercial and industrial space unburdens the surface,
creating more sustainable and liveable cities. In the next which can be then used for housing, recreation and open
sections, in order to illustrate specific planning and space. On the other hand, existing densely built urban
design strategies affecting the assimilation of the areas, containing above ground transport and technical
underground layer, the integration will be analysed by facilities, can be diversified by underground buildings
looking at its functional, spatial and visual aspects. designated for social functions. The best illustration in
that respect is the design of the Lowline in New York
Functional integration City. The aim of this project was to revitalize the old
underground car depot located in the high density area in
One of the key factors determining the development of Manhattan. The abandoned facility is currently being
the contemporary city is the effective planning of land changed to the first world’s underground public garden
utilization. During the planning process, all urban (Fig. 2). Despite the fact that the project concerns the
problems as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks transformation of the already existing underground
of the new construction have to be considered and space, it perfectly illustrates the concept of an effective
implemented into the long-term development strategy. functional integration.
Due to the increasing role of cities’ underground layers
in their further growth, there is, however, a need to Spatial integration
rethink the traditional urban planning techniques [13,
17]. The traditional approach is based on two- To become an integral part of the city, underground layer
dimensional space perspective that is limited to 1) the requires not only functional relationship with the surface,
surface and 2) aboveground development. However, one but also physical connections with the above – on the
should be aware that the contemporary urban space is ground – life. Physical connection of spaces is the most
three-dimensional, consisting of the ones mentioned effective way of their integration, which similarly to the
above as well as the underground part. For the effective functional deployment, requires the decisions to be made
urban planning, it is therefore essential to arrange at the very early stage of the design process [18]. The
functional deployment integrating both, the surface and spatial integration is directly influenced by the location
underground space. and the function of the facility. It is extremely important
A successful implementation of the three-dimensional particularly for the people-oriented buildings.
perspective could be achieved by incorporating the

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 Katarzyna Jasińska

Fig. 1. Extract of the Helsinki Underground Master Plan. Light blue – routes reserved for new tunnels; dark blue – areas reserved for
future investments; grey – existing tunnels and underground facilities; dark brown – areas reserved for future use (not designated);
light brown – rock surface located in the distance of less than 10 m from the ground level (Source: Helsinki City Planning
Department).

Fig. 2. The Lowline project: transformation of abandoned underground space in Manhattan, New York [19]

One of the design patterns, enhancing the integration, is the facility, which can contribute towards reducing the
to incorporate the underground space into the widely negative feelings associated with being underground [7].
understood aboveground urban public space. As the The public spaces created by the entrance zones, can also
underground encourages the creation of recessed areas, enhance the integration of the underground facility into
the public space can be formed directly in front of the the urban structure. They often perform as a
entrance to the facility. Entrance zone can take a form of, representative part of the urban space, serve as meeting
for example, a sunken square or recessed green points and provide venues for outdoor cultural activities.
courtyard connected to the upper level by stairs and As a result, this design strategy can literally 'open up' the
ramps. The former can be found in front of the metro underground for the social life. It is, however, associated
station Les Halles in Paris (France) or the metro station with a substantial interference with the urban structure
Centum in Warsaw (Poland) (Fig. 3). The entrances and therefore it is not always possible to implement.
designed in this way allow for easy, horizontal access to

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 UNDERGROUND AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CONTEMPORARY CITY: FUNCTIONAL, …

Fig. 3. Sunken courtyard in front of the entrance to the metro station Centrum, Warsaw (Photo: Katarzyna Jasińska)

For the majority of the underground facilities direct and subterranean levels allow also for the use of both spaces.
vertical entrance is primary, and sometimes the only In consequence, the underground layer remains well
place, where the connection with the surface can be integrated with the city fabric and aboveground facilities.
made. The design strategy enhancing integration of the The comprehensive underground systems work
subterranean facility with the existing urban structure effectively especially in the countries with severe
aims at combining the both layers through the common climate [16]. Nevertheless, such structures can be found
entrance zone inside the aboveground building. This type in the downtown areas of several world's mega cities,
of design solution is mostly implemented in the densely e.g.: Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia (USA);
built areas, which increases the efficiency and Edmonton (Canada); Tokyo (Japan); Beijing, Shanghai,
concentration of the urban space. In Montreal (Canada) Hong Kong (China) and Moscow (Russia). As for
for example, all access points to the underground are Europe, a good example of such structure is the
placed in the public area in office buildings, hotels or Alexanderplatz, one of the largest communication hubs
shops. Such an idea is meant to increase overall safety of Berlin (Germany). It consists of a railway station, and
(the entrances are better controlled), facilitate several metro and tram lines integrated to the
maintenance (the entrance zone is a private property), commercial zone of the underground complex and
and to a large extent reduce the negative psychological numerous above ground public use buildings [4].
effects [9].
The combination of above and underground facilities can Visual integration
also contribute to the development of underground
multifunctional large-size structures that are connected Apart from the direct communication links, the
with urban surface in many places. In several cities, on relationship between the urban environment and
the basis of metro network there are formed underground underground layer can be also established through the
corridors that integrate stations with the remaining visual connectivity. It is mainly related to the provision
under- and above-ground buildings. This type of of the exterior view and the introduction of daylight. The
structure has particularly grown in Montreal's downtown visual connectivity can reduce the sense of entrapment
area [5] or in Toronto, where the underground is formed and sometimes can contribute to a better spatial
by over 30 km of underpasses that together with the orientation. To large extent, the integration depends on
associated structures form the largest shopping mall in the shape and depth of individual facility. Similar to
the world [2]. The Downtown Toronto's Underground spatial integration, visual integration is essential for the
Pedestrian Walkway, usually referred to as PATH, people-oriented buildings.
consists of nine metro stations connected by pedestrian In the case of shallow buildings, the visual integration
network, which is located below the public use buildings can be achieved through spacious, well-illuminated
(Fig. 4). The underground passages are surrounded by entrance zone. For deeper buildings, such as for example
shops, restaurants and other types of services. The metro stations 1, the design solution, which allows for
networks consist of nodes (lying under the buildings) visual integration includes large-size glass roofs that
and lines connecting the above and underground
facilities. The system constitutes well-organized spatial 1
Metro stations can be situated even 50 m underground, in
structure, which links the main points around the city.
contrast to other people-oriented buildings, which usually are
Numerous connections between the surface and not located deeper that 10 m below the ground level [10].

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 Katarzyna Jasińska

bring in daylight to the lower floors of the facility. building, is the creation of internal atriums or skylights.
Excellent example is the metro station Canary Wharf in The glass panels in the roof of the platforms at the
London (UK), designed by Foster & Partners, where Alameda station in Valencia (Spain), designed by
concourse halls and parts of the platforms are Santiago Calatrava, can serve as very good example
illuminated through a giant glass dome created above the (Fig. 6). The incoming daylight brings dynamics to the
entrance to the station (Fig. 5). Less spectacular, but also interior and contributes to the creation of interesting, and
notable design solution, which keeps visual relationship sometimes even spectacular architectural impression.
with the exterior world in the deeper parts of the

Fig. 4. System of underground paths and nodes, PATH, Toronto [20]

Fig. 5. The glass roof covering the entrance to the metro station Canary Wharf, London (Photo: Katarzyna Jasińska).

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 UNDERGROUND AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CONTEMPORARY CITY: FUNCTIONAL, …

Fig. 6. Skylights in the roof of metro station Alameda, Valencia (Photo: Katarzyna Jasińska).

Conclusions places can facilitate human's well-being below the

ground level.
Urban underground space plays a crucial role in creating The successful assimilation of undergrounds with the
cities that are able to cope with today's global challenges. urban structure depends heavily on the function,
However, in order to use the potential of subterranean location, shape and depth as well as architectural
location there is a need to perceive and understand the solutions of the individual facility. In order to provide
underground not as an isolated layer, but as an integral healthy and friendly environment all those factors should
part of the contemporary city. Functionally integrated be taken into account during the design process. It is
underground space can contribute to cities’ further essential that during the design process the designers
sustainable development and lead to the creation of more consider simultaneously several aspects: the city, the
liveable and friendly urban environment. On the other district and close neighbourhood, the given facility and
hand well designed, spatially and visually connected sometimes even individual space.

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