Estacion Balboa : a transportation center for Panama City, Rep. of Panama

Thesis Statement Movement is a dominant organizing force in architectural design. The different speeds of movement and the different rates of perception are the elements that will create the form of a particular space for both vehicles and pedestrians. Trains, buses, and cars have a rigid and fixed type of movement. Vehicles tend to move from one point to another point in a linear way. This linear movement should find its expression in the architectural design as an axial straight path. People have a curvilinear type of movement. Pedestrians walk from one place to another in a random pattern. They also walk in a manner which provides more freedom of movement and interest. To be able to adequately create the form for the movement, this movement has to be clear and not confused. The form is created by the type of movement the designer wants and needs the user to experience. These means that movement should be organized in a clear manner, in order to share the experience of the users. Context Research Panama City, Panama will be the site where the new transportation facility will be located. Panama has a "tropical climate", bringing into consideration many elements as the sun angle, the humidity and the precipitation. The site is located near the "Banking Center", that is a big urban center. It will have commercial surroundings and will be accessible from a main four lane road call "Avenida Balboa" (Balboa Avenue). Another important factor is that it will have a close proximity to the sea because it is near the "Bahia de Panama" (Panama Bay). In the city of Panama many people use public transportation. It is estimated that five thousand people per day uses some type of public transportation services. Due to the rapid growing of the city, it is getting difficult to travel around the city specially during the working days. Facility Research The facility designed for this thesis is a Transportation Center for the city of Panama. In this center many types of transportation systems will be available. Trains, buses, taxis, and even helicopters will have access to the transportation center. This center will serve the city as the main local transportation facility. Due to many factors, such as the climate, the facility will be designed in a unique way. Long span structures will be one of the main elements of the facility. The transportation center will also have some commercial activities such as restaurants, gift shops, and snack bars.