Blog 5: Locovisual

Wellington Train Station 

Photographed by Julia and Darjan 4/11/2012

Big-city railway stations, such as Wellington's, were powerful symbols of civic pride and prosperity. Although motor competition had  already begun to erode rail passenger traffic by the time Wellington station opened in 1937, it has remained a bustling passenger hub. (Hammer, P. n.d.).

The Wellington Train Station brings together a mixture of Architectural styles. At first glance you notice the train station entrance, which gives a striking example of Neoclassicism. Neoclassical architecture has a few defining characteristics which include such things as clean, elegant lines, uncluttered appearance and free standing columns. these characteristics are shown through the Train Station entrance with its eight Doric columns supporting a huge portico. Ledes, A.E. (2000) mentions in the Magazine Antiques that columns were used to carry the weight of the buildings structure and the roof of the building was usually flat and horizontal, often visible from the ground. Looking at the exterior of the train station you can see the flat horizontal roofing and that without the eight columns in the center the buildings structure would look unbalanced. 

Photographed by Julia and Darjan 4/11/2012

Beaux-Arts combining classical architecture from ancient Greece and Rome with Renaissance ideas, is another influence in the architectural design of the Wellington Train Station. From the front steps of the station entrance a wide foyer is seen, this space is influenced by the Beaux-Arts. Characteristics such as order and symmetry are shown through the pattern on the interior walls of the station. Due to the size and grandiosity of the buildings, the Beaux-Arts style was commonly used for public buildings like train stations and museums. (architecture.about.com.).


References:


Ledes, A.E. (2000). Neoclassical Architecture. The Magazine Antiques, 158/(4), 2. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.helicon.vuw.ac.nz/


Hammer, P. (n.d). Wellington Railway Station. Retrieved from http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/wellington-railway-station


General information about the Wellington train station that I did not quote in the write up was sourced from McCracken, H. (2008). Wellington Railway Station. Retrieved from http://www.historic.org.nz/TheRegister/RegisterSearch/RegisterResults.aspx?RID=1452&m=advanced