Keywords

1 Introduction

Until January 2023, China’s rail transit mileage has exceeded 9,584 km and set up 5609 stations [1]. With the help of compact cities and TOD theory, China has ushered in a golden period of rapid rail transit construction. As the core of the urban central area, the core area of the urban rail center station has a high degree of population aggregation and a complex urban space environment. It is an important public space node in the city and a place to carry people’s social interactions and various activities [2]. Place making is an important research content of urban design (Wang Jianguo, 2017) [3]. In the core area of the rail station, relying on the three-dimensional space on the above-ground and underground, by creating an attractive, distinctive, and rich connotation three-dimensional space environment and social cultural atmosphere, it can effectively improve the urban spatial environmental quality of the core area and enhance the sense of belonging in their place.

Relevant domestic research: In June 2023, searching CNKI database with the subject heading “rail transit station /station area/TOD+place/place making” found 8 journal papers (2 core papers), 7 doctoral theses and 12 master theses. Only Xu Leiqing and Liu Nian et al. (2015) studied the relationship between the public space of the station domain and urban vitality from a micro-scale [11], and Wang Chengfang (2013) proposed the introduction of the “urban catalyst” theory into the design strategy of the site area site creation [9]. Based on the comprehensive retrieval of Chinese databases and literature analysis, it is found that the current three-dimensional research on the rail station area is mainly based on the qualitative research of land use [5], spatial development mode [6], and walking system [7]. Related research focuses on urban design methods, strategies [4] and the compilation of guidelines [8]. Only Gui Wangyang proposed the environmental design strategy of “core construction to enhance the vitality of the station”. There is a lack of systematic research on the three-dimensional space environment of the rail transit station area, especially the three-dimensional place construction.

Relevant foreign research: Based on English database, searched the core of Web of Science database with the subject heading “rail transit station /station area/TOD+place/place making” found 16 related papers. The above research focuses on the study of the road network structure of the station area [10], the scale of the plot [12], the degree of spatial openness [13], the interaction mechanism of traffic and urban space [14]. Only Yuan proposed to build an intensive, efficient, ecological, and technological sense of place in urban underground space, and build a “double-layer” urban space system above and below the ground [19]; Sun uses virtual reality technology to study the interface form and space experience of underground squares [20].

Comprehensive domestic and foreign relevant research can be known: there is no special research on the construction of three-dimensional places in the station area, and a few papers on the urban space environment/landscape design of the station area are mainly characterized by description. There is also a lack of new research paradigms and methods in the three-dimensional space organization and place construction of railway station area.

At present, the method of spatial narration has been widely confirmed because it helps to promote the logical integration of urban spatial elements, strengthen the place recognition and environmental characteristics of urban space (Shi Fei et al., 2014) [16]. However, it has not been applied to urban space research in the rail transit station area.

Aiming at the problems of the above and underground space separation, low quality of underground space environment and lack of sense of place in the railway station area, this paper takes Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Station and Tokyo Shibuya Station as examples, creatively introduces the spatial narrative method into the research on the place making of three-dimensional space in the station area, and explores a new way for the realization of the above-ground and underground integration in the core area of railway stations.

2 Brief Analysis of the Concept of Spatial Narration

Fig. 1.
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Source: self-drawing according to references [16]

The interrelationship of the three elements of spatial narration.

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Fig. 2.
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Source: self-drawing

Core area of urban central railway station.

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With the spatial transformation of the humanities, the study of the spatial dimension of narration has gradually received attention and has been introduced into contemporary urban studies. Through the integration with behaviorism and postmodernism ideas and methods, a spatial narrative method that guides urban design, architecture and landscape design is formed [16]. Spatial narrative means that the narrator uses spatial material elements as a medium and uses various relevant expression methods to tell stories, events or experiences to the recipient. At the same time, the recipient can self-interpret the space based on the narrative media and the individual’s different knowledge systems.

The narrator, medium and reader are the basic elements of spatial narration. Among them, the media, as the spatial material element chosen by the narrator to tell the story [17], is the core of spatial narration and the focus of architectural and urban space research. Through users’ interpretation of narrative media in space, a series of memories and associations of relevant events and plots are generated, to arouse the formation, reproduction and sublimation of creators/users’ aesthetic experience, and to construct the place attachment relationship between subject and object [17] (Fig. 1).

3 The Core Area of Urban Central Railway Stations

Central stations are railway stations that undertake the functions of city-level centers and sub-centers. In principle, it is an interchange station of multiple rail transit lines, positioned as a regional public service center, and the core area of the rail station encourages the development and construction of urban complexes (also the area with the highest demand for underground space utilization). The “Guidelines” divide the urban central railway station area into four spatial scope levels: (1) 0–100 m above ground and underground space; (2) 100–500 m core influence area; (3) 500–800 m influence area; (4) 800–1500 m secondary influence area [14]. This paper takes the 500 m range of the rail station as its core area, and uses the space narrative theory to study the integration of ground and underground places in this area (Fig. 2).

4 Research on the Three-Dimensional Place Making in the Urban Central Railway Station Area Based on Spatial Narration

This article focuses on the urban space of the rail station area, which belongs to the meso-scale urban design category, so it focuses on the “structure” aspect of the spatial narrative. At present, spatial narrative has gradually developed into two types: structuralist narrative and deconstructive narrative. “Semantics (lexicon)” and “structure” are important means of spatial narrative elements and logical arrangement [15]. This article took Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Station and Tokyo Shibuya Station as examples, focused on the analysis of the narrative characteristics of the place and the relationship between the part and the whole, and explored the use of space narration in the research of place making possibility.

4.1 Structuralist Spatial Narrative—Study on the Characteristics of Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Railway Station

Basic Situation of Huaqiangbei Railway Station

Fig. 3.
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Source: reference [18]

Commercial space and railway stations of Huaqiangbei.

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Fig. 4.
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Source: self-drawn by the author

The spatial narrative clues of the underground commercial street.

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The Huaqiangbei railway station area is a concentrated commercial and densely populated area in Shenzhen, with a very vibrant urban space. This area gathers the related stations of Shenzhen Metro Line 1, 2, 3, 7. The ground is a commercial pedestrian street integrating urban landscape and leisure, with a total length of about 1 km. The underground space is located below the commercial pedestrian street on the ground, starting from Shennan Middle Road in the south and to the end of Huaxin Station on Line 7 in the north. It has a total length of 830 m, a width of 28.1 m, and a total construction area of 70530 m2. This article focuses on the research object at the station core area: a north-south ground-underground integrated “belt” commercial street (Fig. 3).

The Narrative Characteristics of the Station Core Area

Huaqiangbei Commercial Street spreads out in a north-south belt on the ground and underground. It is affected by the narrow east-west direction, and its place making conforms to the linear narrative method. In structuralist narratives, the internal synchronic relationship between spatial elements is emphasized, and the inner logical relationship between the surface structure (the combination of spatial text carriers) and the deep structure (the inner logic of the meaning of spatial text carriers) is explored.

Construction of Underground Space

Take the section from Huaqiangbei Station Line 2/7 to Shennan Middle Road as an example: After exiting the subway, passengers pass through a hall and walk into an open underground plaza. The bright and flowing roof and vegetated arcades weaken the closure of the underground space. Then the space changes into one side or both sides of the underground street for shops. Montage is used in small local spaces to create a dream space through light and shadow changes, enriching the space environment at the interface between the street and the subway (Fig. 4).

Place Creation of Ground Space

Fig. 5.
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Source: self-photographed and self-drawn by the author

Space sequence of ground commercial pedestrian street in the core area of Huaqiangbei station area.

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The processing of above-ground space nodes is mainly concentrated at the entrances and exits of underground commercial streets. The above-ground space presents a spatial sequence of “beginning segment -- guide segment -- climax segment -- end segment” through repeated underground entrance/exit structures and set urban sculptures at important nodes and the end of pedestrian streets, which are highly similar to traditional Chinese chapter novels (Fig. 5). Under the principle of unification, the ground space is partially dotted with dry fountains, sunken squares, and water features, which play a role in enriching the space.

4.2 The Space Narrative of Deconstructivism Spatial—Study on Site Characteristics of Shibuya Station in Tokyo

Basic Situation of Shibuya Station

Shibuya Station is the second largest transportation hub in Tokyo area after Shinjuku Station. Nine lines intersect here, and the number of transfers exceeds 3 million per day. The Shibuya mega-level station city integrated development project, which is expected to be completed before 2027, includes an area where many functions such as rail transit stations, commerce, office, and culture are gathered, and is one of the most important transportation hubs in central Tokyo.

The Narrative Characteristics of the Station Domain Space

The space narrative dominated by deconstructive narrative focuses on the interaction mechanism between the informal structure of the place and the specific reader, and the relationship between the meaning of the place and the social context [17]. The place making in the core area of Shibuya Station uses a deconstructive narrative method. Instead of setting a distinct spatial sequence, it presents the characteristics of rich and diverse spatial elements, complex and diverse structural relationships, and dynamic and random spatial activities. Compared with the grand structuralist narrative with clear logical levels, Shibuya Station’s place making pays more attention to diversified and “small” narratives, and emphasizes the experience of participants through the uniqueness of each venue and space.

Place Making of Three-Dimensional Pedestrian Space

As Shibuya’s valleys vary greatly in topography, a four-story spatial walk system from underground to above ground was established, connecting subway stations, ground, corridors, and sky corridors, and relying on a pedestrian network to place making. Outdoor and semi-outdoor escalators and stairs guide the flow of people, and combine the wave-shaped canopy and the large cantilever structure to construct the open space of the interchange square, thereby making the pedestrian space rich in hierarchy and mobility.

By liberating the roof space, creating a multi-level roof plaza realizes the interaction between the sky and the ground. After completion, it will become Japan’s largest rooftop observation plaza and become a new type of urban base, forming the urban underground Three-dimensional base surface system on the ground and in the air.

Place Making of Vertical Space

In the vertical direction, through the changes of color and spatial form, a rich sense of place in the vertical direction is created. In addition, the “information ring” integrated with escalators in the urban core realizes the temporal and spatial interweaving and variability of the vertical height space and the horizontal space through the constantly changing time, orientation, and seasonal images on the circular motif.

4.3 Place Making Strategy for the Core Area of Urban Central Railway Station

Choose an Appropriate the Space Narrative Method According to the Characteristics of the Site Area

It is found that: in the station core area, for linear underground streets, ground commercial streets, air traffic corridors, and underground passages, the use of structuralist narrative methods for place making has advantages. For the station space with a high degree of three-dimensionality, a very high degree of networking, and an extremely complex and rich spatial form, the pedestrian network is used as the skeleton, and the deconstructive the space narrative method is used to divide and partition to make a “multi-theme, multi-scene, multi-element” place more reasonable.

Pay Attention to User Experience and Participation

As the most densely populated area, the core area of the urban central rail station needs to create an affinity for the station space environment to provide people with more resting places in the “hurried” urban space. Relying on the three-dimensional space on the ground, ground and air, through appropriate the space narrative techniques, story layout and scene creation are used to create attractive, distinctive, and rich connotation three-dimensional space environment and social cultural atmosphere, and improve the site space.

Realize “Multi-voice Harmony” Through the Diversification of Spatial Elements

In the past, the construction of place making emphasized the meaning of places, but in the face of the complex urban environment, three-dimensional spatial form and larger development scales in the site area, overemphasizing the meaning of design and the structure of the story would be counterproductive. It is possible to realize the coordination between the various parts by dividing the urban space into parts, using the horizontal and vertical traffic lines to connect in series, and learn from the diversified concept of deconstructive narrative to create rich urban spaces and activity venues.

5 Outlook: Quantitative Research and Exploration of Urban Three-Dimensional Space in the Railway Station Core Area

In order to further explore the quantitative research method of spatial narrative in the future, it is necessary to first carry out the digitization of urban space in the core area of the railway station. This paper probes into the digital research method, which is carried out according to the following steps:

5.1 Construct the Three-Dimensional Spatial Database and Collection Spatial Information

By collecting the material space data of the core area of urban central railway station, such as land, building, road, open space, underground passage, underground street, etc. Non-material spatial data, such as population, economy, city-level statistical data, were processed by CAD+3D GIS technology to establish a three-dimensional spatial database of the core area of the central railway station. Taking the core areas of important central rail stations in Tokyo, Osaka, Chicago, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong as typical cases, the method of “digital map + literature collection + field research” is used to collect their three-dimensional spatial information (Table 1).

Table 1. Construction of the spatial database in the core area of railway station
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5.2 Establishment of the Urban Space Vector Information Database (Above Ground-Underground Space) in the Core Area of Central Railway Station

Data processing:

  1. (1)

    Collection and storage of vector data (SHP surface file): The DWG file is based on the relevant map base map and the comprehensive field investigation. Take a station as the center and a 500 m radius to ensure that the figure size is consistent with the actual size. Then, the DWG file is imported into ArcGIS, and the vector image data of the target area is saved in the target folder in the form of SHP surface files.

  2. (2)

    Cleaning of vector data: In order to make the data meet the experimental requirements, it is necessary to clean the data in ArcGIS through the “domain buffer” tool, the “spatial connection” tool, the property table, etc., and check whether there is any error by comparing with the existing map. Finally, the generated target SHP surface file is saved in the target folder.

  3. (3)

    Establish building height-depth information base: Data source and processing: As a basic input to the model to obtain the building volume. Measure the height and depth of relevant buildings within the core area through field research or web search and add the height value of corresponding buildings in the attribute table of the SHP plane file. The SHP surface file obtained by the relevant data platform comes with the building height-depth attribute value, and checks whether it is wrong by comparing with the existing map (Fig. 6).

    Fig. 6.
    figure 6

    Source: self-drawn by the author (taking Chunxilu Station, Chengdu as an example)

    The urban spatial model generated by ArcGIS.

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  4. (4)

    Derive the urban space vector information table: The related spatial attribute values in the generated SHP surface file are exported and processed into a csv file that can be edited with Excel.

5.3 Three-Dimensional Model Generation of Urban Spatial Vector Information in the Core Area of the Central Railway Station

After obtaining the urban three-dimensional space vector information of the core area of the central railway station, ArcGIS is used to visualize the urban space vector information database of the core area of the central railway station, realizing the digitization of the urban space of the station, and laying the foundation for the next quantitative study of spatial narrative.

6 Conclusion

Spatial narrative helps to interpret and present hidden information about time, events, experience, and memory in the core area of the station; effective narrative clues can integrate the fragmented information of urban space in the site area, and strengthen the sense of place in the space environment. This paper uses spatial narrative techniques to systematically study the place construction of Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Station and Tokyo Shibuya Station. The place making of the rail transit station core area should select the appropriate spatial narrative method according to its own spatial environmental characteristics. When the spatial environment of the site area is complex, the degree of three-dimensionality is high, and the development scale is large, the organic integration of various spatial elements can be achieved by dividing the urban space into zero and using horizontal and vertical traffic flow lines to connect in series. Furthermore, this paper also explores the quantitative research of urban three-dimensional space in the core area of Urban Central Railway Station, and lays a foundation for the quantitative research of future spatial narrative by constructing three-dimensional spatial information database and three-dimensional model of urban spatial vector information.