Built in the heart of Chongqing, a city nestled among mountains and rivers, the idea of constructing a light rail line inside a residential building seemed impossible. However, when engineers of Line 2 faced the challenge of extending the line and dividing it into stations, they came up with an innovative solution: integrating the line into the buil
Building a Light Rail Line Inside a Residential Building in Chongqing: A Brilliant Solution to Urban Mobility Needs?
Built in the heart of Chongqing, a city nestled among mountains and rivers, the idea of constructing a light rail line inside a residential building seemed impossible. However, when engineers of Line 2 faced the challenge of extending the line and dividing it into stations, they came up with an innovative solution: integrating the line into the building itself. The result was an unusual yet fascinating addition, like the Liziba Station, nestled in the middle of a hill in the heart of a residential area. Instead of building separate casas topas with a literal railway line for a door, imagine the reality of having a metro line passing through the backyards of local residents every day. With Chongqing's complex geography and pressing mobility needs (the urban core has nearly 50 million inhabitants spread across all adjacent municipalities, and it has taken almost twenty years to address its transportation needs), the designers had to find a quick and effective solution. They responded by integrating the metro line into the building. The decision was deliberate, not an accident. The building was constructed with the metro station inside. A brilliant choice, given that all cities face the same challenges of livability and mobility. In some cases, the solutions for livability come first, while in others, mobility solutions take precedence. In this case, the metro line was built before the station appeared on top. A solution? Pass the metro line through the buildings. In just a few minutes, you can enjoy a time-lapse of the entire Line 2. Even the most famous Liziba Station, with the trend of disappearing into the grand toilet bowl-like structure, has other similar structures scattered around the mountain. Just like the train sets through buildings, the Line 2 was designed to work with natural stations. Another view, in this other case: More spectacular and unusual solutions to China's persistent mobility problems. In the last few decades, China has experienced unprecedented growth. Millions of people have moved from the countryside to cities, creating makeshift megapolises like Chongqing. This crisis has been solved with radical solutions, such as the metro-edifice.
