The new bus station in Lublin was built on a two-hectare plot near the railway station. Its total area, including the terrace and underground storey, is 18,000 square metres. The underground car park can accommodate 174 cars and an extended parking area is for 120 buses and coaches. Forty-three departure platforms are located on the site, which will help implement the plan to relieve the urban infrastructure from excessive traffic.
The station, designed by Pracownia Tremend, is a modern building that meets all the requirements for public facilities. The designers gave it an original form by enclosing one building in another with glass. The roof is supported by cup-shaped pillars that may resemble the tangled crowns of trees, but they were inspired by a Lublin folk cut-out. The roof of the building and the shelters on the outer platforms are covered with photovoltaic panels (with a total area of about 6,500 sqm). Openwork supports and glass have become characteristic features of the new facility.
The glazing gives it lightness but also allows it to meet the objectives of sustainable construction in terms of low emissivity and functionality. A viewing terrace was created on the station roof, at a 12 metres height, with areas for recreation, relaxation, and walking paths. The space includes 13 tables with four chairs each and eight hammocks. It is for passengers waiting for the bus. There is also a playground with a rope park for the accompanying children. Car owners can use the Park & Ride underground car park with charging points for electric cars, while cyclists can use the bike racks.
In addition, the station meets the needs of people with disabilities. The entrances to the building and lifts are paved with special tiles. The ticket offices are fitted with induction loops for the hearing impaired, and two of them are lowered to a height of 90 cm to make them accessible for people in wheelchairs. There is also no shortage of information boards in Braille, as well as so-called "comfort" toilets adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. In this way, the station design considers all possible needs of the people using the facility.
There are 100 trees and more than 31,000 shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses planted within the new Lublin bus station. The plants are effective in purifying the air. Rainwater collected from the roof will be stored and used in the station toilets to irrigate the greenery. The designers wanted the building integrated with nature. It is a step towards ecology and a desire to ensure the comfort of the building's users. The plants are complemented by the so-called 'green wall' that includes nearly 27,000 other plants.
Noteworthy are the modern photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of the station itself and the roofing of the external bus shelters. NSG TEC™ 250 electrically conductive glass with a thickness of 4 mm is used for their construction. The panels can generate constant power, not only at elevated temperatures but also on cloudy days and at low sun angles. The glass is optimised for use in a range of thin-film photovoltaic systems with different haze and conductivity levels.
The low-emissivity solutions don't stop there. The building heating system uses innovative ground source heat pumps. These advanced technologies aim to make the facility fully energy independent. Energy consumption, including lighting, will be monitored by a passenger movement detection system. Sensors will automatically adjust the light intensity not only to the time of day but also to the weather conditions. In addition, it was decided to use anti-smog pavements to improve air quality. Combination of these solutions results in an eco-friendly building that uses modern technologies to improve the quality of life of the local community, all with the financial support of the European Union to promote low-emissivity and energy efficiency.
The combination of design, applied technologies, and functionality of the new station was recognised before the station was even commissioned. The first accolade was awarded in 2019 when the project was shortlisted for the World Building of The Year Award. A year later, in 2020, the project received the Real Estate Impactor Award presented by the editors of the Rzeczpospolita newspaper in the category "Innovative Approach to Space Design". In 2022, it won an accolade in the PLGBC Green Building Awards in the category "Best Environmental Project".