Clever bus stop features rotating pods to shield passengers from the wind

The bus is a deeply underappreciated form of transportation, but one thing is true: Waiting for one can be a terrible experience. That’s especially the case if you happen to live in the Arctic, where it’s freezing cold for a big chunk of the year.

Architecture studio Rombout Frieling Lab and Research Institutes of Sweden decided to do something about the bus waiting problem and designed the Station of Being, a prototype bus stop that cleverly helps out passengers waiting in harsh weather.

The first version of the bus stop, deployed in Umeå, Sweden, features timber nooks that hang from the ceiling, shielding passengers from the wind and offering a bit of privacy. These rotating “cocoons” were informed by the team’s research, which found that people prefer to stand or lean rather than sit while waiting for the bus in the cold.

Samuel Pettersson

The station also has a “smart roof” that uses distinct lights and sounds to alert passengers to approaching buses. ”The sounds and lights indicate the destination of the bus,” Rombout Frieling told Dezeen. “For instance, when glassy tones sound, the bus goes to the locally famous glass factory.”

These are simple but thoughtful design choices that allow people to stay cozy and make the most of their time while waiting instead of anxiously staring down the road for every approaching bus.

Samuel Pettersson