Public transit projects are typically led by engineering firms, but DLR Group architects played a key role in the planning of the 2.7-kilometer route. Located on a tight footprint, the station had to provide all the necessary functionality while reflecting the unique culture of San Francisco’s Chinatown, an internationally renowned tourist attraction that is home to 15,000 Chinese Americans.

To celebrate the station’s curved form, DLR Group managed to find alternatives to having a dropped ceiling or columns to contain the necessary ductwork and utilities. The arch that extends across the platforms and subway tracks is clad with white Swisspearl fibre cement panels that conceal utility lines and bring lightness and luminescence to the space. Swisspearl panels were specified due to their good fire protection values, durability, and high-quality surface coating that is relatively insensitive to dirt and pollution.