STAZIONI DELL’ALTA VELOCITÁ IN GIAPPONE. TIPOLOGIA ARCHITETTONICA E URBANA DI UN MODELLO PRAGMATICO

High-Speed railway stations in Japan. The architectural and urban typology of a pragmatic model. By Corinne Tiry-Ono The Japanese high-speed railway service was launched in 1964, during a time of rapid economic and demographic growth. It gave birth to a new, standardized generation of railway stations, and embodied the Tokaido Megalopolis. Originally centred on the capital city, its network now stretches across the entire country, seeking a better balance in terms of regional economic development and the revitalization of peripheral areas. Topographical constraints, natural risks and technical choices (elevated tracks, frequent tunnels, and speci! c rail gauge) led to a physically and technically autonomous infrastructure in terms of land use. The service, running with high frequency through a historically dense urban network, de! nes the shinkansen as an intercity transportation system: its stations are located in the city centers, often next to the existing conventional central stations. This policy o8 ers a high level of accessibility and complete intermodality. There are three dominant types of development in relation to existing urban areas (combined with a central station, distant and with or without a local transport connection). The architectural morphology of the shinkansen station as a bridge makes it adaptable to various situations. It can be de! ned as a pragmatic type of model.