Creative writing. This article first appeared in Mazda’s customer magazine.
Words and Art Direction by Matthew Reynolds. Photography by Stefan Hobmaier
Bränden bus stop, Krumbach.
The tiny village of Krumbach in the Bregenzerwald district of Austria is home to some truly extraordinary bus stops
Seven architects from around the world were each asked to design a unique structure as part of the ‘Bus:Stop project’ – an initiative created to help boost tourism. We took a drive in the all-new Mazda6 to check out the spectacular shelters for ourselves.
First on our list is the Bränden bus stop, designed by Japanese architects Sou Fujimoto. Resembling a forest of bamboo, the structure contains wooden steps that can be climbed in order to enjoy panoramic views of the village below. As with all the bus stops featured in the project it was built by local craftspeople under supervision from the international designers.
Unterkrumbach Nord bus stop, Krumbach.
The Unterkrumbach Nord bus stop, designed by Spanish architects Antón García-Abril and Débora Mesa of Ensamble Studio, is based on a stack of rough oak planks – a subtle nod to the traditional timber storage technique used in the many ‘drying barns’ of this region.
Zwing bus stop, Krumbach.
Travel writer Abigail King is admiring the wooden birdhouse that protrudes from Chilean architect Smiljan Radic’s Zwing structure when we arrive. “A year ago, if you’d told me I’d be travelling to see bus stops, I’m not sure I’d have believed you” she says, “If you’d told me they’d also be spotlessly clean, I’d have wondered if you even knew what a bus stop was!”
Glatzegg bus stop, Krumbach.
Inspired by a camera obscura, the wooden beams of the Glatzegg bus stop lead to a ‘viewfinder’ window that frames the Austrian landscape. “It’s like a folding camera that people can sit in” say Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu of Chinese firm Amateur Architecture Studio.
Kressbad bus stop, Krumbach.
The number 29 travels over the nearby German border and back again a few times each day – giving anyone waiting at the Kressbad structure designed by Norwegian firm Rintala Eggertsson Architects ample opportunity to enjoy a tennis match. Just try not to miss your bus...
Unterkrumbach Süd bus stop, Krumbach.
Influenced by the angular shape of the nearby Alps, and made from a single piece of folded metal, the Unterkrumbach Süd bus stop – designed by Belgium-based Architecten de Vylder Vinck Taillieu – is the perfect place to escape a sudden downpour.
Oberkrumbach bus stop, Krumbach.
Our final destination is Russian Alexander Brodsky’s Oberkrumbach tower shelter. A woman and her daughter approach the glass-walled structure just as we are about to depart. “You’ve just missed the bus” we say, “Oh, don’t worry” they reply, “we only came here to take pictures”.
Pictures © Mazda