Train station’s identity through image-based elements

Background: The ideas and designing process of train stations had evolved to follow the several philosophies of design-led elements, such as: highlighting the cultural development of the surrounding community, space division for several activities and uses, axes planning for human gathering and the quality of the prevailing economic activity in it and divide the assembly elements and its distribution, and also keep up with the rapid evolution in rail transport technology. Since their inception, train stations has been represented as gates; a symbol of the crossing to the other centres of cultures, and multi-cultural and economic opportunities, so that the station has become the optimized expressive image for the entrance to the city, and to visualise the form of urbanization and economic activity and social community within the urban or rural areas. Objectives: The paper aims to examine new visual elements that are not constrained by the traditional art styles that highlight several visual elements that help in providing a distinctive identity to station buildings, reflecting new ideas and themes, and also offer a new experience to the stations’ users. Methods: The methodology of the discussion is an analysis for case studies; for the purpose of obtaining enough results that should provide conclusions for the assumptions about the design: reviewing each item, and its effect on the expressive language to the station building. Results: Image-based elements in the current era have developed beyond the traditional orders and themes of the visual representations in the beginning of the 20th century.