MXC Transportation Center

Abstract

Students in this studio were asked to study the planning principles of a 1960’s “new town” that was proposed for west-central Minnesota, the Minnesota Experimental City(MXC). They were then asked to imagine a new or hybrid typology based on these principles, select a site as if the city had been built in the urban or rural settings that were proposed northwest of Alexandria, and design a building, circa 2011. This project is a transportation center, on the south entrance into the MXC. This transportation center functions as offices for the dual mode vehicle highway controllers. This building is also the commuter hub for the MXC, with lockers, bikes, and information about the MXC. The building is also situated on a bike path and tramway that meets up with the high speed rail system, the primary means of travel within the MXC.