Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle

Capstan Station

Breath Below by Howie Tsui

Case Study

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Project Name:
Capstan Station

Location:
Richmond, British Columbia

Designer:
Howie Tsui

General Contractor:
PCL Construction

Architect:
Omb Architects

Client:
Translink

Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle

Capstan Station is a new Canada Line station in the City of Richmond. TransLink worked closely with the City of Richmond on the design of the station.

Spanning over 3600 square feet, The Breath Below is a graphic mosaic that captures the aquatic life and energy flowing within the Fraser River estuary, designed by Howie Tsui.

Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle
Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle

The artwork is made of over 3556 custom – made glazed glass and metallic tiles, onto which a graphic is applied using a one-of-a-kind stenciling method developed for this project.

Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle - production
Step 1 - Mask Laser Cutting: The mask is precisely laser-cut to match the desired design.
Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle - production
Step 2 - Tiled Masked and Laser Cut
Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle - production
Step 3 - Mask Peeling: The mask sections corresponding to the design are carefully peeled away.
Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle - production
Step 4 - Design Coloring and Drying: The exposed design areas are colored, and the tile is left to dry.
Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle - production
Step 5 - Mask Removal: The remaining mask is removed, revealing the full design.
Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle - production
Step 6 - Firing: The tile is fired in the kiln, completing the production process.

Installation Guidelines

Capstan Station East Wall installation guidelines from Interstyle
East Wall
Capstan Station West Wall installation guidelines from Interstyle
West Wall
Capstan Station Concourse Wall installation guidelines from Interstyle
Concourse Wall
Capstan Station glass tile by Interstyle

“Thank you again to you, Kim and the many people involved in the creation of this work. It looks absolutely stunning! It’s a show stopper and we are very proud of it, as I am sure you are too.”
– Klara Manhal, Translink