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The Laval terminus of the orange line, built in a mammoth open pit, is characterized by its immense areas and volumes, with the highest ceilings of any station in the network. The platforms are overflown by these dizzying volumes, with their textured arches and buttressing beams needed to support the sheer weight of the earth on either side of the station.
At platform level, the wall panels are decorated with tiling in diagonal stripes of retro shades of cyan, navy, straw yellow and brick red. The décor unites the newest extension with the very beginnings of the metro — the tiles and colours of the 60s and the exposed, ridged concrete of the 70s.
The exceptionally wide ticket hall, at transept level, is connected to the upper levels by a broad staircase over which float three of the four elements of the station's artwork: Les fluides by Hélène Rochette, a suite of suspended sculptures. These large, brightly coloured surfaces, curved and rounded in organic shapes, add life and playfulness to the vast spaces.
A concourse at the top of the staircase gives access to the two station pavilions, one independent and the other serving the station's bus terminal and parking garage. The former, further to the north, is an airy, abundantly glazed space that overlooks the concourse.
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The second, only a short distance to the south, provides direct access to the station's large STL and metropolitan bus terminus and 1,357-space free and paying parking lots. These intermodal installations are spread out over a vast area. This pavilion contains concessions and a waiting area, as well as the fourth segment of Les fluides, over the stairwell towards the concourse. Unfortunately, the space is much too cramped, with narrow corridors that reduce the feeling of security. Also, the terminus was built with open, covered platforms rather than enclosed platforms such as those at the Longueuil terminus.
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Both station pavilions, clad in the same pale yellow that serves as a theme above platform level, feature slanted roofs, large but separated windows, and doorways marked off by salient, glazed vestibules. The bus terminal pavilion is also marked by a tower with a wing-shaped roof adjacent to the main entrance on rue Lucien-Paiement.
The immense parking lot was originally intended to be a multistory parking garage, but instead, the garage was built directly into the downward slope south of the station. The indoor parking is paying and can be reserved, while the outdoor parking is free. The parking garages enjoy direct access to the metro at two entry points, one on the level of the concourse and one on the level of the ticket hall.
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