Sentul is a former railway hub famous for its old-world charm, historical temples and prewar shops. The town is part of Federal Route 1, the first and one of the oldest federal roads in Malaysia, the only trunk road for transporting tin supplies between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. Today, it features the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) and Sentul Park, an art hub with vibrant activities in its studios and theatres.

Stesen Sentul Barat's design focuses on the design concept of preserving the rustic, taking inspiration from the preserved railway industrial buildings standing amidst nature. Using repurposed materials, an earthy color palette and urban greenery, raw materiality and natural elements are weaved into its contemporary form. The station entrances is formed by simple planes, especially a deep roof overhang that welcomes passengers into the station. Other planes are formed by screens, that together with the overhanging roof, is a nod to the landmark design of KLPAC.

The station ceiling is designed with a pattern that show an abstraction of a rail network to highlight Sentul West past as a centre rail operation in Kuala Lumpur. The ceiling have parallel inverted u-channel that extends from end to end of the station and strategically located diagonals that suggest the rail tracts in a rail network.