I agree with the OP. Anybody designing a station or an outpost would be mad to design it with both approaching and departing flight lanes going right through blocks of the station construction. Also, since the pads turn anyway (sometimes they get confused and require us to dock "backwards!") there's no particular reason why a station engineer couldn't construct them to accept incoming traffic from either orientation, and align it to the proper departure path.
Now.... if you want to take the idea and run with it, that can become some of the flavor of a station or outpost. There may be some that are broken down heaps no longer able to turn, or are stuck on some orientation or other.
Now.... if you want to take the idea and run with it, that can become some of the flavor of a station or outpost. There may be some that are broken down heaps no longer able to turn, or are stuck on some orientation or other.