P2C final presentation-Re(housing) vitality of public spaces

P2C Poster-Re(Housing Vitality of Public Spaces

Re-Housing Public Spaces + Play of inside-out and outside in spaces

ARCHITECTURAL CONDITION:

The global acceleration of the urbanization process has led to densification of the built-areas that is resulting in squeezing out traditional open spaces of the public realm out of the cityscape and injecting them into sections of commercial buildings. Although this metamorphosed city space attempts to incorporated essential functions (retail shops, cafes, comfortable environment), this privatization of the public domain falls short of achieving most of the qualities of the “third space”- the informal space for social interaction.

PROBLEM:

The contemporary architectural practice of implanting these outdoor public spaces indoors tends to ignore how its containment and transformation of architectural expression leads to it being a separate entity from the cityscape resulting in being less accessible as the enclosure by a threshold defines a gradient of public to private space that impacts the users of the city.

POSITION:

As the city undergoes this transformation in societal and spatial identity of public spaces, it needs to find a language to re-signify its presence through means of making indoor-outdoor spaces communicate and taking in qualities of the outdoor inside if it aims to be used in the same way; its architecture should be defined by an interplay between the inside-out and outside in eliminating scope for the indoor public spaces to becoming static.

HYPOTHESIS:

ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTION ACCOMMODATING PUBLIC FUNCTION

Where focus is not the iconic-ness of the form but it integrates the spaces it houses inside to the outside and how these designed public spaces bleed out into the streetscape and city scape. The interplay of the notion an expression of contained and open-spaces. This would allow the building becoming an active participant within the city than being self-contained in itself. People don’t have to leave the city to be in a box but the building becomes an extension of the city. The building becomes a space to experience the city.

·         Tactics: Creating visual thoroughfares, allowing streetscape to flow through the building, articulating innovative means of designing indoor-semi-out door-outdoor spaces that can alter. Explore the right scale and proportion of spaces that facilitate the human dimension and experience best, Ease of visibility of access points (Still working of defining the tactics )

CONTINUATION OF IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE

Most public spaces in commercial buildings are marked by a stark transition as one moves from outside to inside through threshold. There is a instant disassociation from the city as the space through it material choices tends to become formalized and sterile. The articulation of details, choice of materials, texture color and light that promotes a smoother transition. The quality of materials embody relate to a collective way of feeling, perceiving and responding and therefore effect out experience of the space. They invigorate our senses (tactility, vision)

·         Tactic: Material exploration, materials that are reminiscent of the the exterior cityscape either through their origin or appearance could be used.

ADAPTIVE TRANFORMATIVE PUBLIC SPACE TRANSITION

Use of outdoor and semi-outdoor public spaces vary across different regions where in tropical regions an outdoor space is utilized nearly all year round, the outdoor spaces in colder regions remain devoid of public participation for a greater part of the year. In such occasions exploring interactive building skin treatment and retractable enclosures that capsule the semi outdoor spaces allowing social interactive to thrive in them can be explored.

·         Tactic: Explore mechanical, tensile structure possibilities.

HOUSE:

A house that incorporated spaced and elements that lets it’s inhabit become part of the city in a bubble of interior space. Communal and outdoor spaces embrace the space principle as mentioned above.(Still working on it)

For the purpose of adding a public component to the house which is primarily private, I am considering designing a painter’s house to add the component of exhibition area that allows the house to become part of the public realm at decided intervals

Site: Clueless. Still a little unfamiliar with space around. If anyone has any suggestion, will be great.

Defining Inside and outside:

“Inside” refers to a physical location that is somehow separated, physically or symbolically, from another physical location which is exterior to it.The location of the inside and outside generate different spatial experiences and, by association, suggest different mental orientations towards the world.

Exploring a few Examples:

Storefront for art and Architecture:New York (Steven Holl with Vito Acconci

An example of an inside out space where the section of the wall facade becomes an active part of the city space.Comprises of different sizes and shapes of wall elements that pivot on hinges and can be opened certain interior surfaces to the outdoor and some exterior surfaces indoors.

Two examples of Street scape flows between and  withing buildings .Chepstow, Monmouthshire (restored 1524) and Philips High Tech Campus, Eindhoven (c.2000)

Case study: Atrium on Bay

Like most commercial buildings incorporating public spaces the atrium on bay displays the same characteristic both in terms of architectural design and performance.Assessing the public space at atrium on bay against the criterions of a third space as defined by Ray Oldenberg:

·         Free or inexpensive- PARTIALLY (though the space doesn’t enforce a need to purchase but the functions provided are indicative of it.)

·         Food and drink, while not essential, are important-PRESENT

·         Highly accessible: proximate for many (walking distance)-PRESENT (Physically connected, No visual thoroughfare)

·         Involve regulars – those who habitually congregate there- QUESTIONABLE ( Regulars comprise of those circulate through the space and necessarily congregate)

·         Welcoming and comfortable- YES/NO (vistas to the space are not inviting. Environmentally might be considered comfortable in terms of experience that space is formal.

·         Both new friends and old should be found there.- Lacks a sense of Place and therefore isn’t the most ideal hang out spot

      Oldenberg also mentions a key quality of the third space which is the kind of public space the private building functions tend to adopt must portray being a Leveler in that someone's economic or social status doesn’t affect the use of the space however the formality of the space tends to deter use of it by all levels of the society.The threshold demarcating the interior and exterior takes away a lot from the space being used more dominantly as a public realm.If the transition was to be more fluid and inviting and the formal expression of the interiors expressed human dimension in scale and detailing it would become a warmer space for social gatherings.The building does act as a connector but there aren’t any visually connecting thoroughfares.