The lecture this week was conducted by Phil Crowther and Paul Sanders... I always look forward to a lecture being done by Phil, and he definitely didn't disappoint!
Phil showed a lot of information, mostly on his recent trip to New York... but there were a few things that really stuck with me.
NEW YORK & AMSTERDAM GLIMPSES
The 2040 New York & Amsterdam Glimpses project looks towards the future for culturally diverse and collaborative 21st century cities. Focusing around the themes of BREATHING, EATING, MAKING, MOVING & DWELLING, the outcomes are astounding in providing not only solutions but even more questions for the future of cities in the 21st century. I personally have gained a great deal of insight into the role that architecture can play in the planning and development of cities in the future. Could the five elements of living be implemented into our brief or concept for a new parliament? Maybe!
Images and more information can be found here.
Click on the image for a larger size. I love the diagram techniques that have been used at the bottom of the panel.
NEW YORK HIGH LINE
The New York High line is a 2km strip "aerial greenway" that runs through the lower west side of Manhattan. The "strip" was a disused elevated railroad (previously called the West Side Line), which was bought by a privately owned company who raised money to complete the development. The development, which was only completed recently has spurred real estate development in the area, and has thus led to urban regeneration and gentrification. The High Line provides a variety of different "rooms" that each 'have their moment' at different times during the year, and show constantly changing atmospheres. The High Line is a fantastic example of 'urban greenery' - currently one of my interests after my final design project last semester.
Not only is the design and history of this project inspiring, I am also liking some of the concepts that can be adapted to our re-designing a new Canberra project; using disused transportation networks to recreate a space. Or even using various layers of a development to create life - overlapping layers to create an ever-changing public realm.
I am yet to do the 'A City is not a tree' reading, but I wonder if it will have any relationship to this?
Either way, the New York High Line is amazing, and is definitely on my 'To See' list!
One of the opened sections from above. Some designs incorporate the existing railway tracks as a design feature.
The High Line displays various layers of activation.
The High Line before it was turned into a public park; disused and taken over by greenery. It's interesting how its previous disuse nature has somehow inspired the design of the High Line now.
No comments:
Post a Comment