During the thesis seminar process, my idea towards the thesis project and approach becomes more clear. The thesis is a public art space in terms of architecture solution towards the urbanism problems in a urban setting neighborhood. The problem is the uneven transition between new development and old development due to the injudicious planning during economy boom and the urgent demand to commerce and official spaces within the historic high density old buildings ( most of them are housing during that time) neighborhood . In conclusion, the problem is that the new building had raised cracks and twists the original urban context as well as passengers’ original recognition towards the city and the old the neighborhood. The local citizens’ living habits, memories，emotions , neighborhood relationships and even the behavior patterns will be change.
bird view of old buildings and high-rise tower
Li Fen buildings space structure
Why public art space?
Public art space is an ideal “grey space” in terms of transition. The art space brings people unfamiliar and innovative experience during exhibition that evokes positive or neutral emotions, that substitutes the possible negative experience and uncertainty by direct collision between modern buildings and old shallow alley ways. It could serve as public gathering space as well as a retreat from the high density surroundings. It also has centripetence to work as a secure place, which serve the similar functions as the Italian plazas.
What I hope to accomplish?
A master plan that includes the main public art space, green space; as well as a small amount of rel-located existing housing in order to create green space relevancy and spacial continuous from site to the waterfront.
The large scale of main public art space conduct the transition between older “Li Fen” buildings and newer giant shopping mall and high rise official buildings.
A public space transformation from large scale fully open space to smaller neighborhood enclosed space for the re-located residents.
Continuity between the re-located residential area to the existing residential area.
Art exhibition space preserve the “Li Feng” building characteristics to evoke local citizens’ emotions and remind the historic memories for education purpose, as well as call for protection to the valuable buildings that represent the culture and history of the city.
Utilization of the existing building technologies and materials to recover the old neighborhood memories.
Time line
Nov – Dec: keep working on precedents of different approaches to larger scale of exhibition space which includes both inside and outside within a high-density urban setting
Winter Break: site documentation; keep contact with local architecture department who is conducting site area research and undergraduate department professors to obtain more resources of local building typology, built technology, current preservation methodology, local zoning and building regulations; discuss with professors about existing conditions; document the resources and revise the program；look into public space design principles and human behaviors
Winter Term: propose a site master plan to test the program and keep modification for the first a few weeks; then move to the massing of the master plan to figure out the area for the public art building and green space design; list out all the restrictions to the space and detailed program; proposed the parti of individual building and landscape design; built a site model with a urban context including waterfront
Spring Break: conduct a retrospection
Spring Term: keep working on the detailed building proposal and green space, and produce for final presentation
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