CONNORS by Drexel Architecture Program

EMBRACING (IM)MIGRATION A Study of Identity and Acceptance

Drexel University Thesis 2015 By: Katrina Connors | Advised by: Natalie Malawey-Ednie

THESIS

GOAL

PROGRAM

SITE

WELCOME! SOCIAL THRESHOLD

FREE AND HANSEATIC CITY OF HAMBURG

EMBRACING (IM)MIGRATION responds to recent trends in global migration by utilizing urban planning and architecture to support the needs of growing dynamic populations and create healthy multicultural communities. The project site is located in Hamburg, Germany along the Elbe River. As the second highest destination for immigrants after the United States, Germany is politically divided over the topic of immigration and refugees. In reality, Germanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapid decrease in population relies on migrants taking root in their country. I believe that in order for migrants to become invested in a country their cultures must also be embraced within society. Sites which promote acceptance and identity of cultures are the social thresholds that will foster multiculturalism. The architectural design takes the approach that the intersection of cultures creates a place of connections through a site comprised of Transitional Housing, a Migrant Welcome Center, and a Market.

Thesis Research + Site Selection AVERAGE ANNUAL NUMBER OF MIGRANTS BY COUNTRY, 2013 NEW IMMIGRANTS, IN THOUSANDS UNITED STATES

200

400

600

8000

GERMANY’S NET MIGRATION IN RECENT YEARS

1000

400,000

GERMANY 2012 2007

300,000

BRITIAN SPAIN

200,000

CANADA ITALY More coming in

100,000

AUSTRALIA

More leaving

FRANCE

1 million

2000

250,000

2012 -50,000

ESTIMATED CHANGE IN POPULATION, 2010 - 2050 FOREIGN POPULATION, IN THOUSANDS (2012) GERMANY: -13%

RUSSIA: -16%

USA: +28%

JAPAN: -15% CHINA: +2%

MEXICO: +32%

INDIA: +34%

NIGERIA: +176% KENYA: +138% BRAZIL: +18%

TURKEY ITALY POLAND BOSNIA GREECE CROATIA RUSSIAN FED. AUSTRIA NETHERLANDS UKRAINE FRENCH GUIANA SPAIN FANCE SERBIA

100K 250K 500K

1000K

WHERE THEY SETTLE: FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION (RANKED BY % OF POPULATION)

2000K Ham-

Hamburg

Berlin

Bremen

Baden-Württember

Nordrhein-Westfalen

Bayern

The recent influx of migration is a global occurrence which requires sensitive planning and building to meet the needs of growing dynamic populations and create healthy multicultural communities. Because cities and their countries are increasing more from immigrant populations than from native born populations, demographics are becoming more diverse and neighborhoods are changing as a result of different cultural influences. How should architecture encourage integration and cultural understanding but also retain cultural identity? Over the past few years Germany’s foreign-born population has rapidly increased, and the country is now the top second destination for immigrants after the United States. In contrast, its overall population has been shrinking. How can migrants start to evolve their identity to their new home in Germany; specifically within the selected city of Hamburg?

Precedent Studies PARTI

COMMUNAL FLOOR

CONNECTIONS

1. Library 2. Library Office 3. CTA 4. Toilet Room 5. Meeting Room 6. Storage 7. Multipurpose Room 8. Dining Room 9. Kitchen 10. Gym 11. Laundry Room 12. Meeting Room 13. Terrace

YOUNG WORKERS + IMMIGRANTS

DAY-CARE + YOUNG WORKERS HOSTEL Location: Paris, France Year: 2013 Architects: Chartier Dalix Architectes + Avenier

Cornejo Architectes

COMMUNITY HOSTEL COMMUNAL FLOOR VERTICAL RIFT DAY-CARE

MAXIMUM VOLUME

PARTI

PUBLIC vs PRIVATE

COMMON AREAS BALCONY TO THE CITY

COMMUNITY PROGRAM

VERTICAL RIFT

INTERSECTION

Form + Connections: The formal expression of the communal floor and vertical rift bridges connections between the young workers and immigrants and the community. It provides a subtle form of communication and awareness as well as a symbol of connection between the Parisian and Asian communities. The bridging of different cultures will also be essential for Embracing (Im)migration.

SANTA CATERINA MARKET Location: Barcelona, Spain Year: 2005 Architects: Enric Miralles Benedetta Tagliabue

(EMBT)

Public vs. Private: The Santa Caterina Market incorporates housing for senior citizens at the rear of the site. The form of the housing makes formal and aesthetic connection to the market while also providing a public social space between the two programs. Gates close off this area during off-hours to provide residents a private space.

PARTI

BERLIN HOUSE OF ONE Location: Berlin, Germany Year: Unbuilt Architects: WILFRIED KUEHN

AXIS + OFFSETS

Unity: This unique program brings together the three religious groups; Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, into one spiritual center. The goal of the project is to create a “house of dialogue, understanding and peace”. The spiritual center appeals to the multicultural city and encourages religious understanding. Each religious sector is given a separate space within the floor plan that is linked to a communal room in the center of the building.

Thesis Travels

09.23.2014-10.07.2014

My travels started in the culturally rich city of Istanbul, where I spent four days studying the city has a cultural exploration. It was important for me to travel to turkey because its long migration history with Germany has cultivated a predominate culture within Germany. After Istanbul, I traveled to Hamburg to study the city and three selected sites. After spending three days in hamburg, I took a three day trip to Berlin. While I was in Berlin, I studied larger developed immigrant communities like Kruetzberg and got a feel for the communities, people, and tensions. When I returned to Hamburg, I spent another three days focusing on immigrant neighborhoods. While I was traveling within Germany, I took notice to how significant the topic of immigrants and refugees is to many living in the country. One can feel the level of passion in the Hamburg districts of Sternschanze and St. Pauli but not within the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more public facing neighborhoods. I enjoyed speaking to a few locals who gave me their perspective and ultimately influenced the outcome of my thesis.

ABOVE: Image taken by Author in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg. The sentiment of the graffiti became the passion for the project. It states: “Eine Stadt zeight ihre wurde im umgang mit neu ankommlingen, Sie fragt nicht: “Woher kommst du? Sie Sagt: “Gut dass du da bist.” “A city shouldn’t ask its newcomers, “Where do you come from?” It should greet them by saying, “Glad you are here.”

Site Location + Analysis Hamburg, Germany SITE LOCATION

PROXIMITY TO MIGRANT NEIGHBORHOODS

THE FREE AND HANSEATIC CITY OF HAMBURG Area: 291.5 SQ MILES Population: 1.799 Million Foreign Population: 235,669

CONTEXT The selected site is located within the Hafencity District, a new modern neighborhood developed on previous port land. Between Hafencity and Hamburg’s City Center, the Speicherstadt district is the oldest portion of the port and architectural reflects a significant part of Hamburg’s identity and history. The character of the Speicherstadt incorporates neo-gothic, red brick exteriors with patina copper roofs. The structures, which rest on timber-pile foundations, are separated by the port and connected by bridges. See image 1. The chosen site is included within the Baakenhöft neighborhood of the HafenCity master plan. The site’s proximity to the master plan’s largest residential community was a strategic placement for developing the site as a community anchor. CLIMATE Hamburg has an oceanic climate and at 53.6 N Latitude it is fairly wet and windy with minimal temperature differentials throughout the year. As the selected site was located along the Elbe River, a tidal river, flood protection was provided 8.3m above sea level.

PROXIMITY TO CITY CENTER

HAFENCITY + BAAKENHAFEN NEIGHBORHOOD

SITE ANALYSIS

CITIZENS WITH MIGRATION BACKGROUND (%) 3.5 - 5.8 7.4 -10.7 11.4-14.4 14.9-18.8 19.8-28.6 29.6-52.4

HAFENCITY SCALE + TRANSPORTATION

5,000 FT

S U SPRING GARDEN

CIT

5,2

OUTLINE OF CENTER CITY PHILADELPHIA

SITE

OLD

FENC

ITY

U E

2 MILES

LAND-USE:

SITE

CULTURE, RETAIL, LEISURE, SERVICES SCHOOL

CULTURE, HOTEL, OTHER USES

EXISTING PROGRAM HOUSING

SOUTH STREET

OFFICE

1000FT

TOWN HALL

MAIN TRAIN STATION

U SUBWAY

E FERRY

S REGIONAL RAIL

CONTEXT

WATER vs. LAND

1. 2.

CLIMATE

FLOOD PRONE AREA

SITE

7 15

Intermediate Review

Fall 2014

Technical Review

Winter 2015

IMMIGRANT WELCOME CENTER MARKET HOUSING

Final Review

Spring 2015

The intersection of cultures creates a place of connections. SOCIAL THRESHOLD The site serves as a social threshold which bridges the native-born residents, identified by the Hamburg city-center, and the immigrant communities. It is an educational experience whereby culture can be learned and experienced through interaction of program. An enhanced cultural appreciation allows individuals to discover the value of multiculturalism. PROGRAM The program of the site was an important consideration between supporting and protecting the needs of the migrants, and providing community activation. The design ultimately comprised of Transitional Housing (200,000 SF - 250 Residents), Migrant Welcome Center (125,000 SF), and Market Forum (30,000 SF). INTERSECTION A strong axial intersection cuts through the site by the use of stepped water features and manipulated water front tiers. The site intersection reminds its users of the relationship of immigrant communities to Hamburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city center; whereas the site is the social threshold between. CONNECTION Following the site intersection, a perforated copper canopy structure visually connects the Welcome Center to the Market Forum. The roof symbolizes the importance of connection and is visually prominent from within the site. The copper roof and bridges are abstractions of Hamburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s context to represent a new idea of what makes a Hamburger.

FLOOR PLAN KEY: 1. MARKET 2. INFORMATION CENTER 3. MEETING ROOM 4. OFFICES 5. LIBRARY 6. CLASSROOMS 7. MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE 8. COMMUNITY GARDEN 9. LOADING 10. STORAGE

Process Sketches

Physical Model Final Site + Building Massing Model

Bibliography THESIS + SITE:

ASTOC. “ASTOC - Architects and Planners.” ASTOC - Architects and Planners. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. Cutler, David M., Edward L. Glaeser, and Jacob L. Vigdor. “When Are Ghettos Bad? Lessons from Immigrant Segregation in the United States.” Journal of Urban Economics 63.3 (2008): 759-74. The National Bureau of Economic Research. Web. Dovey, Kim, and Kim Dovey. Becoming Places: Urbanism/architecture/identity/power. London: Routledge, 2010. Print. “Factfile: Global Migration.” BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. Faiola, Anthony. “The New Land of Opportunity for Immigrants Is Germany.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 27 Jul. 2014 Web. 31 Aug. 2014. “German Cities Lack Accommodation for Refugees | Germany | DW.DE | 14.08.2014.” DW.DE. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. “HafenCity Hamburg - Startseite.” HafenCity RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. “Largest Refugee Populations by Country of Destination, 1960-2010.” Migrationpolicy.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. “Navigation Und Service.” Startseite - Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis). N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. “Peoplemovin.” - A Visualization of Migration Flows. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. “Reversing Population Decline: Germany’s New Immigrant Influx.” SPIEGEL ONLINE. N.p., 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. Singhal, Sumit. “Winners in Hamburg Competition Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge in Hafencity.” AECCafe. N.p., 15 Sept. 2013. Web. Statistisches Amt Fur Hamburg Und Schleswig-Holstein. “Hamburger Stadtteilprofile 2013.” N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. Walter, Jörn. Pläne, Projekte, Bauten: Architektur Und Städtebau in Hamburg 2005 Bis 2015. Berlin: Verlagshaus Braun, 2006. Print.

PRECEDENT STUDIES:

“Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center / Kengo Kuma & Associates” 05 Jul 2012. ArchDaily. Web. 09 Nov 2014. “Day-Care And Young Workers Hostel / Chartier Dalix Architectes + Avenier Cornejo Architectes.” 29 Jan 2014. ArchDaily. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. “Ecumenical Forum HafenCity / Wandel Hoefer Lorch + Hirsch” 05 Feb 2013. ArchDaily. Accessed 31 Aug. 2014.

“EMBT | Enric Miralles - Benedetta Tagliabue | Arquitectes Associats.” Santa Caterina Market. EMBT | Enric Miralles - Benedetta Tagliabue | Arquitectes Associats, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.

“The Garden Library for Refugees and Migrant Workers / Yoav Meiri Architects” 20 Feb 2011. ArchDaily. Web. 31 Aug. 2014. “The Libeskind Building.” Jewish Museum Berlin -. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2014.