City Canopy A Free Cultural Space as the New Center of Philadelphia Patrick J. Barendt - Thesis 2016 John DeFazio - Advisor
The Root of the Thesis: At the heart of this thesis are three fundamental philosophical beliefs: 1. Proper architecture is designed locally. 2. Cities are places for people to come together. 3. Philadelphia should have a space dedicated to experiencing the true meaning of its namesake.
City Hall A space to keep the city under control
City Canopy A space to set the city free
Phila- “to love, to cherish, to delight in” delphia “brother”, literally “from the same womb” or “of the same essence” William Penn envisioned Philadelphia as a city of freedom. Not just freedom of religion, but freedom in its richest sense. He imagined a city where each person could find their own means of self, and despite their differences, hold a deep love of kin for all people within their city. William Penn named us Philadelphia in hopes that we would cherish in the truth that we are all of the same essence.
DEVELOPMENTS
PHILADELPHIA IS RE-AWAKENING
MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED IN 2014 & IN THE PIPELINE
September 2011
A publication of the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation and the Center City District 660 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Society Hill went through 215.440.5500
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CALLOWHILL ST.
SPRING GARDEN ST.
CALLOWHILL ST.
11TH ST.
JUNIPER ST.
19102
SOUTH BROAD ST.
44
2000
15TH ST.
16TH ST.
Philadelphia
601
h Statistics and Research, nt of Health; analysis 's Office, Philadelphia alth
2ND ST.
FRONT ST.
16
13% 45-54
CHRISTIAN ST.
11% 45-54
11% 55-64
10% 55-64
6% 65-74 6% 75+
FRONT ST.
2ND ST.
15
FRONT ST.
5TH ST.
4TH ST.
6TH ST.
Note: Several of the projects included on the map had not yet announced completion dates, development costs, or square footage as of the end of Q4 2014. As a result, these figures are not included in the respective totals.
7TH ST.
9TH ST.
12
Source: Developments Database, Center City District
14 12 10
10
14
8
8
6
10
10
6 4
2 0
2014
2015
2016
Total Number of Births: 29,025
1,500 1,000 500 2000
2002
Core
2004
2018
2014 2015 2016 2017 Center City District & Central Philadelphia Development Corporation www.CenterCityPhila.org
Lack of Green Space
2006
2008
Extended North
2010
2012
2014
“The cities everyone wants to live in would be clean and safe, possess efficient public services, support a dynamic economy, provide cultural stimulation, and help heal society’s divisions of race, class, and ethnicity. These are not the cities we live in. Something has gone wrong, radically wrong, in our conception of what a city itself should be.” - Richard Sennett
Extended South
WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE AND FREEDOM?
opment Corporation www.CenterCityPhila.org
2017
. . . With swelling numbers of people moving into 5 Philadelphia, primarily young people, the role of 73 culture in this narrative is becoming increasingly unclear. Are we forsaking culture when envisioning the future of our city?” -Nick Stuccio, Fringe Arts
4
Note: Several of the projects included on the map had not yet announced completion dates, development costs, or square footage as of the end of Q4 2014. As a result, these figures are not included in the respective totals.
Center City District & Central Philadelphia Development Corporation www.CenterCityPhila.org
2,000
0
4
4
Births to Center City Parents, 2000 to TO 2014 BIRTHS TOGreater GREATER CENTER CITY PARENTS, 2000 2014 2,500
10
10
LACK OF FREE CULTURAL SPACE
57. 1401 Spruce Street Source: Developments Database, Center City District 58. 810 Arch Street 2 59. 1601 Vine Street Center City District & Central Philadelphia Development 0 60. 2400 Corporation South www.CenterCityPhila.org 61. 1213 Walnut
White 61.9% White 61.9%
14
14
16
49. 1430 South Street 50. East Market Phase 1 51. 1700 Chestnut 52. Eastern Tower Community Center 53. 2400 Market Street 14% 35-44 49. 1430 South Street 54. 1900 Arch Street 50. East Market Phase 155. 1900 Arch Expansion 56. One Water Street 51. 1700 Chestnut 57. 1401 Spruce Street 52.15% Eastern Tower Community Center 45-54 58. 810 Arch Street 53. 2400 Market Street 59. 1601 Vine Street 54. 1900 Arch Street 60. 2400 South 11% 55-64 61. 1213 Walnut 55. 1900 Arch Expansion 7% 65-74 56. One Water Street 6% 75+
Number of Projects
CATHRINE ST.
WASHINGTON AVE.
WASHINGTON AVE.
Source: Bureau of Health Statistics and Research, Pennsylvania Department of Health; analysis by Health Commissioner's Office, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
613
8TH ST.
CHRISTIAN ST.
12% 35-44
THE DILEMMA OF EAST MARKET STREET
The Anti-Urban Gallery
NTS, 2014
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTER CITY BY COMPLETION DATE
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTER CITY BY 15 COMPLETION DATE
3RD ST.
FITZWATER ST.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2009-2013 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2009-2013
14
10TH ST.
11TH ST.
CATHRINE ST.
4TH ST.
CHRISTIAN ST.
27% Under 20 7% 20-24 13% 25-34
FITZWATER ST.
16% 25-34
CATHRINE ST.
6% 65-74 6% 75+
Black or Black or African AmericanAfrican American 24.3% 24.3%
orn y
26% Under 20 10% 20-24
BAINBRIDGE ST.
13% 35-44
CHRISTIAN ST.
Commercial/Mixed-use
Number of Projects
Other 1.3% Other 1.3% Two or More Races Two 2.4%or More Races 2.4% Asian 10.0% Asian 10.0%
CATHRINE ST.
FITZWATER ST.
5TH ST.
GREATER CENTER CITY RACIAL DIVERSITY ENDURING SOCIAL DIVISIONS
15% Under 20 City49 and University City today hold 11% 20-24 51% of all private-sector jobs in Philadelphia. Clustered close, in the 28% 25-34 most densely populated portion of the city, downtown residents enjoy a vibrant live-work and walkable setting that is the hallmark of all successful
Residential/ Mixed-use Mixed-use9,953,044 SF 9,953,044 SF 54% 54%
Commercial/Mixed-use 1,961,600 SF | 11% 1,961,600 SF | 11%
SOUTH ST.
tral business district and those adjacent to University City have increasingly become communities of choice for highly-educated residents – the young professionals and graying boomers who are the workforce of the post-industrial economy. Center
6TH ST.
FITZWATER ST.
BAINBRIDGE ST.
7TH ST.
Greater Center City Racial Diversity
Retail Retail 1,490,000 | 8% 1,490,000 SFSF | 8%
40%
National
12TH ST.
17TH ST.
18TH ST.
20TH ST.
43Greater Center City
SOUTH ST.
BAINBRIDGE ST.
30%
Residential/
Total SF:
Total SF: 18,418,264 18,418,264
31
8TH ST.
2014
20%
Source: US Census, American Community Survey
SOUTH ST.
9TH ST.
8
1,120,648 SF | 6%
Hospitality Hospitality 1,240,207 SFSF | 7% 1,240,207 | 7%
LOMBARD ST.
49
10TH ST.
2013
Extended
10%
Center 43 City has more than twice the national average of residents ages 25-34.
LOMBARD ST.
11TH ST.
2012
Core
0%
2010
31
Cohorts, 2010
10% and more
12TH ST.
2011
BAINBRIDGE ST.
1,120,648 Residential SF | 6%
5%
WASHINGTON SQUARE
PINE ST.
Chart 4: Age
5% to 10%
Government & Non-profit Institutions Residential 762,000 SF | 4%
7% 30
PINE ST.
13TH ST.
SOUTH ST.
22
5
SPRUCE ST.
YET OUR MOST SERIOUS OBSTACLES STILL EXIST Greater Center City Racial Diversity 2010
2ND ST.
8TH ST.
13TH ST.
12TH ST.
10TH ST.
19TH ST.
60
21ST ST.
23RD ST.
LOMBARD ST.
0% to 5% 15TH ST.
-5% to 0%
22ND ST.
In addition to Chinatown, the extended neighborhoods of Center City still retain60 a diverse mix of middle- and working-class residents: 54% Caucasian, 32% African American and 11% Asian. Greater Center City also contains more than 6,000 units of publicly subsidized housing. But the neighborhoods that surround the cen-
24TH ST.
More than -5% Source: US8Census Bureau
SOUTH BROAD ST.
Percent Change in Population, 2000–2010 (Number on the map indicates current population)
PINE ST.
LOMBARD ST.
16TH ST.
62,960
25TH ST.
61,900
PINE ST.
17TH ST.
61,260
7% 6%
SPRUCE ST.
19147
the latest estimates from the US 4 44Census Bureau’s American Comm-
13TH ST.
2000
59,700
19146
4
18TH ST.
0
58,882
22ND ST.
49,855
20,000
21
19TH ST.
21
SPRUCE ST.
SPRUCE ST.
square mile section of Philadelphia, which constitutes just 5.7% of the city’s land area, now holds 11.8% of its residents (179,903), increasing by 10.2% in the last decade, faster than any other portion of the city.
20TH ST.
120,280
LOCUST ST.
358,147 SF | 2%
Public EdsSpace & Meds 772,962 SFSF | 4% 759,656 | 4%
Public Space Government & Non-profit Institutions 772,962 SF | 4% 762,000 SF | 4%
47
WALNUT ST.
LOCUST ST.
358,147 SF | 2% Eds & Meds 759,656 SFCultural | 4%
22
SANSOM ST.
LOCUST ST.
Cultural MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTER CITY BY TYPE & SQUARE FOOTAGE
34
10%
CHESTNUT ST.
SANSOM ST.
Major Development in Center City by Type and Square Footage
3
45
12%
8%
5
WALNUT ST.
LOCUST ST.
21ST ST.
118,600
60,000
40,000
CHESTNUT ST.
WALNUT ST.
of new space& SQUARE FOOTAGE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTER CITYretail BY TYPE
19
14%
12%
34
FILBERT ST.
SANSOM ST.
23RD ST.
117,010
Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 and 2010 Decennial Census; CCD Estimates
115,960
CHERRY ST.
ARCH ST.
WALNUT ST.
24TH ST.
114,402
80,000
25TH ST.
107,927
00,000
FILBERT ST.
CHESTNUT ST.
SANSOM ST.
40,000
20,000
CHESTNUT ST.
19TH ST.
157,782
60,000
Y
DILWORTH PARK
183,240
180,500
178,270
DILWORTH PARK
JFK BLVD.
PK
9TH ST.
IN
10TH ST.
KL
41 15%
3RD ST.
AN
1,961,600 SF ofincommercial/mixed-use development Major Development Center City by Type and Square Footage 2,331,315 SF
56
3
25%
45
8TH ST.
FR
6TH ST.
IN
5TH ST.
AM
CHERRY ST.
ARCH ST.
19 18%
FRANKLIN SQUARE
RACE ST.
7TH ST.
22ND ST.
23RD ST.
CHERRY ST.
NJ
JFK BLVD.
42
10% 41
VINE ST. EXP
ARCH ST.
BE
9TH ST.
RACE ST.
RACE ST.
56
8%
CALLOWHILL ST.
NORTH BROAD ST.
20TH ST.
17TH ST.
21ST ST.
18TH ST.
NORTH BROAD ST.
15TH ST.
CHERRY ST.
19TH ST.
13TH ST.
Y
4TH ST.
PK
JUNIPER ST.
IN
ARCH ST.
175,660
24% 18%
3RD ST.
KL
20TH ST.
17TH ST.
AN
22ND ST.
RACE ST.
23RD ST.
FR
16TH ST.
21ST ST.
IN
4TH ST.
AM
173,284
Extended Center City
11TH ST.
18TH ST.
NJ
80,000
42 SPRING GARDEN ST.
CALLOWHILL ST.
6 32 For the first time in 60 years, 46 8% 16 10 59 121: Map Philadelphia’s population has grown, SC 8% HU VINE ST. EXP netting 8,819 new residents between YL KIL 2000 and 2010, according to the 2010 L R LOGANIVE Census. While many older portions of 7 SQUARE R the city continued their long-term 32 trend of population decline or transiBE NJA MIN tion with the white population FR AN KLI N decreasing by 6.9% citywide and the PK Y 7 African-American population increasRoxborough/ 11 Manayunk ing by 2.2%, in several sections of Olney/ -1.1% 14% 20Lane Oak Near Northeast the city, particularly in South and 55 54 41,094 35-44 yrs 1 LOVE Germantown/ -4.9% 7.3%more dramatic shift in the age 12% The PARK Chestnut Hill Eastern North Philadelphia, Asian and PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER 183,451 220,938 33 2 -5.1% composition has occurred in the four Latino immigration was sufficient to 94,179 11 58 40 ZIP codes of Extended Center City25 offset decline. Philadelphia’s Asian 11% 20 55 54 1 38 45-54 yrs LOVE Bridesburg/ (19123, 19130, 19146 and PARK 19147) that population grew citywide by 52,684 9% 33 Kensington/ MARKET ST. WEST MARKET ST. EAST 2 CITY roughly correspond to the Queen (43.4%)53 in the last decade, while the North Richmond 17 HALL 40 Philadelphia 4.8% 25 Latino population grew by 66,073 Village, Fairmount, 50 Passyunk Square, 38 -3.0% 153,252 8% West 174,540 (47.7%).1 MARKET ST. WEST MARKET ST. EAST 55-64 yrs Philadelphia Northern Liberties, and Graduate CITY 14 28 35 10% 53 37 17 HALL -4.1% Hospital neighborhoods. In those 50 172,282 But one of the largest, most visible Greater Center9City39 48 51 14 28 areas, there in 35 drop 37 10.2%was a significant and geographically concentrated 7% nearly all179,903 age cohorts, while the num-48 65-74 yrs 9 39 51 growth stories occurred downtown. 7% 61year olds increased by 47 24 ber of 25-34 The addition of more than 12,000 19130 19123 61 24 10,153, expanding from 18% to 25% new housing units since 1997 attract30 36 23 7% 23 of the population. 36 ed 16,698 new residents into the RITTENHOUSE South Southwest WASHINGTON Center City 75 yrs + 15 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE 7% Philadelphia Philadelphia 15 SQUARE Core eight ZIP codes that reach from Girard SQUARE 19103 19107 19106 4.2% -5.2% 16.3% The transformation in Extended Avenue on the north to Tasker Street 100,076 27 75,283 27 57,239 Center City neighborhoods is reflecton the south, (referred to in this 57 40% 30% 20% 10% 57 ed in educational levels as well. Using report as Greater Center City). This 7.8 BE
00,000
MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED IN 2014 & IN THE PIPELINE
and proChart 3: Age Breakdown 18 found demographic changes several decades earlier and contain a broad Center City Core mix of single- and multi-family, rental 26 29 and ownership options. As a result, the 16.3% rate of population growth 52 – 20 yrs in the last decade occurred across all age groups, with 25-34 year olds 18 13 FRANKLIN increasing modestly from 32% to 13% SQUARE 20-24 yrs 13% 35% of the population (more than Far Northeast double the citywide and nationwide 16 10 59 12 52 0.2% average) and those over 55 increasing 131,008 32% 25-34 yrs PENNSYLVANIA CENTER from 22%CONVENTION to 24%; but there were 35% 13 LOGAN onlySQUARE minor changes in the ratio of 58 other age cohorts (charts 3 and 4).
6TH ST.
Y
5TH ST.
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KLI
VE
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YL
$6.7 billion total investment MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS 6,686 residential units 1,938 roomstotal investment $6.7hotel billion 6,686 residential 1,961,600 SFunitsof commercial/mixed-use development 1,938 hotel rooms 2,331,315 SF of new retail space DEVELOPMENTS
YOUTHFUL DOWNTOWN
DELAWARE RIVER
29
46
FRONT ST.
SPRING GARDEN ST.
GROWING POPULATION “Our city is booming, there is no Leading denying the Way: Population Growth Downtown it. There continues to be unprecedented development by every measure, including Population Change 2000–2010 spectacular projects underway on East Market Street, in University City, and on the Delaware River waterfront, just to name a few. Every small lot is a target for a townhouse or condominiums . . . Greater Center City Population GREATER CENTER CITY POPULATION -Nick Stuccio, Fringe Arts HU
Population Growth Downtown
26
Center City Reports
6
SPRING GARDEN ST.
DELAWARE RIVER
www.CenterCityPhila.org
2018
73
SELECTING A CENTRALLY CONNECTED SITE The selected project site consists of the two blocks between 9th and 11th Streets and between Filbert and Market Streets. The proposed site lies ¼ mile from both City Hall and Independence Mall, and just one block away from Chinatown, Reading Terminal Market, Jefferson Hospital, and the retail and restaurant heavy Chestnut Street. The site lies directly on top one of Jefferson Regional Rail Station as well as the Market-Frankford 11th Street subway station. An average of 20,000 pedestrians pass through the site per day. This section of Market Street has a noticeable lack of open green space, and is currently being considered for even denser development. Proximity Radii
Usable Open Green Space
Average Hourly Pedestrian Activity by Time of Day
Pedestrian Activity by Season
Public Transportation
Existing Aerial from the Southeast
Avergae Daily Pedestrian Activity by Weekday / Weekend
Site Analysis Timeline “City Crowns” TimelineofofPhiladelphia’s Philadelphia’s Cultural Spaces
Religion
Government
A Connected Central Site
Craft Guild
Government
Nature
Art
Economics
Temporality
PRELIMINARY PROGRAMMING - A PLACE FOR EVERYONE Space Program Proportionality Central Multi-Use Courtyard
Program Relationship Diagram
Indoor Play Zone Video Game Area
Science Labs Basketball Courts Art Workshops
Arcade Area Activity Parks
Skateboard Zone
Music Spaces Tennis Courts
Pockets Parks
Cinema/Theater
Pedestrian Paths
Senior Citizen Center
Drop-Off Zone Restrooms
Day Care Center Cafe Indoor Beer Garden
Multi-Use Classrooms Rock Climbing Wall
Obstacle Course
Green Roofs for Activities
Event Space
Open Pool & Kids Pool
Main Entrance
Main Fitness Spaces
Hot Tub Zone
Central Gathering Space
Fitness Class & Breakouts
Soft Seating Areas Hearth
Sauna
Digital Resource Center Observation Deck
Restrooms
Lockers / Showers
Dance Studios
Quiet Niches
Parking Garage
Informal Spaces Large Instruction Space
Mechanical & BOH Lockers & Showers
Circulation
Open Gym
“Through contamination rather than purity BIGNESS can support genuinely new relationships between functional entities that expand rather than limit their identities. The complexity of BIGNESS releases function from its defensive armour to allow a kind of liquefaction; programmatic elements react with each other to create new events BIGNESS returns to a model of programmatic alchemy.”
- Rem Koolhaas, SMLXL
Programming a Dynamic Tower
PRECEDENT STUDIES - UNCOVERING THE BUILDING TYPE Rozet Culture Center Arnhem, The Netherlands Neutelings Riedijk Inspiration includes: a winding, flexible use stair organizing a cultural center.
Citygarden
Grace Farms
St Louis, Missouri Nelson Byrd Woltz
New Canaan, Connecticut SANAA
Inspiration includes: a naturalistic urban park at the center of a city.
Inspiration includes: free cultural space and a fluid inside / outside relationship.
THE CITY CROWN AND THE EARLY DESIGN CONCEPT The City Crown Bruno Taut
“A deep desire directs us all: we want cities again, in which we can, according to Aristotle, not only live safely and healthily but also happily.”
Intermediate Design Review
Program Axon
“Throughout every great cultural epoch, the constructive will of the time was directed at one ulterior, metaphysical building [type].” “For all times, we have gravitated to the house of God as the one building that can convey our deepest feelings about mankind and the world.” “The church is missing in the contemporary conception of the city. Although churches are designated in plans, they are distributed in such a way that they do not find a superior meaning [in the cityscape.” “Some form of purpose must live in every human breast, a feeling that lifts the individual beyond a single temporal space and allows them to feel community with their contemporaries, their nation, fellow humans and the entire world. Where does it lie?” “Socialism, in its non-political sense, means freedom from every form of authority as a simple, ordinary connection between people and it bridges any gap between fighting classes and nations to unite humanity. If one philosophy can crown the city of today, it is an expression of these thoughts.”
Park Plan
Master Plan
1680
1920
1950
THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF THE PENN PLAN William Penn laid out five public squares in his city of Philadlephia. They were to be dedicated green spaces for all people. As the city expanded towards the Schuylkill River, this foresight proved itself to be a success. As the city has grown since then, various modifications have been carried out upon the so-called Penn Plan. A building was built upon the site of the former Centre Square, a new city hall for Philadelphia. The Benjamin Franklin Parkway was driven up into Fairmount Park to connect the city with nature (and to easily get cars in and out of the city). Several blocks were demolished to create Independence Mall, honoring our city’s history as the birthplace of America’s indepedence. Will our era bring forth a new intervention into the heirarchy of the city grid? If our generation were to make such a grand gesture, we should hope it would be a space that brings people together and fosters a sence of civic community.
2020
THE PHILADELPHIA MASTER PLAN
Civic Amenities Around Park
Market Street Greenway
9th St
10th St
Creating a 21st Century Agora
11th St
Cultural Corridor Trolley Line
Convention Center
Chinatown Reading Terminal Market
Love Park City Hall
Lit Brothers
Macy’s
PSFS
US Post Office
Jefferson Hospital
Independence Mall
A THREE-DIMENSIONAL PUBLIC PARK Play Play is any action in which an individual experiences something (such as an object or an idea) in a fundamentally new way. In this way, play inherently redefines objects and ideas.
Leisure Leisure is any freely chosen and intrinsically motivated activity by an individual. As a result of this freedom and intrinsic motivation, Leisure is the mental state with the most fertile soil for culture to take root and grow. Leisure is the basis of Culture.
Expression Expression is the act of “pressing oneself outwards.” This action is essential to the cultural cycle which consists of the back and forth interaction of expression and discovery.
Discovery Discovery is the action through which individuals uncover their culture. Discovery is also the action through which individuals uncover themselves.
“Cities are complex, hybrid spaces where divergent ways of acting, thinking about, and living urban life collide and transform.” - Alfredo Brillembourg & Hubert Klumpner, Urban Think Tank
PLANS FOR ADAPTABLE USE Digital Library / Media Center
Winter Garden / City Living Room
Flex Event Space
Reading Room
A CIVIC CENTER THAT IS PERMEABLE AND OPEN TO ALL e ffe Co
PLANS FOR ADAPTA
r
Ba
Rea
Digital Library / Media Center ing ad Re es ac
Sp e ffe Co r Ba
Carpenter’s Hall
City Hall
PLANS FOR ADAPTABLE USE
City Canopy
Residential
Residential
g
City
es ac
Sp
Residential
Filbert Street
din
Hotel
Day Care
9th Street
10th Street
Mixed-Income Residential
a Re
11th Street
p ce Re
PLANS FOR ADAPTABLE USE
e ffe Co r
Ba
Hearth
Spray Plaza / Ice Skating Rink
11th Street
Business Incubator
Residential
g
Sp
City Gym
Welcome Center
To Great Hall
Cafe / Event Space
PLANS FOR ADAPTABLE USE Buffered Sidewalk
Digital Library / Media Center
with Integral Winter Garden / City Living Planters Room Benches
Flex Event Space
Reading Room
A PERMEABLE SITE PLAN Trolley / Bus Stop
Trolley / Bus Stop
Filbert Street
Great Hall
Business Incubator
Planters with Integral Benches
Residential
Sustainable Offices
es ac
Sustainable Offices
din
a Re
Hotel
Exhibit
Wifi Courtyard
Amphitheater
So
Reading Zone
Amphitheater
A PERMEABLE SITE PLAN
cia lS ta
ir
Play Area
Win
Flex Event Space
Reading Room
Digital Library / Media Center
Park Niches
Artist Live / Work Studios
Business Incubator
n
tio
Climbing Zone & Skate Park
10th Street
Hotel
Residential
A PERMEABLE SITE P
r Ba
City Gym
e ffe Co
Residential
Fle
Reading Room
Digital Library / Media Center
11th Street
A PERMEABLE SITE PLAN
Buffered S
Park Niches
e ffe Co
es ac
10th Street
Amphitheater Sp
Sustainable Offices
11th Street
g
City Gym
9th Street
din
Sustainable Offices
a Re
Residential
H
Spray Plaza / Mixed-Income Ice Skating Rink Residential
Day Care
Welco Cent
Filbert Street
Great Hall Climbing Zone & Skate Park Trolley / Bus Stop
n
tio
Buffered Sidewalk
p ce Re
Planters with Integral Benches
ator
10th Street
Hotel
r Ba
11th Street
Thomas Jefferson University Offices & Ambulatory Care
US Post Office Residential
11th Street
Market Street
A SUSTAINABLE AND ADAPTABLE CULTURAL COMPLEX Sustainability is not restricted to ecological concerns. The sustainabile approach for this new civic center is a holistic one. The four domains of sustainabilty considered here are environmental, economic, social, and cultural. In paying careful attention to the vibrance, diversity, and health of these four realms, we can sustain our city most properly. This new cultural complex is designed to adapt through time, revive and refresh its environment, foster a sense of civic community, invite us to partake in cultural activity, stimulate the surrounding businesses, and provide free space for the generation of new ideas in Philadelphia. If we can sustain ourselves, our relationships with each other, and our relationships with the world beyond, we can sustain our city far into the future. In a Tree Canopy From heavy to light, and from rooted to free, the facade design is intended to mimic the feeling of joy in the dappled light beneath a tree canopy
Intermittent Truss Floors Intermittent truss floors brace the diagrid structure and provide space for mechanical equipment. These floors also expel exhaust out of the building
WiFi & Device Charging Wireless internet is provided throughout the entire site while device charging stations are provided at several key locations
Indigenous Plantings Bioswales & Raingardens
The site is designed with only native Philadelphia plants for proper ecology and education to the public
Green Roof An occupiable green roof provides cooling effects, stormwater benefits, and a space for people to find solace within nature
Bioswales and raingardens provide stormwater management for the project site as well as for the neighboring streets and buildings
Heated Site Elements Paths and Hearth spaces are heated during the winter time to provide an enjoyable and communally warm park experience
Stormwater Path Stormwater travels from the building roofs through the rainwater conductors with the diagrid column wraps, around the site, and down into underground cisterns
Daylighting the Transit Hub The Amphitheater is designed with large plate-glass light wells, which provide ample daylight down into the Transit Hub and the Jefferson concourse
Geothermal Energy Geothermal wells dig several hundred feet below the city to harvest energy used throughout the building and site
Cistern and Water Features A series of underground cisterns manage stormwater, and site water features. Glycol tubes below the spray plaza transform it into an ice rink
The Great Hall With daylight provided by a crystalline oculus, this flexible use space is given expression with concrete space-frame trusses which also allow room for the tree roots above
Mat Slab Foundation This system allow heavy loads to be distrubuted across the entire building area, which is ideal for building large structures in Philadelphia
The Tower Stairs - A space to socializ
The Play Building - A space for children to play and interact
OPTIMIZING EXPERIENCE THROUGH TECTONICS
OPTIMIZING EXPERIENCE THROUGH TECHNICS
The Courtyard - A space to gather in a natural setting
The City Canopy - A space to feel companionship with the city
INSULATED SPANDREL PANEL
3D PRINTED BRICK SUNSHADES
Fritted Glass Various Colors
OPERABLE WINDOW
Fritted Glass White
The Tower Stairs - A space to socialize or to escape
The Play Building - A space for children to play and interact 18” X 18” TUBE STEEL WITH GFRC WRAP AND INTEGRAL DOWNSPOUT
OPTIMIZING THROUGH TECHNICS Building Envelope Section EXPERIENCE Diagrid Structure for Adaptable Use of Recycled 3D Printed Brick Floor Plates
Sunshading System
Insulated Spandrel
Glazing System Transition Up Facde
INSULATED SPANDREL PANEL
3D PRINTED BRICK SUNSHADES
Fritted Glass Various Colors
In a Tree Canopy From heavy to light, and from rooted to free, the facade design is intended to mimic the feeling of joy in the dappled light beneath a tree canopy
OPERABLE WINDOW
Fritted Glass White
Site Elements
WiFi & Device Charging Core Cladding
The Philadelphia Grid
Bioswales and raingardens provide stormwater management for the project site as well as for the neighboring streets and buildings
Insulated Spandrel
The site is designed with only native Philadelphia plants for proper ecology and education to the public
Diagrid Structure for Adaptable Use of Raingardens Diagrid Structure&for Flexible Use
Building Envelope Section Bioswales
Sunshades
Indigenous Plantings
A New Take
18” X 18” TUBE STEEL WITH GFRC WRAP AND INTEGRAL DOWNSPOUT
Wireless internet is provided throughout the entire site while device charging stations are provided at several key locations
Floor Plates
Glazing System Reclaimed Brick from Across Philadelphia Transition Up Facde
Recycled 3D Printed Brick Sunshading System
Heated Site Elements
Operable Door Door System at System Ground Condition Operable at Ground Condition
Operable Door Sy
THE METAPHOR OF GROWTH Growth is a universally understood concept. Thus, the metaphor of growth is well-suited to the wide spectrum of inhabitance that dwell within a civic center. The metaphor of growth is also ideal for a space dedicated to cultural experiences. The Roman orator Cicero coined the term culture when he spoke of “cultura animi”, or the “cultivation of the soul.” The buildings are envisioned as objects growing out of the ground, mirroring the emergentism of culture intended to occur within the framework of the civic complex. Like brick monoliths once dormant below the city, the forms press out of the earth like Tautian crystals, blending the distinction between park and building. Vines of brick grow over these forms, climbing upwards until they reach the top, where they blossom in vibrant color. Out of the old roots of Philadelphia, fresh cultures emerge and flower. The City Canopy is a space to grow together. Summer View from the Amphitheater
Crystalline Forms Emerge out of the Ground
Plants Grow Over and Blossom Upwards
A Naturalistic Complement to City Hall
THE ESSENCE OF THE CITY Within the complex, people can choose to congregate in high activity areas and share experiences, or they can choose to seek out places within the complex that are more removed and introverted. From the main courtyard to quiet niches on the tower stairs, each inhabitant can find a space comfortable to their dispositions. At the same time, inhabitants also have the choice of which activities to partake in. An individual can choose to create a painting in the Art Make Space, skateboard or go rock climbing in the Play building, socialize in the Cafe or in the Garden Terrace, collaborate in the Media Center, enjoy a good book in the Reading Room, play in the Spray Plaza, warm up in the Hearth, or look back upon the city in the Observation Deck. Regardless of where each person goes and what they choose to do, each individual is still part of the city. The City Canopy covers and includes all. The essential truth of cities is that they are places for people to come together. This cultural complex is an embodiment of this truth. The City Canopy is a metaphor for the essence of the city.
The Play Building - a space for children to play and interact
The Lifecycle of the Building
The Tower Stairs - a space to socialize or escape
Weekday Morning
– commuters at transit hub, café-goers before work, dog walking or athletics in the park
Weekday Day
– children for educational electives or field trips, parents and children in park or play areas, tourists visiting, lunch breakers escaping, creative breakers thinking
Weekday Afternoon / Evening
– children after school, adults after work, retail and restaurant goers, people attracted by events or amenities in the civic center
Weekend
– Retail and restaurant goers, tourists, people attracted by events or amenities in the civic center
A PUBLIC PARK FOR ALL SEASONS
TEMPORALITY AND THE PASSING OF TIME The passing of time is constant. From day to night, summer to winter, and year to year, time moves forward. Temporality is a truth of existence. Architecture of civic importance must acknowledge this temporality. The spaces around and within the building are designed to express different atmopsheres through the passing of time, and to accommodate new uses as the city evolves into the next century.
A SPACE TO FEEL COMPANIONSHIP WITH OUR ENTIRE CITY “Of course there are some spaces which should be flexible, but there are also some which should be completely inflexible. They should be just sheer inspiration . . . just the place to be, the place which does not change, except for the people who go in and out.” -Louis Kahn
A FREE CULTURAL SPACE AS THE NEW CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA
The Thesis: Philadelphia has a center, but does it have a heart? A space that encourages our spirits and inspires our souls? A space capable of bringing us together and healing our divisions? Now is the opportune time to create a civic center dedicated to enlivening the public spirit. A free cultural space to share meaningful experiences with each other. A space that can adapt through time as our city evolves. A space in which every person can find their place. A space in which we can be lifted beyond ourselves to feel companionship with our entire city. A space to stir in us the very feeling William Penn dreamt for our city when he named us Philadelphia.
THE PHYSICAL MODEL
REFLECTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS The Issue of Local Design One of my early philosophical stances was the moral imperative of local design. Designing a project in our own city of Philadelphia, however, posed many obstacles throughout the year. Under the scrutiny of local eyes, I was confronted with the opinions of countless Philadelphians.
My own intuitions and ideas about our city also proved influential as I uncovered the essence of my thesis and formed the project. In the end, many of these ideas slowed the process of creation as a result of the high sensitivity of local design. It is, in fact, easier to design in a place
far away than to design “in our own backyard”. Ultimately, designing in our own cities results in spaces that are more deeply thought out , provided we are willing to exert the extra effort. I maintain that local design is the most proper way to create meaningful places for people.
The Role of Philosophy in Architecture The function of philosophy in architecture is to consider the built environment in context with everything that impacts and is impacted by it, and then to press architecture forward towards alignment with all that it is related to. Architectural philosophy is not merely architectural theory, but rather it is a less
architecturally focused and more broadly sweeping desire for wisdom. On this type of wisdom, the Buddhist philosopher Shunryu Suzuki says, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few. […] It is the readiness of the mind that is wisdom.” This broad, clear, and ready mind is what
the root “archi” in architect refers to, and thus philosophical thought is the half of architecture which complements the study of tectonics. The role of philosophy in architecture is to free our minds beyond the built environment.
Architecture as a Framework for Entropy This last thought was brought about as a result of striving to create a civic center that was simultaneously adaptable and timeless. I believe that architecture is both logical and artistic, but it is not a work of logic, nor is it a work of art. Architecture utilizes systems of logic to result in incidental occurrences. These resultant happenings are the work of entropy. Entropy is commonly understood as the desire of a thing to return towards its most natural state. From the play of light and shadow, to the power of gravity,
to the emergence of human activity, human interaction, society, politics, culture, and in fact all aspects of human life, architecture allows entropy. A work of architecture is a layering up of systems of logic to produce a framework which fosters entropic episodes. This architectural form of entropy inherently displays the truths of the world and the truths of human nature. If entropy means “a turning toward”, a return to the most natural state, then architecture should encourage human beings and their cultures to turn towards
their own most natural states. Uncovering and celebrating the natural state of humanity is one of the primary functions of architecture. It is through the supporting hand of order that the artfulness of disorder is brought to light and celebrated. This belief lies at the heart of my thesis. The civic center that I have envisioned is an atmospheric framework for the entropy of the city. A flexible and free cultural space as the new center of Philadelphia.