The Agora

from Ethan Zhang Portfolio Winter 2020 [LEGACY]

Professional Work

AGORA

1B Steel Final Project Location: Anywhere Collaboration with Magdalena Kaczmarczyk

CISC Archiitectural Competiton Finalist

The Agora; a public gathering space in ancient Greece which fulfills the function of athletics, art, politics and marketplace within the city. The Romans later adopted the idea of the agora after the conquer of Greece and converted it into something of their own, it was known as the marketplace of Caesar and Augustus.

The bus stop is a modern symbol of travel, connection, expansion. This architectural structure is what brings the rest of the city to the user. It shelters from the elements, yet is transparent and open. More often than not, the people collected under this roof are strangers bound together by the mutual goal of traversing the network of the city, enabling it to become a sort of urban assembly. An issue arises to tourists in big cities however; travel is a nuisance. Bus stops are hard to find, paths are not clear, one does not know what to see.

GROUND PLAN

The Metamorphoses by Ovid raises an interesting solution. “Make an amalgamation and give it new meaning”. The traditional structure of the bus stop can now be transformed into a prominent landmark that tourists can understand anywhere. Opening up bike storage, having a ticket dispensary, a small repose, as well as an arid, sheltered hub in the same area allows public transport to become available to anyone. And in combining these elements and making the structure elegant yet hard to miss, a new meaning is derived; it is not just a bus stop, but now a public servant.

PROGRAM

The structure features three main modular components that may be rearranged and repeated in various ways to form the whole. Based on the context of the site, it may form a long row of interconnecting segments.

The 3 Modular structures include: A bus shelter that serves as shelter from elements and emphasizes transparency. A sheltered bicycle storage unit that doubles as seating space. A hub that provides seating and emphasizes a gathering space which includes maps. [1] [2] [3]

ELEVATIONS