A Modest Proposal for the Reclamation of Wasted Infrastructural Landscapes... by Jimmy Darling

A MODEST PROPOSAL

for the Reclamation of Wasted Infrastructural Landscapes to Benefit Future Public Highway Urbanization.

Jimmy Darling

A MODEST PROPOSAL

for the Reclamation of Wasted Infrastructural Landscapes to Benefit Future Public Highway Urbanization. A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Architecture Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture at Savannah College of Art and Design

Jimmy Darling

Savannah, Georgia ÂŠ November 2017

Scott Singeisen, Committee Chair Ryan Madson, Committee Member Miguel San Miguel, Committee Member

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to all of those who supported me, inspired me, criticized me, and encouraged me. This thesis changed course a few dozen times and all of you were there along the way to help turn it into what it has become.

A special thank you to Scott Singeisen, Ryan Madson, Miguel San Miguel, Susan Falls, Shalmali Wagle, and Alexandra Darling.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

Abstract

1 | On Highway Waste: An Introduction

2 | Infrastructural Reclamation: Case Studies

3| An Approach

4 | Formula for Reclamation

5 | Center for Watching: A Narrative

6 | Exhibition

Endnotes

Bibliography

Chapter 1

List of Figures 1.01

“Aerial View of Interchange”, Google Maps

1.02

“View of Futurama”, from Magic Motorways by

8 10

Norman Bel Geddes 1.03

“View of Futurama”, from Magic Motorways by

Norman Bel Geddes 1.04

“Wasted!”, by Author, Including Aerial Photos from

Google Maps 1.05

“Location of Indianapolis”, by Author

1.06

“Map of Indianapolis”, by Author

1.07

“Types of Interchanges”, by Author

1.08

“Interchange Analysis”, by Author

19-20

Chapter 2 2.01

“Aerial View of Interchange”, Google Maps

2.02

“View of Totems”, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful

2.03

“Bird’s Eye View of Interchange”, Bing Maps

2.04

“Ameyoko and Train”, by Tomoyoshi

2.05

“A8ernA Program Diagram”, by NL Architects

Chapter 3 3.01

“Aerial View of Interchange”, Google Maps

3.02

“House of the Suicide and House of the Mother of

the Suicide”, Photo by José Juan Barba 3.03

“Nude”, Cadavre Exquis with Yves Tanguy, Joan Miró,

Max Morise, and Man Ray 3.04 1

“Eat the Baby”, by Joel Solkoff

Chapter 4 4.01

“Aerial View of Interchange”, Google Maps

4.02

“Formula for Reclamation”, by Author

4.03

“Center for Cleansing”, by Author

41-42

4.04

“Center for Disposing”, by Author

43-44

4.05

“Center for Watching, Part 1”, by Author

45-46

4.06

“Center for Watching, Part 2”, by Author

47-48

4.07

“Loop Urbanism”, by Author

Chapter 5 5.01

“Aerial View of Interchange”, Google Maps

5.02

“Site Plan Diagram”, by Author

5.03

“Formal Diagram”, by Author

5.04

“Site Section”, by Author

5.05

“Driver Progression Diagram”, by Author

5.06

“Approach”, by Author

61-62

5.07

“Finding Seat”, by Author

63-64

5.08

“Viewing: Daytime”, by Author

65-66

5.09

“Viewing: Nighttime”, by Author

67-68

5.10

“Reporting Occurrences”, by Author

69-70

5.11

“Prisoner Transfer Diagram”, by Author

5.12

“The Prisoner”, by Author

73-74

5.13

“Viewing: Daytime”, by Author

75-76

5.14

“Viewing: Nighttime”, by Author

77-78

5.15

“The Torture”, by Author

79-80

53-54 56 57-58 60

6.01

Chapter 6

6.02

“Aerial View of Interchange”, Google Maps Photo of Exhibition Boards, by Author

82 83-84

Abstract

A Modest Proposal for the Reclamation of Wasted Infrastructural Landscapes to Benefit Future Public Highway Urbanization.

Jimmy Darling

November 2017

This thesis serves as an investigation into the potential of satire as a tool for creating dialogue and critical discourse within the field of architecture to criticize and comment on illogical situations with an emphasis on irony, exaggeration, and absurdity. Highway interchanges are the prime focus of satire in this thesis due to their current wasted nature and the illogical approach to hyper-rationalize highway design. A formula for reclamation drives the new highway developments with a focus on occupation and densification, ultimately leading to a new highway urbanism.

Keywords: highway, wastelands, architecture, satire, absurdity, drive-in theater, prison

“There should be no more reason for a motorist who is passing through a city to slow down than there is for an airplane which is passing over it.”1

– Norman Bel Geddes from Magic Motorways

1 ON HIGHWAY WASTE: AN INTRODUCTION

Fig. 1.01

Utopian Highway Ideology

Looking back to the introduction of the automobile in the United States gives way to an exploration into the infrastructure developed within cities to accommodate the car. An early emergence of a utopian implementation of the car within cities came from Norman Bel Geddesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Futurama project unveiled at the 1939 Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair in New York, a project sponsored by General Motors, as seen depicted on the right. This project was widely popular to the crowds because every automobile owner could relate to it, instilling awe into every driver that was harassed by the daily task of getting from one place to another. Futurama gave them a dramatic and graphic solution to a problem which they all faced.2

Bel Geddesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; project proposed a rational solution to blend highway with city, sensitively acknowledging the capabilities and possibilities of the car specifically with regards to safety, comfort, speed, and economy.3 These principles derived from his critique on existing highway and intersection design, especially from the cloverleaf intersection. The cloverleaf combines ideas taken from the overpass/ underpass, giving drivers the ability to drive straight through an intersection at full speed, along with that of the traffic circle, which makes it possible to turn from one road into another without a stop. His critique about this form of intersection is that traffic must slow too much to make the turn of such tight radii, disrupting the principles of speed and economy required for good highway design. He instead proposed a series of entrance and exit ramps with large radii that waste less ground area and allows for the speed of traffic to remain the same throughout the interchange process. 9

Fig. 1.02

Due to the extensive infrastructural demand necessary to make his design a reality, Bel Geddesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; design for the interchanges never caught on, ultimately leaving the cloverleaf and its variations the preferred choice during the construction of Eisenhowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Interstate Highway System. Nevertheless, Futurama serves as an important reminder as to what the highway system could have done for cities if a more sensitive outlook combined with an inquiry into the advantages and disadvantages of car travel would have been prioritized in the development of American highways.

President Eisenhowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, enacted the largest public works project in United States history, authorizing $25 billion USD for the construction of over 41,000 miles of the Interstate Highway System, connecting cities across the US, and making travel by automobile quicker and more accessible for travelers.4 The funding, deriving from national defense funding and the Highway Trust Fund, originating from tax payer dollars meant for the purpose of civil well-being and the general good. Today, taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel fund future projects related to the highway system and the fees associated with maintaining the roads and the subsequent vacant land encompassing the highways.

Fig. 1.03

The Problem

There is a tremendous amount of wasted land created as a byproduct of the interstate highway system across every American city. 66 billion in tax payer dollars by means of the Highway Trust Fund are wasted annually as a result of maintaining these plots of land . This is public land! It deserves to be used. They are pockets of waste within the city’s fabric that offer potential for urban growth.

During the development of the highways, the design of the interchange became not about ‘change’ as the name suggests, but rather about a smooth, homogeneous experience for the users, originating from Bel Geddes. This led to the highways occupying as much land as needed, disrupting, and breaking the density of the urban fabric to create this homogeneous experience via a hyperrational design. The Interstate Highway System has been designed by traffic engineers only for the purpose of efficient vehicular mobility and progressive motion. The hyper-rational design of the highways consist of specific guidelines and rules which attempt to control space with regards to vehicle speed and direction and with absolutely no concern for wasted land. It has potential to be occupied by the public for the benefit of the public itself and currently, it is just forgotten and inaccessible.

In addition to land waste, highways also produce another means of waste: the waste of time. As we all know, overcrowded highways lead Right: Fig. 1.04

to congested traffic. According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 6.3 billion hours and 160 billion dollars are wasted in US per year because people are sitting in traffic.5 Highways also have the potential to provide services to drivers expanding beyond its current

use for movement between destinations.

CLOVER STACK

CLOVERLEAF

PARCLO - B4

SEMI-DIRECTIONAL T

DIAMOND

SEMI-DIRECTIONAL T

STACK

PARCLO

CLOVER STACK

PARCLO

SEMI-DIRECTIONAL T

HALF CLOVER

PARCLO

HALF CLOVER

CLOVER STACK

PARCLO

HALF CLOVER

SEMI-DIRECTIONAL T

PARCLO

STACK

PARCLO

FULL-Y

HALF CLOVER

CLOVER

SEMI-DIRECTIONAL T

PARCLO

DIAMOND

PARCLO

WASTED!

Area of Interest

Highway land waste is the American dilemma. A majority of cities around the United States were designed around the automobile and its subsequent infrastructure. From Los Angeles to Atlanta, most US cities have been designed to accommodate vehicles, from roads to parking to various building typologies designed specifically for the car. With this in mind, I thought it would be appropriate to look at a city like Indianapolis, Indiana as a typical American car-centric city, predominately reliant on its highways to travel around the city. Indianapolis has a rich history surrounding the automobile and is known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crossroads of Americaâ&#x20AC;? because of its connectivity to 8 major cities, more than any other US city. It has 50 Interchanges within the I-465 Loop that encompasses the city. 28 of those 50 Interchanges are on the 53-mile loop itself. This means that Indianapolis alone has over 2000 acres of wasted public land on its highways, not including the green space often used in medians in lieu of reinforced concrete barriers.

Above: Fig. 1.05 Right: Fig. 1.06 15

I-865

I-465 I-69

Detroit

I-65

Chicago

Keystone Ave

n Rd higa Mic

Bin for dB lvd

reek Fall C

US-31

r ive

eR hit

38th St

I-74

38th St

Peoria

I-70

Columbus 21st St

16th St

10th St 10th St

Washington St

Rockville Rd

Broo kville Rd on St hingt Was So

uth e

Arlington Ave

Emerson Ave

Raymond St

ast ern Av e

I-74

Cincinnati e Av ky

US-31

c ntu Ke

I-465

I-70

St. Louis

I-465

I-65

Louisville Edgewood Ave US-37

Interchange Size Small Medium Large

Interchange Analysis

Interchanges are where the majority of highway waste occurs within a city. The cloverleaf and the partial cloverleaf (or parclo) are two of the most commonly used interchanges. The average parclo interchange wastes about 30 acres of land and some major interchanges where interstates intersect even waste up to 70+ acres. For example, the junction in Indianapolis where I-74 meets I-465 consumes about 73 acres of land, a similar area to Disney Land in Los Angeles. These plots of land do not seem so massive when you pass them at highway speeds. All of this is valuable land within the city that could have more purpose, use, impact, etc.

Although primarily barren, with the exception of trash littered from passersby, the land encompassed within interchanges does have some unique qualities not replicated throughout the rest of the city. J.G. Ballard best describes these qualities in his fictional novel entitled Concrete Island when the main character loses control of his car and wrecks into an interchange. He is stranded on this â&#x20AC;&#x153;concrete islandâ&#x20AC;? because the traffic never slows enough for him to escape. Passing cars will not come to his aid because they cannot stop, leading him to compare the quality of the land to the likes of a prison. He survives off the trash and describes the noise to be rather torturous.6 Albeit dramatic, Ballard offers insight into what it must feel like to inhabit these wastelands.

Right: Fig. 1.07 17

ANALYZING THE INTERCHANGE

Single Clover Average Area = 3 Acres

On/O Spee

Highway Speed = 65mph

I-465 Average Annual Daily Traffic = 140,000

Off Ramp ed = 25mph

On/Off Ramp Speed = 35 mph

Average Area Outside of Clover = 3 Acres

Average Diameter = 200â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Major Road Speed = 40mph

Fig. 1.08

s ond c e S Average Travel Time = 18

2 INFRASTRUCTURAL RECLAMATION: CASE STUDIES

Fig. 2.01

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful

“Interstate 70 from the new airport to our vibrant downtown is one of the most traveled corridors for visitors coming to our city, so it’s important we make a good first impression. We believe improving these highway interchanges will provide a greater sense of community pride, economic development opportunities, and enhanced quality of life for residents and commuters.”1 - Bart Peterson, former mayor of Indianapolis.

The first, and most closely related example to the reclamation of highway wastelands takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Keep Indianapolis Beautiful not-for-profit organization has been attempting to accomplish what their name implies for decades. One of their more recent community improvement projects, taking place from 2010 to 2011, involved beautifying five interchanges along the industrial corridor of Interstate-70, as mentioned by Peterson, planting 1,614 trees, 72,304 native plants and shrubs, and installing 2,600 yards of mulch, along with various commissioned sculptures.2 Although the organization set out to develop multiple interchanges, the program ultimately only developed one. The site they developed included totem pole sculptures paying homage to Indianapolis’ Native American history along with native plantings.

Although a valiant effort, the development failed due to it’s lack of human occupation and density. Drivers on the highway pass the site without any notice or interest and foot traffic from the surrounding area have no way of engaging the site, ultimately leaving the site as much of a wasteland as before. 23

Right: Fig. 2.02 Below: Fig. 2.03

Ameyoko

Due to the lack of direct case studies involving the reclamation of interchanges, instances of space left vacant below overpasses and bridges necessitates an exploration of the unusual and unexpected habitation of said spaces. Commonly seen in the United States, these public spaces remained vacant for common uses, but are rather adapted to become impromptu living accommodations by the homeless during stormy weather.

An interesting example of this is Ameya-YokochĹ?, or commonly referred to as Ameyoko, located in the Taito Ward of Tokyo, which developed as an impromptu open-air market following World War II. The market began to inhabit the vacant space under the elevated train line, using the existing infrastructure as a skeleton and protector against the rains. This market has since grown to permanently accommodate over one hundred and eighty shops, selling products ranging from fresh foods to clothing. The lack of space in the city gave way to users developing the precious land

The example of Ameyoko can similarly be seen in other parts of the world with impromptu or informal markets take place where land is precious and inhabitants creatively resolve the occupation of the space.

Fig. 2.04

A8ernA

A more formal and designed approach to the reclamation of an infrastructural wasteland takes place in Koog aan de Zaan, Netherlands, a small town just outside of Amsterdam. The A8 Highway sliced through the town, separating two influential and important entities within the town: the church and the old city hall, which has since been demolished and replaced with a public plaza. In an attempt to create a connection between the isolated sectors, NL Architects, an architecture firm based in Amsterdam, proposed a series of programmatic interventions to use the previously disregarded land underneath the overpass. A8ernA is an occupation rather than a work or a construction, to be understood as a reinterpretation of the way to inhabit a preexisting space. The development of this “occupation” began with surveying members of the local community as to what they think would enliven the area and re-establish a connection between the two sides. Citizens demanded various programmatic implementations such as a park, an exhibition space understood as a ‘graffiti gallery’, a car park for 120 vehicles, a supermarket, a flower and pet shop, and a connection with the River Zaan. The architects approached the project with an optimistic attitude which views the monumental presence of the infrastructure as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. In the end, the project accommodated 22,500m2 of public space and 1,500 m2 of commercial space, completed in 2005 with a total project cost of 2,700,000 €.3

Fig. 2.05

“I am assured...that a young healthy child, well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food”1

– Jonathan Swift from A Modest Proposal

3 AN APPROACH

Fig. 3.01

Narrative Architecture as a Tool for Awareness

It would be arrogant for me, as a student of architecture, to believe this thesis can change the world. Rather, the intent of this thesis is to simply bring awareness to the issue at hand and put forth a socio-political commentary via architecture, the medium in which I have the capability to voice an ideology. Narrative architecture, in particular, tells a story or expresses a specific idea within a built form. The intersection of theory and practice in architecture plays an integral role in narrative architecture, blurring the boundary between object and story.

In a conceptual proposal for the Highline in New York City in 1980, Steven Holl proposed a series of houses to inhabit a section of the abandoned elevated rail line, titling it Project for a Bridge of Houses. Holl recognized the pattern of the West Chelsea neighborhood, the area in which the Highline resides, transitioning from a warehouse district to a residential area with high demand. The Bridge of Houses exists as a commentary on the changing development of the neighborhood, while calling into question the possible reuse of an infrastructural failure.2 His aim with this project was to bring awareness to the issue of inhabiting the seemingly uninhabitable via unorthodox architectural interventions, resulting in conversations leading to the development of the Highline into what it is today.

John Hejduk, most known for his approach to blurring the line between architectural practice and theory, often took a narrative approach to developing his architecture. K. Michael Hays describes Hejdukâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work as â&#x20AC;&#x153;an attempt to codify architecture as language and 31

to collapse the distinction between the object of architecture and the theoretical text.”3 Hejduk’s masques, the term used to describe his architectural follies, are dependent on the program, they cannot be separated from the written script. James McGregor argues: “it’s these many threads to [Hejduk’s] stories, the indeterminate relationships between them, and the incompleteness of the whole that makes the masques what they are. If the masques have the character of childish fascination, of naive wonderment, then this is all part of the attempt to keep the realm of possibility open.”4

These two examples show that architecture can be used a medium to showcase an ideology through built form, whether on paper or in brick and mortar.

Fig. 3.02

Surrealism + Absurdity

In his book, A Book of Surrealist Games, Mel Gooding discusses Surrealists ideas of revolutionary political change and their ability to subvert the familiar via witty and fantastic interrogations. He also goes on to mention that Surrealism is one of the most radically liberating critiques of reason that adventurously breaks the thread of discursive thought.5 Surrealism as a movement is historically significant for its ability to challenge and break preconceived notions.

I began looking at the Surrealist games for their use as a catalyst for creativity by means of releasing the subconscious to create various outputs. The methods and techniques of the Surrealist games originate out of the absurd, adding a humorous touch to their work that has been one of the sources of fascination with the movement.

ABSURD - É&#x2122;b-sÉ&#x2122;rd/ 1. adj. utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false. 2. n. the quality or condition of existing in a meaningless and irrational world.6

The approach the Surrealists took by breaking the thread of discursive thought, as Gooding mentions, is an approach acceptable to be applied to the context of highway waste. Users, engineers, and city officials have failed to recognize the extremity of the dilemma at hand and require Surrealist, absurd solutions to begin the process of remedying existing sites and preventing the occurrence in future developments. 33

Fig. 3.03

On Satire

SATIRE - sat-ahyuh-r/ 1. n. The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stupidity or vices.7

Jonathan Swift is considered to be one of the greatest authors of satire in English literature. His book entitled, A Modest Proposal, details out his plan to correct the issues of famine, overpopulation, and the growing wealth gap in Ireland in the early 18th century by proposing the wealthy purchase the babies of the poor to eat them.8 The success of his satire is due the depth and detail of his description, his deadpan humor, and his sound logic. For Swift, there is a simple problem and he proposes a simple solution that cannot be argued. The absurdity of this solution though, urges the reader recognize the magnitude of the problem and develop their own solutions.

This thesis serves as an investigation into the potential of satire as a tool for creating dialogue and critical discourse within the field of architecture to criticize and comment on illogical and/or controversial situations with an emphasis on irony, exaggeration, and absurdity. Finding the current situation of highway planning and its subsequent land use to be rather absurd and in need of architectural criticism, satire seemed like an appropriate response to the situation to create this dialogue regarding a better appropriation of these vast wasted landscapes. Thus, the process began by exploring the opportunities this wasted byproduct of the Interstate Highway System could provide in an effort to return the land to its rightful users.

Fig. 3.04

4 FORMULA FOR RECLAMATION

Fig. 4.01

The Formula

The nature of this land being encompassed by vehicles and the need for occupation and densification necessitates the hybridization of programs that include car-centric typologies with typologies more centered around the human. The process began by looking at combinations of car-centered typologies and human-centered typologies to create various densified hybrid interchange occupations. One can imagine that with a plethora of these occupations, live, work, play can all occur on the highway, then there becomes no need for people to ever leave the I-465 Loop that surrounds Indianapolis.

CENTER FOR CLEANSING

CENTER FOR DISPOSING

CENTER FOR WATCHING

CENTER FOR REFUELING

CENTER FOR HEALING Fig. 4.02

Fig. 4.03

Center for Cleansing The car wash as a car-centric typology is exclusively designed in an enclosure separate from the areas in which the cars are traveling. Why distance a service for the car from highways? This occupation allows drivers to partake in the luxury of a clean car while on their commute or while waiting in traffic. Additionally, people may enjoy recreational fulfillment at the water park to pass the wait or to just appreciate an entertaining weekend with their children. This program hybridization creates a new opportunity for water reclamation and recycling by collecting rain water in the pools and then using the collected water in the car wash to spray down the occupying cars. The water is then recycled back into the pools until needed again.

Center for Disposing Currently, the only occupant of highway wastelands is trash. According to the Arizona Depart of

Transportation

(ADOT),

51.2 billion pieces of litter are left on roadways in the US each year, leading to cleaning costs for Arizona highways at about $3 million and nearly 150,000 labor hours each year.1 What if facilities were designed into the highway system to conveniently allow drivers to dispose of their trash? Drivers exit onto the interchange and drive through the crematorium, tossing their garbage into the incinerators along their way, and then enter back onto the highway in a matter of seconds. With 76 million Americans reaching

the

average

life

expectancy within the next 20 years, roughly 130 square miles of new cemetery will need to be allotted for the disposal of the bodies.2 Therefore, a cemetery is paired with each waste collection facility to begin to accommodate graves within the city. 43

Fig. 4.04

Fig. 4.05

Center for Watching Part 1: The Drive-In Drive-in Theaters have long been associated with the American love for the car that was popularized around the time of the development of the Interstate Highway System. It epitomized an expression of individuality and freedom although Americans became more increasingly dependent on the car. The rise in popularity of indoor movie theaters for a better viewing experience along with the increasing popularity and convenience of home entertainment systems led to the decline of the Drive-In Theater. With only around 300 Drive-In Theaters left in the US today, how can this endangered typology that is so closely intertwined with the history of the US and the car be revived to once again further express this freedom (or lack thereof ) that Americans felt they had gained from the car and the highway system. 46

Center for Watching Part 2: The Prison Currently, there is a major problem in the US with the overcrowding of prisons. On average, prisons are over capacity by 25% (some prisons even reach up to 200% over capacity).3 This situation can lead to unsanitary conditions, health risks, violence, etc. for both inmates and staff alike. In addition to the overcrowding, prisons are traditionally located outside of the city center, creating an â&#x20AC;&#x153;out of sight, out of mindâ&#x20AC;? mentality. Prisoners are banished and have nothing to remind them of the freedom they are missing. All the while, criminals commit crimes without ever seeing the repercussions

associated

being convicted.

with

Fig. 4.06

Loop Urbanism

The Loop serves as a precedent for future highway development by introducing a variety of occupations on the highway itself. The development will begin with one interchange with others to follow shortly. The first occupation will be at the micro-urban scale. It will be independent, showcasing the potential of development and making the simple connections to the clovers along with connections between the clovers. Others will follow and begin to be co-dependent on each other at the meso-urban scale. Connections between interchanges will occur at the programmatic level at first, but then shift to physical as well. One example of a programmatic connection can include redefining the drive-thru fast food experience where ordering/paying, pick-up, and trash disposal can all occur at different interchanges. Physical connections can include elevated pedestrian pathways and/or elevated shuttles to connect highway inhabitants not reliant on the car.

As with any major urban development, the process will occur over a lengthy period of time. With the development of these occupations on all interchanges on the I-465 loop in Indianapolis, the urbanist theory of live, work, play can all occur on the highway across the city at the macro-urban scale. There then becomes no need for users to ever leave the Loop.

Right: Fig. 4.07 49

THE LOOP INDIANAPOLIS + LOOP URBANISM

Manufactoring

Healing

I-865

Cleansing

I-465

Defending

Shipping

I-69

Detroit Defending

I-65

Shipping

Chicago

Disposing

Shipping Watching Cleansing

Sleeping

Disposing

I-74

Peoria Shipping

I-70

Shipping

Columbus

Refueling Watching

Disposing

Sleeping

Watching Shipping Cleansing

I-74

Cincinnati Shipping Shipping

I-465 I-70

St. Louis

Defending

I-465

I-65

Healing

Manufactoring

Defending

Louisville Interchange Size Small Medium Large

“I hear the train a comin’, It’s rolling ‘round the bend, And I ain’t seen the sunshine since I don’t know when, I’m stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin’ on But that train keeps a rollin’ on down to San Antone… I bet there’s rich folks eating in a fancy dining car, They’re probably drinkin’ coffee and smoking big cigars. Well I know I had it coming, I know I can’t be free. But those people keep a movin’ And that’s what tortures me...”1

– Johnny Cash from Folsom Prison Blues

5 CENTER FOR WATCHING: A NARRATIVE

Fig. 5.01

This occupation formally and conceptually derives from ideas inherently associated with the panopticon while also reconfiguring the typical viewing arrangement for the drive-in theater. As inhabitants of the highway, drivers must pay tolls with time spent at the drive-in theater. The drive-in theater acts as a valve, controlling traffic flow and the number of vehicles on the highway throughout the day. It also allows the drivers to spend the time that would normally be wasted, in a more productive and entertaining way, leading to a happier and safer highway driving experience. Thus, commute time is not effected by the toll due to the open highways and reduction of congested traffic.

While enjoying their viewing experience, the drivers act as prison

DRIVE THEAT

guards from a distance, reporting any occurrences they might see. Because the number of watchmen increases exponentially, the number of guards in the prison decreases, along with the amount of money spent by the state to employ guards. This reclaimed money is then spent on future highway occupations.

CONCESSIONS

CENTER FOR WATCHING PRISON SCREEN A CELL BLOCK A

SCREEN B CELL BLOCK B

SCREEN C CELL BLOCK C

PRISON SERVICES

E-IN TER

Fig. 5.02

Developing Form

The panopticon served as the formal and conceptual basis for a prison. The premise of voyeurism and gazing due to the spatial arrangement, material qualities, and viewing angles into every cell became essential characteristics that became the focus. The specific material qualities of the panopticon allow for behavior control being watched (or the thought of being watched) makes the prisoner act in a specific manor. So how can the traditional circular form of the panopticon be altered to keep the same effect? Depicted is an exploration at exploding the cylindrical form of the panopticon and removing the central tower to allow the two sides to gaze across at each other.

PANOPTICON

EXPLODE

OPEN

RESULT Fig. 5.03 56

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My invention relates to a new and useful outdoor theater and it relates more particularly to a novel construction in outdoor theaters whereby the transportation facilities to and from the theater are made to constitute an element of the seating facilities of the theater.â&#x20AC;?2

- Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr., Patent for the Drive-in Theater, 1933

The form of the occupation derives from the exploded panopticon while also taking influence from the original patent for the Drive-In Theater.

Hollingshead also goes on to discuss the importance of the 22-degree viewing angle from the car to the screen.3 This determined the number of levels and the height of the prison all based on the distance between buildings and the specified 22-degree viewing angle.

Below: Fig. 5.04

0’

25’

50’

200’

DRIVER PROCESSION 1 APPROACHING 2 FINDING SEAT 3.1 VIEWING: DAYTIME 3.2 VIEWING: NIGHTTIME

4 REPORTING OCCURRENCES 5 EXITING

Fig. 5.05

1. Approaching Drivers are now required to pay a toll to use the highway, but rather than pay with money, they are paying with time spent at the theater. The driver approaches the interchange and exits taking one of a series of ramps that lead to various levels of the theater.

Fig. 5.06 61

2. Finding a Seat Once inside, the driver finds their seat for the show. They tune their radio to the appropriate station to receive the audio feed from the screen they would like to watch.

Fig. 5.07 63

3.1 Viewing: Daytime If the driver is attending a daytime showing, they will only see the reflection of the theater. They will be watching themselves, unaware of what is on the other side of the glazing.

Fig. 5.08

3.2 Viewing: Nighttime If the driver is attending a nighttime showing, they will see the screens while also witnessing the prisoners perform their nightly routine of boredom, misery, or anything else prisoners might do. The prison cells are attached onto the outside of the screen so they are in view of the drivers during the showing.

Fig. 5.09

4. Reporting Occurrences If at any time the driver witnesses an occurrence, they will report the incident via an app on their phone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you see something, say something.â&#x20AC;?

Fig. 5.10 69

The Prison

The state begins to transfer prisoners reaching the end of their sentence from existing facilities to these new facilities in the city on the highway, relieving congestion in the existing prison and establishing an â&#x20AC;&#x153;in your faceâ&#x20AC;? mentality by placing the prison in highly trafficked areas. As a result, passersby (free people/nonprisoners) will see the consequences of crimes first-hand, leading to a decrease in crime where free people encounter said prisons.

AT CAPACITY

OVER CAPACITY

EXISTING FACILITY

NEW FACILITY

5L OO

w to

I ND

ER SF AN TR

P NA

I-46

w Do

= End-of-Sentence Inmates Remaining Inmates =

Fig. 5.11

The Prisoners The prisoners at this facility are on their way out. They are finishing their

sentences

and

being

reintroduced back into society by being given views of the city and of the public. They are given a spacious 9x18 cell to themselves without any of the stress or worry of being around other prisoners. They spend their last few months in solitary. Each cell has the essentials: a bed and toilet/sink unit while also including a portion of the screen on which they are inhabiting.

Fig. 5.12

Viewing: Daytime During the day, the prisoners can see out into the city and are able to watch the drivers as they take their seats for their toll time.

Fig. 5.13

Viewing: Nighttime During the night, their cell seemingly becomes smaller when the views out disappear and they can only see reflections of themselves and the screen behind them.

Fig. 5.14 78

The Torture One can imagine the unorthodox sleeping patterns that may develop due to the brightness of the screen.

Fig. 5.15 80

6 EXHIBITION

Fig. 6.01

Fig. 6.02

Chapter 1

Endnotes 1

Geddes, Norman Bel. Magic Motorways. New York: Random House, 1940. Print. Pg. 3-4.

Ibid.

“Highway Trust Fund: Financing the Federal-Aid Highway Progam.” Congressional Digest 83.4 (2004): 100-101. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

Schrank, David, et al. “2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard.” The Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Aug. 2015.

Ballard, J. G. Concrete Island. Picador, 2001. Chapter 2

Fujawa, Ashlee Wilson. “The Interchange of Art and Nature: A Greener Welcome.” Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, 6 Oct. 2010, www. kibi.org/the-interchange-of-art-and-nature-a-greener-welcome/.

Ibid.

NL Architects. “A8ERNA.” NL Architects, www.nlarchitects.nl/ slideshow/82/. Chapter 3

Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal. CreateSpace, 2011.

Holl, Steven, et al. Pamphlet architecture 1 - 10. Princeton Architectural Press, 1998.

Hays, K. Michael. Hejduk’s Chronotope. New York: Princeton Architectural Canadian Centre for Architecture, 1996. Print.

McGregor, James. “The Architect as Storyteller: Making Places in John Hejduk’s Masques.” Architectural Theory Review 7.2 (2002): 60.

Brotchie, Alastair, and Mel Gooding. A Book of Surrealist Games. Shambhala Publications, 1995.

“Define Absurd.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary. com/browse/absurd.

“Satire | Definition of satire in English by Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/satire.

Swift, Jonathan. A Modest Proposal. CreateSpace, 2011. Chapter 4

“Highway Littering Facts.” Don’t Trash AZ, donttrashaz.com/ highway-littering/litter-facts/.

Biegelsen, Amy. “America’s Looming Burial Crisis.” CityLab, 31 Oct. 2012, www.citylab.com/equity/2012/10/americas-looming-burialcrisis/3752/.

Buckley, Madeline. “Overcrowding puts Marion County Jail in ‘crisis mode’.” IndyStar, Indianapolis Star, 9 May 2016, www.indystar.com/ story/news/crime/2016/05/09/overcrowding-puts-marion-countyjail-crisis-mode/84135556/. Chapter 5

Cash, Johnny. Folsom Prison Blues, 30 July 1955.

Hollingshead, Richard M., Jr. Drive-In Theater. Patent US1909537. 16 May 1933. Print.

Ibid.

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