Connecting the AburrĂĄ Valley : The Riverfront as a Social Consolidator
JosĂŠ Leonardo Arango Syracuse University School of Architecture Francisco Sanin & Theodore Brown Fall 2012
CONTENTS Contention..................................... 4 - 7 Abstract Latin America................................. 8 - 13 MedellĂn......................................... 14 - 23 The Aburra Valley Urban Systems Mobility........................................... 24 - 43 Transportation Systems Metro Systems Typologies Metro Meets Metroplus Commerce..................................... 44 - 55 Precedents Festivities....................................... 56 - 67 Flowers Festival Christmas Lighting Making the Connections................ 68 - 73 River Corridor The Site......................................... 74 - 103 Site Significance Site Composition Development Sectors Site Usage Transit Flows Proposal.........................................104 - 115 Intervention Pinch Points Riverfront Potential Riverfront Composition Bibliography...................................116 - 119 CONTENTS CONTEN
3
The project I am proposing will analyze the linearity of the urban fabric in conjunction to the river path and primary transportation system, Metro. With the rapid development of the city, the riverfront perimeter has been contaminated with industrial facilities, informal settlements, and congested highways. My intention is to identify strategic points along the river’s trajectory that will dictate the formation of a greater network of public spaces. These urban articulations will act as instigators to create spatial structures converging the formal and informal aspects of the city, providing a central corridor for cultural interaction. With emphasis on the site near the Metro station Industriales, and projected MetroPlus station, I will analyze the phenomena’s resulting from these means of mobility, in order to propose an intermodal transportation center that combines the cultural, business, and leisure aspects of the city. The center will transform the riverfront combining the different social sectors of the metropolis to celebrate the regions traditions and festivities.
1 Comunas: administrative component of a city which groups different sectors or determined neighborhoods. In this case the equivalent of favelas, or slums. 2 Koonings, Kees, and Dirk Kruijt. Fractured Cities: Social Exclusion, Urban Violence and Contested Spaces in Latin America. London: Zed, 2007. Print. 3 Castro, Lorenzo, and Echeverri Alejandro. “Bogotá and Medellín Architecture and Politics.” Latin America at the Crossroads, May-June 2011, 96-103. 4 Desplazados: someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country’s borders. Colombia has possibly 5 million IDPs according to the UNHCR, due to the war between the government, the FARC, the AUC and other armed groups.
Postmodernization has affected Latin American metropolises by intensifying the social exclu-
sion of large sectors of the population, resulting in marginalization, violence and the destruction of pleasant living environments. Over the last two decades Medellín has experienced an urban transformation, particularly after the death of Pablo Escobar and the disintegration of the warring gangs. 2004 marked a major turning point for Medellín. Sergio Fajardo was appointed mayor and it was under his leadership that Medelllín began its move toward improving the run-down image of the comunas1 located in critical areas of the city. Strategies were proposed to rejuvenate the educational, cultural, and entrepreneurial struggles as well as infrastructural repairs to fix the city’s abused and jaded reputation after the drug cartels were eradicated. Today, Medellín is a city divided by its social classes, distressed by urban poverty, inequality and social exclusion in which social urbanism has aimed to integrate the city into an equitable urban setting. Medellín’s transformation model has become a successful precedent, in which the series of architectural implants demonstrates an improvement at urban and social scales. The project I am proposing will analyze the linearity of the urban fabric in conjunction to the river path and primary transportation system, Metro. With the rapid development of the city, the riverfront perimeter has been contaminated with industrial facilities, informal settlements, and congested highways. However, since the late 50’s after the canalization of the river under Medellín’s Master Plan (Plan Piloto), this sector has been overlooked and left untreated.2 My intention is to identify strategic points along the river’s trajectory that will dictate the formation of a greater network of public spaces. These urban articulations will act as instigators to create spatial structures converging the formal and informal aspects of the city, providing a central corridor for cultural interaction. Reinforcement on the existing urban conditions in order to blend the high levels of degradation in the central artery of the metropolitan area will provide a means to focus on the river’s urban potential to apply sustainable interventions. Colombia’s industrial capital, the metropolis of Medellín, is home to about 3.5 million inhabitants, and its development has been driven by issues of physical, social, and economic segregation. Flourishing in the depths of the Aburrá Valley ‘s eternal spring mountains, the city sprawled outwardly in an uncontrollable manner. The north and the highlands of the eastern and western slopes are home to half of the population, who live in conditions of extreme poverty. This is contrasted by the middle and upper classes in the center and south of the valley, which inhabit the flat areas that make up the formal city . During the 80’s and 90’s, Medellín was home to Pablo Escobar and Medellín’s Cartel worldwide drug trafficking empire, whose bloody urban conflicts stigmatized the city’s reputation as the most dangerous city in the world 3. Industrialization and national violence produced an accelerating mass migration of labor4 ers and desplazados from rural areas to major cities, which gave rise to the numerous informal settlements on the perimeter of the expanded modern city. The formation of these comunas and drastic partition of land value was conducive to aggressive spatial inhabitations that spawned new commercial activities. The overwhelming need for slum dwellers to seek entrepreneurial opportunities generated occupation of public space for these ventures, which transformed the status of the former city center. CONTENTION
5
5 Sanchez, Angela. “Social Urbanism: the Metamorphosis of Medellín.” JMS Editorial Barcelona Metropolis. no. winter (2010). http://www.barcelonametropolis.cat/ en/page.asp?id=21&ui=331 (accessed September 12, 2012). 6 Doebele A., William. “The Recovery of ‘Socially Created’ Land Values in Colombia .” Land Lines. 10. no. 4 (1998). http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/406_The-Recovery-of--Socially-Created--Land-Values-in-Colombia (accessed September 12, 2012). 7 Hernandez, Felipe. “Urban and Social Articulation: Megacities, Exclusion and Urbanity.” Rethinking the Informal City: Critical Perspectives from Latin America. Ed. Jorge M., Peter Kellett, and Lea K. Allen. Vol. 11. New York: Berghahn, 2010. 207-25. Print. Remapping Cultural History.
The immediate response to the fall of an era bathed in terror was to promote an urban and social reform program: “Medellín, the most educated.” A new City council was formed placing education as the driving force for social transformation, investing in the majority of both natural and human resources, and introducing infrastructure of the highest quality and aesthetic excellence to the poorest, most violent areas .5 The series of implemented projects turned out very successful, giving back these public spaces to the community and significantly helping to reduce crime. Not only was the objective to renovate an affected neighborhood, but also to deliver mobility and inclusion to the residents of the comunas via a new network of transport. Medellín’s metamorphosis rises from an attempt to revisit the city’s earlier spontaneous development. On July 18, 1997 the National Congress passed Law 388, requiring all municipalities to prepare master plans (Planes de Ordenamiento) in order to recover the informally claimed land during the rapid sprawl 6. The ambitious network of public library-parks, successful interventions in public spaces, and transparent government has allowed the development of the city from its neighborhoods outward. Yet the central orientating guide of the city, Medellín River, has remained neglected for many years, providing a potential platform for urban improvement that could amplify 7 the progress of Medellín’s social urbanism. Strategic urban interventions must be included in the development of urbanity for all. The exclusion of the underprivileged majority must be addressed and battled against in order to improve the quality of life of the entire population and the urban social structure as a whole. This approach reemphasizes the need for connectivity between the conventionally and spontaneously established components of the city, which in most Latin American cities the informal sector accounts for more than half of the urban fabric . Articulation of the presently improving urban and social dynamics will be an attempt to reorganize and consolidate the textures that facilitate new connections, providing informal areas with character and identity while strengthening and creating new local centralities. Medellin’s transformation presents a series of effective case studies for Latin America’s anthropomorphic problems, but yet a greater issue about social integration and convergence needs to be addressed: How do we create a public space in which collective interaction eliminates social stigmas, and works in a sustainable way to alter the contour of the formal and informal? Harnessing the river as urban initiator, the aim of this project echoes the success of impro vement that Medellín has been experiencing, but under a new parameter. Rather than refurbishing various neighborhoods within the metropolis, the river’s linearity will be utilized to formulate locations of new sites to establish a series of related interventions as urban links to counter the existing geographic, social, and demographic divisions. These urban implants must be able to function as modulators of exchange between the different sectors and the city as a whole, focusing on the importance of the relationship between buildings, public spaces and their functionality.
2%
of the earth始s surface is occupied by water
53% 33%
of the world始s population lives in cities
of city dwellers live in alums
CONTENTION
7
LATIN AMERICA
LATIN AMERICA
Caracas
2.96
Medellin Bogota
2.74 5.61
Lima
7.45
Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo
9.89 16.42
Buenos Aires Santiago (Chile)
10.99 5.07
City
Population (millions)
Urban Population less than 30 Mil 30-75 Mil 75-150 Mil
Latin America Urban Populations
Rapid and large-scale urban growth has become a universal phenomenon in the twentieth century. Currently a majority of the population in both the United States and Latin America live in urban centers of more than 20,000 inhabitants. Projections of future urban population growth in the United States suggest that by the year 2000 approximately 90% of the people will be living within existing metropolitan regions. For Latin America, estimated figures show that by the year 2000 about 80% of the population will be urban. The problems of urbanization have impressed themselves on the public in many forms. At times, the city becomes an arena for social problems, like poverty or the tensions of growth, which are national in origin. At other times, the problems are more specifically engendered by urban living: issues of housing, crowding, finance and government services. Edel, Matthew, and Ronald G. Hellman. Introduction. Cities in Crisis: The Urban Challenge in the Americas. New York: Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies, 1988. N. pag. Print.
“The problems of urbanization are, of course, worldwide‌ although the lurid descriptions of the industrial towns of the nineteenth century are largely a matter of history, todays economic wealth in the more advance nations had not led to socially satisfactory solutions. Almost measureless contrasts remain between the living and housing conditions of the families in the upper income brackets and those in the underprivileged layers. Recent and sudden realization of those differences is demanding a serious reappraisal of urban development policies, and the consideration not only of the internal problems of each city, but of interrelationships of urban centers among themselves and the ultimate meaning of urbanization for a nation as a whole. “ Victor L. Urquidi. Urquidi: 1975;pp. 340-341.
Urban Development
Street Vendors
-infrastructure -public services -quality of public spaces -accessibility Challenges -sustainability -redistribution
Political Crisis
economic + demographics
-Users adapt and change the formal city to meet their needs -informal commerce -spontaneous urbanisms -infiltration of the open space
Caracas Medellin Lima Rio de Janeiro S達o Paulo Santiago Buenos Aires
Slums human density
income survival
informal economies poverty
Users have been adapting and changing the formal city in order to meet their needs. Street vendors start occupying intersection of roads, sidewalks, public parks transforming current economies and circulation routes. Urbanism has the potential to develop spontaneously with the incremental architectural opportunities resulting as a response to the informal commercial activities. Incremental architectural opportunities could infiltrate this open space and introduce new programs in the city.
LATIN AMERICA
11
Cities Grow Based on UN data and predictions, there are dramatic regional differences in the pace and scale of urbanization. Latin American cities (most notably Mexico City and Sao Paulo) grew most during the 1950-1990’s, and over the next 20 years the cities
Cities Change The most rapidly growing cities are located in areas where population densities are already high, reflecting the accelerating rural-to-urban migration and natural birth rates in developing regions. The provision of urban infrastructure in these rapidly growing cities will have a significant impact on environmental sustainability and quality of life of urban residents.
New York City
+9
Los Angeles Miami Havana
-0.3
Mexico City
+10
Caracas Medellín Bogotá
+8
+16
Lima
+12 São Paulo
+11
Buenos Aires
Santiago
Rio de Janeiro
Population (millions)
Year
1 5 10
1950 1990 2025
Persons per hour +10 +30 +50
Urban Economies The change in the rate of gross value added (the domestic output of metropolitan regions). Latin American cities have demonstrated resilience in their performance based on innovation, investment in urban manufacturing and export-oriented economies.
Human Potential of Cities The quality of life and expectations of city dwellers vary significantly according to which part of the world they inhabit. The distribution of the human development index (HDI)- a composite measure development by the UN to track educational attainment, the expectancy and economic development- suggest that the global south is catching up with the north. Latin American cities are showing a significant improvement. A fair number of the largest cities outperform their national averages, reflecting the potential of cities to provide benefits to their residents through better urban and social infrastructure such as schools, health centers and improved sanitation.
Vancouver
+2.0
Chicago
San Francisco San Jose
New York City
+3.4
Los Angeles
+1.9
+2.2 Austin
+2.6
Mexico City
+1.6
Medellín Bogotá
+1.7
Lima
+4.5 Population in 2010 (in millions)
São Paulo
+1.7
Buenos Aires
+2.8
Santiago
+3.2
Burdett, Richard, and Deyan Sudjic. Living in the Endless City: The Urban Age Project by the London School of Economics and Deutsche Bank’s Alfred Herrhasen Society. London: Phaidon, 2011. Print.
Rio de Janeiro
+1.8
1 5 10
Human Development Index 0.7 - 0.8 0.8 - 0.9 0.9 - 1.0 1.0
Average annual growth rate in Gross Value Added +1.00 +5.00 +10.00
LATIN AMERICA
13
MEDELLIN
THE ABURRA VALLEY
1826 1541: The Aburrá valley was discovered on August 24th by Jeronimo Luis Tejelo and named San Bartolomè. Founded in the year 1616 by Francisco Herrera y Campuzano where today is Parque del Poblado then moved to the east to Parque Berrio.
1915 On august 21st 1813, don Juan del Corral founds the city of Medellín, naming it the capital of Antioquia in 1826. During this period the city had a population of 6,050 people.
Left: Scheme of the newly formed village, centered around Parque Berrio. Right: The Coltejer Building, icon of the city, under construction.
1948 With advances in technology, importation of the automobile, and exploitation of the water resources, the city entered into a major industrial period. By this period it has consolidated itself into a textile, commercial, and financial center.
With the dead of Pablo Escobar in 1993, the Medellín cartel was eradicated but local gangs persisted in the region, existing in actuality. Since the early 2000’s, Medellín has experienced a revitalization process aiming to mobilize, integrate, and harmonize the different sectors of the metropolis.
1970
1998 2011
By 1973, with the rapid development of industries and commerce the city reached 1 million inhabitants. The 70’s suffered from an economical and political crisis, which led to the formation of El Cartel de Medellín, in 1976. With this, the city experienced an era of violence, drug trafficking, and insecurity.
Currently the metropolis has employed various systems of transport including: metro, buses, and metrocable. Integral projects have been place in degraded sectors in an effort to provide educational services and integrate the areas that were affected by the arms conflict. The city is working to renovate itself and provide unity for all. MEDELLIN
17
Medellin is Colombia’s second most significant city, located on the sloping hills of the Aburrá Valley. Since the late 70’s on, peripheral settlements became crucial for the narcotics industry, diving the metropolis and dramatically isolating these residents from law enforcement, municipal services, and civic interaction. By the year 1991, the homicide rate reached 380 per 100,000 inhabitants oppressing the city with violence and fear. For decades Medellin was considered one of the world’s most dangerous cities, today it represents a successful model on how urban planning can revitalize informal communities, reducing violence and poverty, and linking these sectors within each other and the city as a whole. 2003 marked a departing point for change with the election of Sergio Fajardo as mayor. Implementing the strategy of “social urbanism”, his leadership provided means of diminishing violence in the metropolis informal settlements and at the same time recuperating these spaces through public works. Under the plan “Medellin the most educated” the municipality commissioned new cultural institutions such as Library Parks, transportation systems, and new public schools. Integral Urban Projects (PUI’s) were establish as a complementary systems to fulfill these new physical improvements, implement expansions on mobility, social programs, and entrepreneurial initiatives. Medellin’s revitalization presents a strategic approach, by opting for inclusion and engagement of the informal communities instead of eradicating and replacing them completely. Presently, a new transportation bus system, MetroPlus, is being executed as an attempt to connect every sector of the metropolis and reduce the high levels of congestion and pollution. Fernando Botero. La muerte de Pablo Escobar. 1999. Oil on canvas. 58 X 38 cm. Donation by Fernando Botero to the Museum of Antioquia. Fernando Botero, (born April 19, 1932, Medellin, Colombia), Colombian artist known for his painting and sculptures of inflated human and animal shapes. Has a permanent collection of 191 works of art at the Museo de Antioquia, a sculpture park in front of the museum, has donated various sculptures to different institutions in the city and worldwide.
“Fernando Botero.” Museo De Antioquia. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.museodeantioquia.org.co>.
Aerial view of the Metropolis of Medellin highlighting major transportation networks, library-park projects, and civic-cultural facilities.
Parque Biblioteca España Parque Biblioteca La Quintana North Bus Terminal Centro de Desarrollo Cultural Moravia Parque Norte, Parque Explora, Jardin Botanico Cerro el Volador Sports Complex Parque Biblioteca San Javier Parque Biblioteca La Ladera La Macarena
Cerro Nutivara Juan Pablo II Airport Parque Biblioteca Belén MAMM South Bus Terminal
El Rodeo CountryClub, Cemetery
MEDELLIN
19
MEDELLIN MEDELLIN
MEDELLIN
2,743,049 people 3,831,000 metro area
1
MEDELLIN opograp y
omuna
12 de tubre
1 2 anta Cru Ca tilla
opular
3 Manri ue
7 Robledo
4
ran ue
8 illa 12 La meri a ermo a 11 Laurele10 La Candelaria E tadio
13 an a ier
9 Bueno ire 1
Belen 1
uayabal 14
Do nto n
La Candelaria Urban footprint City Boundary Metropolitan Region boundary
Total Area 380.64 Kms divided into an Urban Area of 105.02 Kms and Rural Area of 270.42 Kms. Population 2.743.049 Men: 1.283.027 Women: 1.501.649 The metropolitan area is composed of 9 municipalities : Caldas, Itagüí, La Estrella, Sabaneta, Envigado, Copacabana, Bello, Girardota y Barbosa.
oblado
Medellin ri er
City of Medell n Medell n Metropolitan Region
The municipality of Medellín is divided into 16 comunas: Aranjuez, Belén, Buenos Aires, Castilla, Doce de Octubre, Poblado, Guayabal, La América, La Candelaria, Laureles, Manrique, Popular Robledo, San Javier, Santa Cruz, Villa Hermosa. It has 5 corregimientos : to the south west Altavista, to the east Santa Elena, to the west San Sebastián de Palmitas y San Cristóbal, and to the south east San Antonio de Prado. The comunas are divided into barrios urbanos in which officially there are 250 and others as a result of informal settlements.
00 ft topograp i line in rement Medellin ri er
Located at 1479 Mts over sea level, with a mean temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. the metropolis has 7 hills from which the city can be viewed : Nutibara, Volador, Pan de Azúcar, Salvador, La Asomadera, Las Cruces, Santo Domingo. Surrounded by mountains and having a mild climate Medellin has innumerable springs and water streams in which these 7 are significant in the city: La Poblada, La Presidenta, Santa Elena, La Iguana, La Hueso, La Ana Díaz.
MEDELLIN
MEDELLIN
Socioeconomic Strata
Connectin Density to Public ransport
6. 12 de Octubre
7. Robledo
1. Popular
2. Santa Cruz
5. Castilla
Most dense
3. Manrique
4. Aranjuez 13. San Javier
8. Villa Hermosa 10. La Candelaria 11. Laureles Estadio
12. La America
9. Buenos Aires
16. Belen 15. Guayabal
14. Poblado
Wealthiest Population density
Medellin river
Stratum 1 Stratum 2 Stratum 3 Stratum 4 Stratum 5
With an era of violence, the city experienced a displacement of wealth and commerce from the center of the city to El Poblado. Presently the middle classes occupy the central flat zones, with the wealthiest group residing in El Poblado. The northern part and highlands have experienced informal settlements, and reside the working low classes. The southern part has experienced a rapid development, attracting the middle and high classes.
0 10 000 000 20 000 000 30 000 000 40 000 000 50 000 50 000 over Intercity roads Metro MetroCable MetroPlus
10 20 30 40
Medellin
The Aburrรก Valley is connected by 3 means of public transportation and has a regional airport in the city, with the main national and international airport in Rio Negro.
Top: View of Aranjuez and Manrique Bottom: View of el Poblado
The Metro system has 2 lines that connect the city from south to north, and east to west. The MetroCable has 2 routes linking the Metro to some of the most marginalized and difficult to reach comunas. The MetroPlus aims to connect the rest of the city to the main Metro stations, currently 1 line has been completed. MEDELLIN
21
URBAN SYSTEMS
River corridor with potential development sites
Library Parks projects and area of influence
Structural roads network with main transportation systems
Water network, 7 internal hills, open green spaces
Longitudinal and Transverse ecological corridors
Valle de de Aburra structural systems
Site
Topographic and hydrologic distribution of the Aburrรก valley and surroundings. MEDELLIN
23
MOBILITY
MOBILITY
Metro System
MetroPlĂşs
MetroCable
Acevedo
Hospital
Cisneros
Industriales 30 Km Medellin river
53.5 + 15.2 Km Transport network
33 statios Metro + MetroCable
52 stops MetroPlus
Structural Transport System
Metro station MetroPlus station Transport Hub
Primary transportation routes highlighting intermodal stations (Metro and MetroPlus or MetroCable)
MOBILITY
27
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
Metro de MedellĂn: First mass-transportation system built in Colombia. It was inaugurated on November 30th, 1995. Since then more than a thousand million passengers have used it. The metro runs along the river traversing the metropolitan area from south to north, crossing the municipalities of Sabaneta through Bello. The secondary line runs from the center of the city towards the west, and from the north to the northeast. The system is composed of terrestrial tracks, elevated tracks, and aerial cables. It was a longitude of 33 km, and it is integrated to the other transportation systems
MetroplĂşs: Newly introduced mass-system of articulated buses. It is physically integrated to the Metro system at Hospital station, and currently under construction stations at Industriales and Cisneros stations. The routes have stops every 500 meters, and each bus can hold 160 passengers.
Drivers cabin
Access
Access
3.6 m
22.9 m 68 6m
Ocupancy: 8 persons
MetroCable: Medellín was the first city in the world to implement a gondola system as a mean of public transport for daily use. It was also meant to become a way to mobilize and revitalized the violent comunas that were the city’s most dangerous areas. The system is strategically connected to Metro and provides accessibility to the least favored comunas nororinetal and centrooccidental. Inter-municipal transportation terminals: The city is equipped with two terminals, north and south, each of them serving as the connecting hub to the rest of the country, and also they operate as malls, banking posts, commercial centers and telecommunication facilities. Buses: The city counts with a private system of urban buses connecting the whole metropolis. It has been structured in 2007 under the integrated transportation system (SIT), and connects the different routes to the Metro and the newly Metroplús. Aerial transport: The main airport, José María Córdova international airport is located outside the metropolis in the municipality of Rionegro. It provides national and international routes. Olaya Herrera Airport is located inside the municipality of Medellín and provides regional and national services.
30 - 35 m
Tranvía: As a complement to the massi-transportation system of Medellín, in 2011 it was approved the construction of the Tranvía of Ayacucho. This bus system will cover 4.3 kilometers with duration of 11-14 minutes, and will be able to access high areas.
MOBILITY
29
TRANSPORT
The Aburra Valley contains the only Metro system in Colombia : it includes terrestrial and elevated tracks. the newly bus system integrates the areas, particularly highlands, to the metro system
Medellin River Metro System MetroCable MetroPlus System Airport
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The city [of Medillin] transformed violence and despair into hope and opportunity, using sustainable transport as one of the key levers to drive change,â&#x20AC;?
-Holger Dalkmann, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
MOBILITY
31
Mobility and mass transportation system are fundamental aspects of developing cities. For MedellĂn this has been a major concern since 1966, in which the first committee to plan a mass system was established. Due to some unfulfilled plans and high costs a project for a metro system didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t launched until 1979 with the creation of Metro de Medellin Ltda. This company requested the services from Mott, Hay & Anderson Ltda. to provide with financial, structural, and physical planning of the system. In 1980 the project was submitted to the national government and approved in 1982. German, French and Spanish firms realized the construction of the project. On November 30, 1995 operation started for the first leg of the system running from Niquia station to El Poblado station. A year later the first line was finished. With the metro system the metropolis experienced its first unification by connecting the south and north in a journey of about 34 minutes, which before it would take hours depending the place of origin and destination. On july 30, 2004 the first line of the MetroCable, line K, was opened bringing mobility to the residents of the comunas northeastern, which since the 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s were not considered or integrated to the city. Presently, about 503.452 people on a regular basis use the Metro.
Metro + MetroCable Impact MetroPlus Impact Medellin river Structural roads Metro routes Structural green spaces Plazas
MOBILITY
33
Both the Metro System and the MetroPlus stations provide zones of opportunity and potential development. The immediate effect is conglomeration and commercial spur. The MetroPlus in particular is transforming neighborhoods by fixing roads and its infrastructure. With this, building upgrades and program distribution comes as a result. This diagram shows the potential for development the site has as a direct effect from the transportation systems. The rings radiating from the metro stations represent commercial and programmatic opportunity, while the circles emitted by the MetroPlus stations represent inclusion and outreach of the systems.
MOBILITY
35
METRO SYSTEM TYPOLOGIES
Land tracks: most of the Line A stations, in particular the ones in the south and north of the metropolis, parallel to the riverbank.
PLUG IN COMMERCE public art MEETING POINTS` Elevated tracks: all of the stations crossing the center of the city proper, and the western route of Line B. trespass the city fabric and major civic points. Metro meets Metroplús: there are two functioning stations: Hospital and Cisneros, with a third one, Industriales, under construction.
With the Metro system the metropolis has experienced a commercial phenomena as result of the Metro stations. Most evidently, this occurs in the municipalities of Sabaneta, Itagui, Envigado, and Medellín’s industrial sector and wealthy land value area of El Poblado. Major shopping malls, megastores, and commercial hubs take place in the areas near the metro stations. Industriales station is the most relevant to this project located on the edge of the riverbank, parallel to the station, on the eastern side Bancolombia’s headquarters are located, as well as Punto Clave mall, further by historic sites and the renown malls of the city could be found.
The stations traversing the central core of the city are elevated tracks creating a field of infrastructure that mixes with the dense city fabric. The structure creates left over open spaces and sometimes crosses major plazas, having the potential to be used for planned public spaces and points of communal interest and the arts.
EXTEND
INSERT
PUBLIC PARK recreation area SPORTS COMPLEX art
Acevedo station connects to Line K MetroCable system. The station is located on the western side of the river projecting the MetroCable infrastructure towards the northeastern hills of the city. On the eastern side of the river is a vacant residual site with potential for becoming a public park serving as a meeting point for these transportation systems.
Metro meets MetroCable: there are two occasions in which the metro connects to the MetroCable: Acevedo and San Javier. Both systems are covered under the same fare ticket.
MetroPlus: all stations are protected and control by the bus system , creates a linear green boulevard
CREATE system barriers system potential
The new MetroPlus network has upgraded the structural roads system of the metropolis, reconditioning neighborhoods, water streams, and infrastructure. The stations present a modern protected space, in which the users could inhabit the space safely. Each station is located in an increment of 500 meters connecting principal arteries to the city and the metro. Currently there are 2 lines in use, with more projected for the near future.
MOBILITY
37
METRO MEETS METROPLUS
Residual Space Residual Space
Pedestrian Crossings
Metro station Hospital, Line A, integrated to MetroPlus: accessed by escalators and elevators
The elevated tracks present an opportunity to plug-in program and rethink the leftover spaces. The integrated stations explore the possibilities of linking both transportation systems effectively.
At the intersection of the Metro and MetroplĂşs system, the flow of people tend to be higher creating an architectural potential for design. The excessive usage of these integrated stations take into consideration ways of connecting them effectively, and providing high quality service under pressure. The first station designed, Hospital station, allocated the MetroPlus structure under the elevated tracks of the Metro. Acting as a plugged-in system, both stations now share a circulation path that takes the user back and forth the systems without having to obtain a new ticket. Commercial activity has increased in the surrounding areas of the station, making this part of the city into a functional hub of transport and integration.
60
40
60
35
25
15 15 15
60
25 30 60
35
65 35 Travel times have been reduced due to the integrity and efficacy of the transport systems. The planning of intermodal stations aim to create better connections and reduce congestion and pollution. The diagram shows estimated distances from certain points of the metropolis to the center.
The AburrĂĄ Valley has become accessible for most of its population. With stations running from south to north along the river, residents are able to cross the municipalities in less than 40 minutes, something that before would take hours. The integration of transport systems aims to connect areas that lack accessibility proving the service for all. With the three existing transportation systems not only mobility has been gained, but inclusion and development, as well as civic prideâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Medellin is the only city in the country with a Metro and MetroCable system. Currently the city has plans to expand the existing routes covering a larger area of the valley. Access: constant and the identical for all. A transport system has access, as long there is a way to enter and exit. Accessibility: dependent, and not uniform. Accessibility varies according to the user location in relation to the transportation systems. Distance: constant and measured. The travel time is improved by transportation systems, in which longer distances can be travel in less time with a defined speed and geographic trajectory.
MOBILITY
39
or
Transport Hub
Transmodal Hub: specific location of a transportation network in which multiple inbound and outbound connections of the same system meet. Metro stations, MetroplĂşs stops are examples of hubs. Hubs are trans modal stations in which only one system occupies it. In MedellĂn, transport hubs are essential aspects of the transportation networks in which the stations have produced commercial phenomena around the surrounding areas. Usage of public transport is high due to travel time and efficacy of the service.
or
v
s
Aerial MetroPlus
Transport Gateway
Metro MetroCable Taxi Bycicle
MDE
Pedestrian School
Intermodal
Residential Industry
Gateway: central location in a transportation network in which a shift between modes of transport takes place. Gateways become intermodal facilities in which different systems meet and exchange networks. Industriales station will become an intermodal gateway linking Metro and Metroplús, and potentially linking private transport and bicycle routes.
Public Park Leisure
MDE
Intermodal stations or gateways have become significant in Medellín, linking transport modes with commerce, services, and business. The project proposes the integration of Metro and Metroplús in relation to the business sector of Guayabal and the cultural potential the riverfront has to offer—the reconciliation of culture and mobility.
Work
Cultural Eat + Shop
MOBILITY
41
Site:
MDE
A e e o o
ital
orth terminal
i nero n u triale South terminal / Air ort
San
a ier Decentralized network
Transportation systems characterize a crucial aspect of human interaction and historic development. Not only it is an essential element of the cities functionality, but it also plays an important economic factor. Transport is an integral activity creating connections between people and places, regions and economic activities, as well as connecting the world. Transport facilitates accessibility to local institutions, healthcare, cultural and representative events. The mobility of people is enhancing by the systems becoming a social service factor for cities. Aspects such as economical, environmental, and political influence play an important role in the maintenance and development of transportation networks within local, regional, and international grounds. Transportation elements: Need: there is a constant demand for transportation services resulting in a careful planning and execution of the systems. Flows and movements are considered in order to provide proper mobility and include rough geographic areas as well as marginalized zonesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;MedellĂn has transformed the function and civic aspect of its comunas with the incorporation of the MetroCable. Nodes: a node is a location, place of intersection, or collecting point. Transportation nodes serve as access points in a system, from which flows originate, terminate or continue depending on the location. The diagram shows the network of transportation systems in relationship to the city. Nodes and gateways are highlighted showcasing the effect of intermodal facilities. The city has two transport terminals, which have become commercial and recreational facilities for the exchange of culture and mobility. This thesis studies the introduction of an integrated gateway in the center of the city.
Network: grouping of the system components into a connected path, the transportation network includes the spatial organization and infrastructural aspects of a system. Networks in which accessibility is provided shape movements.
MOBILITY
43
COMMERCE
5
1
3
2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
North Terminal El Diamante Exito Laureles Carrefour El Hueco Exito San Diego Premium Plaza Punto Clave Unicentro Los Molino South Terminal Monterrey Exito Poblado La Strada Oviedo Santafe El Tesoro Carrefour Las Vegas Mayorca
Shopping center Carrefour megastore Exito megastore Medellin river Opportunity area Metro system Site
North Terminal
18 5
6 7
8 15 9 14
17 16
13
19 4
12 10
20
11
Punto Clave meets Industriales & Site
South Terminal
Mayorca meets Itagui Station COMMERCE
47
PRECEDENT 1
Itagüí
Industrial Area
Metro Station buses Metro Station taxis Metro Station
Calle 50 Bridge over river
Itagüí Metro Station Direct pedestrian access Mayorca taxis
Regional
Mayorca buses
Mayorca Shopping Outlet Vehicular access
Industrial & Residen-
Las Vegas
Sabaneta
Mayorca Shopping Outlet in relation to Itagui Metro Station. Southern part of the metropolis.
Mayorca Shopping Outlets
Direct access to Metro station
Leftover green space
Pedestrian bridge
Medellin River
Itagßà Metro Station
25
The first example of the commercial phenomena associated to the metro system is the relationship between Itagui station and Mayorca multi-purpose shopping mall. In the southern part of the metropolis, located in between the municipalities of Itagui and Sabaneta, Mayorca sits as a monumental outlet mall in an industrial surrounding. The commercial center contains clothing, home goods, foods, theaters, arcades, offices, and currently is expanding into an entrepreneurial and business center. The metro station is directly linked to the shopping mall by means of a pedestrian bridge. The popularity of the mall and easy accessibility with the transportation system are highly correlated. The site presents leftover spaces due to the roads network and station, which potentially could be developed into public parks. COMMERCE
49
PRECEDENT 2 Belen
La Candelaria
Guayabal
Nutibara Hill
Site
Regional
? Business district
Calle 30 Bridge over
Site for Industriales MetroBus Direct pedestrian access Industriales Metro Station
Punto Clave mall
Bancolombia
The selected site in relation to Industriales Metro Station and Punto Clave Mall.
Guayabal
El Poblado
Salud SURA clinic
Bancolombia headquarters
Punto Clave Mall
Industriales Metro station
Direct access to Metro station
Calle 30 bridge Leftover green spaces Leftover green spaces Elevated tracks
Pedestrian only
Guayaquil Bridge Medellin River
25
In the center of the city, the commercial phenomenon is very evident surrounding the Industriales station. The station is directly linked to Punto Clave Outlet mall by means of a pedestrian bridge. This commercial facility contains mostly services and banking institutions as well as a large food court. The area is considered the business and industrial part of town, having the Bancolombia headquarters right next to the mall and metro station. At a larger scale, a more evident commercial network is effective with two mayor multipurpose shopping malls located in the vicinity. This condition meets the selected site, utilizing the same pedestrian bridge linking: mall, metro station, and site. With the planning of the new MetroPlus station Industriales on the site, the area has the potential of becoming a large transportation, services, and commercial hub in the center of the city.
COMMERCE
51
PRECEDENT 3 Guayabal
Aeropark Juan Pablo II
Calle 14
Olaya Herrera Airport
Calle 10 South Termonal/ mall
Carrera 65 South Terminal in relation to the city airport.
exhibit meet leisure perform shop
Shop/Eat
[
]
New Program
retail food court kiosk ATM INFO
South Terminal
Entertain/Play
Intermodal Terminal
Shop Perform Exhibit Meet Wait
Feeder
Node work commerce services ship contact
Airport connection
Transport hub -regional transport -national transport -private services -public transport
Commercial Services
Service Eat + Shop
Waiting
Waiting Service Transport circulation Eat + Shop
The South Terminal is a regional and national transportation gateway in which mobility is integrated to commercial, business, and leisure activities. The terminal counts with multiple retail stores, telecommunication facilities, and spaces for educational and recreational use. As part of the waiting process of a transportation terminal, lounges areas and food court program predominate in the facility. Circulation is an important aspect in design connecting the gateways and programmatic zones.
Transport
Garage Control
COMMERCE
53
PRECEDENT 4 Aranjuez
Norte hotel North terminal/ mall
AutoSur
Caribe Metro station
Regional
Moravia Cultural Center
Calle 77
Castilla
North Terminal in relation to Caribe Metro Station
Park North
work commerce services ship contact hotel New Program
Shop
Parking
Waiting
exhibit meet leisure perform shop
Eat Service
[
]
retail food court kiosk ATM INFO
Intermodal Terminal
North Terminal Eat + Shop Service
Transport hub -regional transport -national transport -private services -public transport
Waiting
Node
Flow
Node
Caribe Metro Station
Feeder
Transport circulation
Medellin river
Commerce
Waiting
Waiting
The North Terminal is a similar facility to the South Terminal for regional and national transportation gateway in which mobility is integrated to commercial, business, and leisure activities. The terminal counts with multiple retail stores, telecommunication facilities, and spaces for educational and recreational use. As part of the waiting process of a transportation terminal, lounges areas and food court program predominate in the facility. The site is connected to the Caribe Metro Station by means of elevated pedestrian pathways; the site also includes a hotel and parking garage making the area in a primary transportation hub.
Services Transport
Hotel Garage
Pedestrian links
Caribe Metro Station
COMMERCE
55
FESTIVITIES
FESTIVITIES
Botanic Garden Parque Explora
La Macarena Administrative Center Convention Center Paseo del rio Nutibara Hill South Terminal Airport
The city hostâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events and festivities year long, utilizing the different institutional venues, producing commercial and touristic activities. Most of the events take place at the convention center, La Macarena, the municipal theater, and the riverfront.
January
Colombiatex de las Americas
February
Bullfight season
March
City of art and Religious culture
Botero, Fernando. Torero.1985. Museo de Antioquia, MedellĂn.
April
May
June
Botero, Fernando. VĂa Crucis.1938. Museo de Antioquia, MedellĂn.
July
International poetry festival Expocasa Colombiamoda
August
Flowers festival Colombian Cinema festival
Feria de las flores. 2010. Photograph. Web, Medellin.
September
Luces De Medellin. 2005. Photograph. Web, Medellin.
October
International jazz and World music festival
Colombian theater festival city of Medellin
International opera season city of Medellin
International horses fair
November
International mimes and clowns festival -Mimame
December
Parade myths and legends Christmas festival and lights
Book and Culture festival
FESTIVITIES
59
FLOWERS FESTIVAL
The flowers festival employs multiple facilities and roads in the city to realize the different events. The main events that are being emphasized are the Silleteros parade, and the horse parade. Auto Sur is the main road used for these public events. The selected site is affected by the events creating an opportunity for cultural inclusion.
Silleteros
Santa Elena
Santa Elena is the region where the flowers are cultivated and the silletas assembled for the parade. It has become a tradition to carry the silletas from Santa Elena to the city (Industriales station) to exhibit them during the parade.
S llete a a e te e a a e nt e a a a e
In the colonial period, when some almost impassable mountain paths didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow the use of beast of burden â&#x20AC;&#x201C;such as oxen, donkeys or mules silleteros made possible the exchange of products and the mobilization of travelers between very distant places. Their ability consisted of bearing loads of up to 75 kilos on their back over considerable distances. Nowadays, the silleteros from Santa Elena have become ceremonial figures. From their old role of flower and vegetable merchants they have turned into authentic flower craftsmen. Using their outstanding manual skill, they make the silletas, those original and elaborate compositions of high esthetic sense they exhibit in their yearly parade.
It was in Santa Elena, where the systems of silletas was developed and used for daily activities. The inhabitants of the different homesteads planted many kinds of flowers, creating cultivation farms that turned into the commercialization of the product. These residents would place the flowers on a Silleta and carry it on their backs to Medellin. The journey would typically start at 10 pm and last for about 4 to 5 hours. This process became a majestic parade through the hillside of the Aburrá valley culminating at the city’s market. In 1957, the parade of Silleteros was conceived resulting in an innovative event, never seen before, with 20 participants who made and carried their silletas through the main streets of the city. Since this date the parade has become a tradition of the city, becoming almost an emblematic symbol of Antioquia. Presently, the parade has become an organized event that counts with televised transmission, sponsorships, and laws and regulations for the participants. The event has transcended local recognition becoming a national folklore, and receiving international appreciation as well. “Monografia Del Silletero.” Corporacion Silleteros De Santa Elena. N.p., 12 Nov. 2010. Web. 03 Dec. 2012.
“Desfile De Silleteros En La Feria De Las Flores.” Colprensa, 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.
FESTIVITIES
61
Weight: between 60 to 80 kg Silleta types: Traditional: made out of 25 native species of flowers. Its size cannot exceed 1 meter in height. Monumental: more than 2 meters in height. Composed of fine flowers, not from the region. It is arranged on foam board. Emblematic: represents a symbol and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a predefined size. Commercial: its designed as a commission.
Silleta structure must be resistant and weight the least amount possible. structure made out dried wood. wooden bars are place horizontally in order to allow the distribution of flowers along its width and height. variations depending of the silleta being designed: Tradicional, monumental, emblematica, comercial.
Stands structure Typically metal structure build to resist high loads of people. Variations on height, occupation, and width. Industries and institutions promote the stands creating an internal business aspect out of the event.
Silleteros parade: main event of the flowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival: Televised, sponsored, and organized event. The participants march along the riverbanks exhibiting their silletas. The parade produces income, tourism, and showcases the traditions of the region.
Silleta structure: built by hand, size and shape depending on type and commission.
Family process: tradition passed through generations. It is an honor to carry the Silleta during the parade. Silleteros welcome friends, helper, and visitors during the assembly process.
All the flowers are picked, cut, tinted, and assembled by hand.
The parade marks the culmination of the process, in which families compete for first positions. The Silleteros marched along Avenida Regional carrying the silletas on their backs
Silletas Santa Elena. Personal photographs by Jose L. Arango. 8 Aug 2008.
FESTIVITIES
63
CHRISTMAS LIGHTING
The Christmas lighting covers a radius of 35 kilometers, on a route that illuminates about 70 different sites including streets, avenues, parks, and urban icons that meet on the riverfront. Besides the river, some of the most lit areas are Las Palmas Avenue and 33 Street. During the years, the event has been evolving with technology and environmental themes. The inclusion of water, video, and lights are the main topics for recent installations. The Nutibara hill becomes an extension of the lights show typically placing a large installation atop. The Public Services Building, EPM, showcases the latest technologies with video and water projections. The event produces internal and international tourism, especially with the inclusion of Medellín as a LUCI city.
The riverfront from Guayaquil Bridge to Empresas Publicas has become a symbol of the city for its Christmas lighting installation. The showcase includes infrastructure to hold it, pavilions, and produces commercial activities.
Lights on the river Infrastructure lighting
“Navidad En Medellin.” Rio Medellin. EPM, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012.
Components: Light installations hanging from substructures on top of the river, posts along the riverfront, on the nutibara hill and every park of the city. Fixed pavilions along the river that become alive with representative themes. FESTIVITIES
65
LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International) is a unique international network bringing together cities and lighting professionals engaged in using light as a major tool for urban, social and economic development, with a concern for sustainability and environmental issues. Created in 2002, at the behest of the City of Lyon, today LUCI is an organisation of nearly 100 members, comprising around 63 cities (including Medellin) covering four continents and 35 associated members (international companies, lighting designers and architects, universities, independent lighting professionals) Objectives: Exchange - Facilitate exchange of information by organising international conferences, field visits and other events. Promote - highlight best practices from cities and award prizes for exemplary projects. Progress - participate in a prospective vision of urban lighting (research and project assistance). Content and images: “Medellin.” LUCI Association. LUCI, 2002. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. <http://www.luciassociation.org/medellin. html>
“Medellín is a city that has experienced a great deal of transformation. Nowadays, Medellin is reborn as a city of hope, where its residents share all thoses common places built for public gatherings and learning. All of these public projects have been erected according to best practices available for architectural work, having public lighthening systems as the masterpiece of all projects. After all these years of transformation and architectonic reforms, Medellín wants to interact with the world by sharing its recent history of change, so that foreigners may have a chance to know Medellin on their own, observe how the city has turned into a new leaf of competitiveness and solidarity and make up theirs minds about what hope really is and what it means plus, Medellin in turn is a city looking forward to learn from other experiences and development experiences undertaken by other cities of the world.”
Angel Pablo Perez Alvarez Empresas Publicas de Medellín
Section along the selected site by Guayaquil Bridge
Each year the central section of the river is transformed into an installation of lights representing motives typical of the country or the region, as a way to celebrate the winter holidays.
The riverfront, from Guayaquil Bridge to EPM has permanent pavilions place on the eastern banks. These pavilions become alive during the Christmas lighting period with animated and interactive light installations, as well as commercial pursuits.
Light installations hang over the river, running through cables pinned to the riverbanks. Every year the structural components of the installation varies in order to assemble the unique designs.
Besides the river, every municipal park and plaza are illuminated, as well as the major roads and points of interest in the city.
FESTIVITIES
67
MAKING THE CONNECTIONS
RIVER CORRIDOR
Harnessing the river as an urban initiator, the aim of this project echoes the success of improvement that MedellĂn has been experiencing, but under a new parameter. Rather than refurbishing various neighborhoods within the metropolis, the riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s linearity will be utilized to formulate locations of new sites to establish a series of related interventions as urban links to counter the existing geographic, social, and demographic divisions. These urban implants must be able to function as modulators of exchange between the different sectors and the city as a whole, focusing on the importance of the relationship between buildings, public spaces and their functionality. The central artery containing the river and its surroundings is the area with the most potential for development and revitalization in the metropolis. Currently, leftover green spaces and highways have left most of the trajectory along the river unoccupied and highly misused. By locating pinching points in which program could be introduced, will produce a more functional and accessible riverfront. Built interventions should stimulate the river corridor and encourage exchanges, both economic and social, between the formal and informal worlds. Architectural interventions along the river could aim to bring people together by obliterating the social division present in the city. Public parks, cultural institutions, and a usable riverbank are possibilities to be considered. Packing of social programs clusters around infrastructural upgrades would create a dense social hub in which residents could interact and relax.
Parque Norte
La Macarena
Botanic Garden University Civic Center Cerro el Volador
University
Metro line A
Cerro Nutibara
Sports Complex [SITE] Metro Line B
Industriales MetroPlus Industriales Metro
MAMM
City Center
Universirty
Development areas in between the administrative center and Industriales Metro station.
Cerro Nutibara [SITE]
Pueblito Paisa
Cerro Nutibara Guayaquil Bridge
[SITE] City Airport South Terminal Medellin River
MetroPlus 30th Street Industriales MetroPlus
Industriales Metro Punto Clave
El Poblado
Central artery highlighting potential development areas.
Bancolombia
The site. THE CONNECTIONS 71
Suramericana Calle 33
25
Norte
The river front network proposes design potentials for shaping new living forms that respond to cultural, political, economic, and ecological flows.
Cisneros
10
3
SITE 1
4
San Antonio
Topics : Access, water, public space, commerce
9 8 7
2
1
Alpujarra
Access: New roads, system upgrades. Redefine street and pedestrian circulation, existing metro system and new bus lines to create a network of interconnections within the city.
6
Exposiciones Pueblito Paisa 2 Guayaquil Bridge 3 Bancolombia 4 Punto Clave Mall 5 MAMM 6 Convention Center 7 Metropolitan theater 8 Government Center 9 EPM 10 La Macarena 1
1
2
SITE 2 Belen Industriales
4
Calle 30
3
5
SITE 3 25
Poblado
Medellin River Upgradable
Water: High levels of contamination of the Medellin River; Rainwater harvesting; Interaction of public spaces with the river; promenade Public Space: Pedestrian pathways in relationship to civic buildings and the river; reuse of residualgreen space as public parks; Commerce: informal commercial activities- street vendors, food cars; areas near metro station experience high levels of commercial activities
River Parkway
+
City Fabric
Open space in relation to the river
The river front network proposes design potentials for shaping new living forms that respond to cultural, political, economic, and ecological flows. THE CONNECTIONS 73
THE SITE
SITE SIGNIFICANCE La Candelaria Historic and administrative center high density mix-use are stratum 1-3
Belen Mid-high density residential area, middle class: stratum 2-4
Guayabal Mid-high density residential area, middle-low class: stratum 2-4
El Poblado high density residential and commercial area, middle to high class: stratum 3-5
Industrial District most of the local companies and factories are located in this area
Metro MetroPlus Sites of Interest
The site sits at the intersection of four different sectors: Belen, Guayabal, El Poblado, and La Candelaria. At this point, the Metro station and MetroPlus station of Industriales connect to create a transportation hub in the heart of the city. The site contains the business, industrial, commercial, and touristic sectors of the metropolis. With the introduction of a transportation gateway, commercial and leisure activities are direct results. The area has the potential of becoming a meeting point of the city by means of the transportation systems. Different festivities and cultural events take place in the area; with a central intermodal station greater flows of people could be achieved, thus transforming the site into an accessible node. Tourism and cultural influence are important factors since the site contains the Nutibara hill, and the Guayaquil Bridge. Contemporary architecture is predominant in the administrative center with cutting edge designs and innovative public parks. The industrial sector of barrio Colombia is incorporating new programs such as transforming a part of its old warehouses into art centers such as the museum of modern art.
THE SITE
77
SITE COMPOSITION Green corridor, city fabric, with buidings of cultural and social interest
Roads network with Metro system
Built interventions to stimulate the river corridor and encourage exchanges, both economic and social, between the formal and informal worlds.
Central projection of Medellin with potential sites along the river corridor
Site
Cerro Nutibara
Industriales Metro Station
Bancolombia
Punto Clave mall
Cerro Nutibara in relation to Industriales Metro station and the Administrative Center of La Alpujarra
Section crossing the site and Medellin River.
THE SITE
79
NUTIBARA HILL
Cerro Nutibara 1948, historical reference. Foto Aerea 1948. 1948. Photograph. El Cerro, Medellin. Urbanismo Social. Web. 16 Sept. 2012
Cerro Nutibara 2011, current condition Aerial View. 1948. Photograph. Google Earth. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.
Guayabal
Auto S
Calle 30
Auto Sur, Calle 30, and Guayabal Ave outline the site. Along the river, Regional Ave running southward blocks the access to the riverfront, the traffic tends to be heavy during pick hours, and at night thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lack of safety due to the unused space cause by the rapid roads. Calle 30 is a significant road in the city, connecting the eastern and western neighborhoods. On site, Calle 30 crosses the river becoming a primary intersection.
Medellin river Roads network Elevated roads
THE SITE
81
The urban fabric of the site is composed of mostly services: warehouses, mechanical facilities, and industrial structures. Commerce is the secondary programmatic use, and it shows residential occupancy away from the main roads, and along the surrounding areas of the Nutibara Hill.
Medellin river City blocks Transport
The Nutibara Hill, one of the metropolitan breathing points in the city, dominates the network of green spaces. Along the riverbanks runs a block of green space, which is blocked by the road systems. The road systems have also produced leftover spaces, creating untreated areas.
Medellin river Green network Topography
THE SITE
83
CONSUME
food court
Restaurants
food court
LEISURE/SEE
food court
Local deli
CONSUME
THE SITE
WORK/LEARN Metro Exposiciones Texaco gas station
Amphitheater
Euro Gnv gas station
Pueblito Paisa
Viewing point
River pavilion Mobil gas station Medellin Royal hotel General Hospital
Guayaquil bridge Casa Britanica Coordinadora mercantil River pavilion
Molinos corona
SITE
Turbo diesel SAS MetroPlus Industriales Terpel gas station
Punto Clave Mall Metro Industriales Red cross Bancolombia SURA health clinic ATS Gaseosas LUX
Comfenalco Guayabal
TCC los industriales
WORK/LEARN
LIVE
El Poblado
Barrio Colombia
La Candelaria
Nutibara
Guayabal
Belen
LIVE
LEISURE/SEE
The selected site is located in in the central sector, on the eastern bank of Medellin River. Calle 30 is a principal crossing point of the city connecting Belen to El Poblado. The newly transportation system has been integrated on this route with the projected construction of Industriales MetroPlus integrated station. On the western bank of the river is Industriales Metro station, a principal station linking the industrial and historic parts of the metropolis, as well as commercial institutions and private headquarters. The site is composed of residual green spaces as a result of the fast highways and city fabric construction. Plan BIO2030 introduced the suppression of the fast roads along the river for the central part of the metropolis. Placing these roads underground will produce an open river corridor accessible for public habitation, and will serve as a connective carpet for the city. To the northwest of the site, is the Nutibara Hill, one of the seven hills of the city that serve as viewing points and respiratory ecosystems. Nutibara Hill is representative of the region, since atop was built a replica of the traditional town of Antioquia: Pueblito Paisa, 1977. This is one of the most visited sites in the city creating commercial activities, tourism, and hosting different events during the year in particular for the flowers festival, and the Christmas lighting showcase.
Guayaquil Bridge, 1878-1879.
Guayaquil Bridge, the oldest standing bridge of the city built in 1879 with bricks, mortar, gravel, and lime is located off the site to the north. This is a historic site, since it marked the development and expansion of the city to the southwestern side and the south of the Aburrรก Valley. The bridge exhibits plaques remembering its legends and history of executions that took place during the 19th century. In December it marks the start of the Paseo del Rio with the Christmas lighting showcase and festivities. THE SITE
85
DEVELOPMENT SECTORS
Site
The terrain that represents a potential for urban development in the central region of the city is grouped into 5 sectors, each with a specific determined purpose. These sectors are then divided into zones of programmatic importance.
Area Calle 10 : Services & Residential -Urban Block Area Nutibara : Business center & Services Area Administrative Center: Civic, Commercial, Residential Area Universities : Education, Research, Recreation, Residential Sector Zonning
The selected site has the potential to redefine the limits of the Nutibara Hill Park with the city, by means of new program for public services at a metropolitan scale. Calle 30 itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already an important crossing point in the city with the MetroplĂşs route running on it, and future development of the intermodal Industriales station. The industrial grounds could potentially be transformed to engage new commercial and service programs. The accessibly to the hill could be resolve along 65th street, integrating the public park to the city and the riverfront. This site for urban development is located in the central region of the city, and has about an area of 160 hectares.
Urban renewal of roads as a result of the construction of the MetroplĂşs network; Water streams are canalized creating an environmental ecosystem; the roads are fixed and separated from the bus routes in order to create an easy flow between the systems. Calle 30. 2012. Photograph. Web, Medellin. Metroplus S.A. Metroplus. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.
Pedestrian crossings
Calle 30 West Calle 30 East MetroPlus Lane
Canalized water stream
MetroPlus Lane THE SITE
87
ZONE 1
Services, Indusrty, Business
1480
Coordinadora Mercantil Molinos Corona Carroceria Union
Zone 1 Site context Site
Site Carrera 53
29.6%
Total area : 144,632.37 M2 Coordinadora MercanMolinos Corona
Nutibara Hill
Existing roads : 42,837.98 M2 Exisiting plazas : 4,283.36 M2 New roads : 15,031.55 M2 New parks/plazas : 0,0 Pre-existing : 0,0 Intervention : 82,479.37 M2 57.1%
Access to Nutibara
Industrias Estra
Corroceria Union Frenos Nutibara Terpel la 30 65th St Station
Belen
10.3%
Zone 1: Nutibara Side (1,556.81 FT2/ 144,632.37 M2) Area on the southern edge of the Nutibara Hill delineated by Calle 30, composed of services and industrial warehouses. With no usable green zones, this is the entering point to the hill and interest attraction, Pueblito Paisa. It could be primarily programmed with mix-use service and business facilities. The area along the river has the potential to become a public open space transforming the riverfront, and linking the city to the Nutibara hill.
Industriales Station
Medellin river
Molinos Corona
Guayabal
Carroceria Union
Services Commercial Residential
2.9%
THE SITE
89
ZONE 2
Services, Indusrty, Business
1480
Zone 2 Site context Site
Site
Industriales Station
Total area : 157,249.23 M2 Existing roads : 71,027.29 M2 Exisiting plazas : 4,751.19 M2 New roads : 12,912.69 M2 New parks/plazas : 12,991.91 Pre-existing : 1,971.13 Intervention : 52,595.03 M2
65th St Station
33.4%
1.3% 8.3%
8.2%
3.1%
45.2%
Zone 2: Calle 30 Plan (1,689.93 FT2/ 157,249.23 M2) Degraded area for mechanical and automotive services along Calle 30, residential 2-3 stories internally. It could be primarily programmed with mix-use services and residential facilities linked by green zones and pedestrian roads.
65th St Station
Guayabal
Services Commercial
THE SITE
91
ZONE 3
Indusrty, Business, Residential
1480
Zone 3 Site context Site
Guayabal Ave
Site
Carrera 55 41.3%
37.9%
5.9%
Zoo
Calle 29 Services Commercial Residential
Calle 25
Guayabal
0.01% 2.1%
12.8%
Total area : 130,553.40 M2 Existing roads : 53,920.61 M2 Exisiting plazas : 15.33 M2 New roads : 16,690.11 M2 New parks/plazas : 2,765.72 M2 Pre-existing : 7,659.96 M2 Intervention : 49,501.68 M2
Zone 3: Inner Urban Park (1,399.30 FT2/ 130,553.40 M2) Residential area equipped with recreational facilities and industrial warehouses. It could be programmed with upgraded residential units and public parks linking the recreational services and the zoo back to the river and the city proper.
THE SITE
93
ZONE 4
Services, Indusrty, Riverfront
1480
Cruz Roja
Zone 4 Site context Site
Cruz Roja Cruz Roja
Site
Gaseosas LUX Postobon Guayabal
25
Services Commercial Calle 25
Zone 4: Riverfront Plan (3,304.43 FT2/ 306,992.42 M2) Area equipped with municipal services, storage units, and industries. The riverfront has a green bar that resulted as a leftover space from the roads system. It could be primarily programmed with public spaces that interact with the riverfront, residential and commercial units, and bike lanes.
Total area : 306,992.42 M2 Existing roads : 107,257.81 M2 Exisiting plazas : 0,0 M2 New roads : 50,480.58 M2 New parks/plazas : 23,323.57 M2 Pre-existing : 8,811.78 M2 Intervention : 117,118.68 M2
34.9% 38.2% 2.9%
7.6%
16.4% THE SITE
95
ZONE 5,6,7
La Candelaria
Antioquia Mental Hospital La Candelaria
Premium Plaza Mall El Poblado
Services Commercial Residential
Christian Community Calle 30 Exposiciones
25
Services Commercial Residential
Program distribution of zone 5-7: commercial, services, residential.
Central Hospital Terpel gas Euro gas Bancolombia
Electripesados Mobil gas Church Medellin General Hospital Hotel Medellin Royal
Punto Clave Mall with pedestrian link to Industriales Metro Station, Public plaza and retail. Punto Clave. 2009. Photograph. Web, Medellin. Punto Clave. 2 Apr. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.
Zones 5,6,and 7 present a more defined commercial and services activity. Along Calle 30 most of the commercial, including retail, food, and informal commerce, takes place; the area has three major shopping malls: Punto Clave, Premium Plaza, and San Diego. Zones 5 and 6 start showing more mix-use residential programs; this area, on the eastern side of the river has a high rate of occupancy, becoming into a well-defined business sector.
Direct pathway to Metro Station
Calle 30
El Poblado
Services Commercial Residential
Barrio Colombia
Punto Clave Mall
Salud SURA Clinic Local restaurants and nightclubs
THE SITE
97
SITE COMPOSITION
El Poblado
La Candelaria
Arts district
MDE
Administrative Center
MDE
MDE
Nutibara Hill
Industrial area
Guayabal Belen
South Terminal / Airport
The diagram shows the different programmatic systems around the site including: cultural, residential, educational, transport, work and industry. The location of the site makes it into a potential site for social conglomeration and interaction. The riverfront could be transform into an area for leisure and cultural learning.
Surrounding institutions
Urban context
Urban context
removed Significant city fabric land to be developed
Services
Commercial
Institutional
Distribution of services, commercial, and institutional programs around the site.
infrastructure
open green space
The site with the surrounding city fabric.
city block
open green space
Contextualization of the site size in relationship to the city blocks.
THE SITE
99
SITE USAGE
Vehicular circulation
Pedestrian circulation
Transport networks
elevated tracks
high traffic
low traffic
Major vehicular routes including river-crossing points; differentiation of high traffic and secondary traffic. The site sits in between two major roads: Auto Sur and Calle 30, thus traffic and road networks become an important consideration factor.
metro
major pedestrian routes
minor pedestrian routes
Pedestrian circulation on site, particularly in relation to the riverfront, commercial activities, and transportation stations.
metro
metroplus
buses
Relationship between 3 modes of transport: Metro, MetroplĂşs, and public buses. The site becomes a gateway for intermodal interaction.
a
la
Calle
e
e
e
e
Calle 30
30
The main circulation routes follow the main road network and pedestrian accessibility. The riverfront and Calle 30 are the most deployed.
a
Density nodes in relationship to human use or practice.
Densities of usage related to transportation networks, commercial and work programs.
THE SITE
101
TRANSIT FLOWS
Carrera 57 AutoSur
Guayabal Ave commercial services institutional residential The linearity of the river and the geographic conditions of the valley has dictated the directionality of the metro system. Parallel to the riverbanks runs a major highway that connects the city from south to north, Auto Sur. In a similar manner, Guayabal Ave crosses the site traversing the river at the northwestern corner of the selected site. These major transit routes have generated high levels of occupancy and growth. With the rapid development of the city, the riverfront hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been integrated to the metropolis activities, creating a secluded and unused waterfront. The highway acts as a barrier for most of its trajectory impeding a fluid relationship between river and city. This project aims to change that condition by integrating the riverfront as a social consolidator of the city life.
El Poblado Ave
San Antonio
El Poblado Ave Alpujarra Exposiciones Industriales Poblado
Calle 30 Similar to the parallel vehicular routes of the river, the crossing route, Calle 30 has an important role in the redevelopment of the site. As a major linking of west to east, or University of Medellin located in Belen to wealthy business center of El Poblado, Calle 30 has developed in area for services and business. The site area has multiple warehouses, mechanical and repair shops currently in a degraded state. With the construction of the MetroplĂşs line, the roads system has been renovated providing the first means of urban transformation. This project aims to provide a better connection of the different means of transportation that meet on site, and renovate the area as a mix-use business and cultural center.
commercial services institutional residential
THE SITE
103
?
PROPOSAL
MetroCable: Intermodal station, dense residential area, informal settlements The Site: Industriales intermodal station, Nutibara Hill, riverfront
Site 1
Site 2
Pinch points of potential urban development along the river. The different sites present an effect as a result of the existing transportation systems, and a tolerance to the leftover spaces produced by the construction of highways and rapid development of the city. Site 3, in the center part of the city is the selected area for architectural intervention.
La Macarena site: Cultural and administrative facilities, riverfront
Site 3
Intention: to create a unique urban experience within the urban settingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Inclusion as an approach to sustainability. Locating potential pinch point of architectural intervention, the project desires to bring together members of the city around a sustainable space, were they can experience culture, and social interaction by connecting the riverfront back to the city.
Site 4
MAMM: new location of the museum of modern art, industrial redevelopment area
Site 5
Sabaneta: Transmodal station, commercial spur
PROPOSAL
107
INTERVENTION PINCH POINTS
Acevedo Metro + MetroCable Station
Potential site Site 1: Metro meets MetroCable
Administrative Center
Site 2 : Administrative and Cultural Centers
La Macarena Center
Potential site
Nutibara Hill Industriales Metro Station
Proposed MetroPlus site Site
elevated tracks Guayaquil Bridge Site 3: The site- Industriales Station and Nutibara Hill
Mayorca Shopping Mall Itagui Metro Station
Potential site Site 5 : Metro meets commerce PROPOSAL
109
RIVERFRONT POTENTIAL Exisiting Condition
Fragmented river path: not accessible, non functional. Potential for urban intervention.
Envisioned Condition
Connecting the riverfront: expand program, riverfront as a social merger.
The project for the Nutibara Hill riverfront intends to meet the conditions for a global renewal of the city, in terms of inclusive improvement of the mobility networks. The new gateway is intended to become the meeting point for social exchanges and therefore have the capability of linking both the urban areas and the areas outside the city, in compatibility with the existing transportation systems: Metro, MetroplĂşs, MetroCable.
Proposed Condition
Riverfront corridor: programmatic pinch points linking the city to the river.
Currently, the urban transport stations are not simply infrastructures that support buses, railway, or aerial transportation, but actual social hearts of the city. Besides the functions of exchange between different modes of transportation, Metro to MetroplĂşs, private transport to cars, the intermodal station develops new qualities associated to leisure activities, services and dynamic activities, to largescale work and trade.
Left: The diagram, explains the current conditions of Medellin River in relation to the city. A disjointed non-operable ecology with potential for urban significance, the river presents an opportunity for development and integration as a primary aspect of the city life. Right: Significance of the selected site as a potential transportation gateway, linking the system nodes to the main artery of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the river.
Transport Gateway
Link
Flow Corridor
Charged with establishing easier connections to the main activities and services in the heart of the city, this hybrid design combines a transportation center with recreational facilities. It allows commuters to navigate fluidly among different modes of transportation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Metro, MetroPlus, buses, cars and bicycles - and offers opportunities for people to shop, eat, work and play.
Node
Feeder
River
Node
Transport hub Business/Service Retail/Wholesale Leisure/Play Eat/Shop Culture/Rest Tourism
PROPOSAL
111
RIVERFRONT COMPOSITION Aerial MetroPlus Metro Station
Metro MetroCable Taxi Bycicle Pedestrian School
Residential Industry Work Public Park Leisure
MDE
Cultural Eat + Shop
The site, at a short distance from the city center, will incorporate an intermodal station, commercial shopping centers and Public Park multiple service amenities. A business spine could unify the diverse program and create transitional space between transportation, work, and play. Working with the scale of the city, the design will create a commuter and communal hub resonant Industries with the future development of Medellin and its riverfront. The transportation gateway or intermodal station character highlights the demand for public services, and sustainable systems that satisfy the needs of all. Today, many people go across a terminal hub in order to engage into activities that are not necessarily related to transportation.
Sports
Leisure
MDE
300 m Walking 3-6 min Public Space
Shop + Eat
600 m Transport / Cycle
Work Places
School
MetroPlus Station
Cultural Center
Regional Nutibara hill link
connect Guayaquil bridge upgrade
open connect
elevated tracks
mobilize
re-direct connect
connect Industriales
Industriales
Industriales
N
Medellin river Existing condition with proposed MetroPlus station
Medellin river Proposed MetroPlus station with route re-configuration in order to open up the site
Medellin river
Plan BIO2030 proposed road re-configuration submerging fast lanes, creating new crossing point on the river, and transforming Guayaquil bridge into a pedestrian crossing point
Current and proposed conditions for the site: consideration for the development of the new project proposal. PROPOSAL
113
One of the issues the new intermodal center must consider is the connection with the heart of the city, in relationship to the river. By instituting easier connections to the main activities and services in the existing urban fabric, the use of new infrastructure at different times of the day will be further improved. The proposed project will not only satisfy the requirements of transportation hubs, but it will also suggest a viable alternative in respect to a functional mix that can best adapt to the constant changes that MedellĂn has been experiencing.
PROPOSAL
115
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Image Credits © Departamento Administrativo de Planeación Municipio de Medellín © Metroplús S.A. Progreso en Movimiento ©Vance Jacobs Photography Correa, Dairo. Flickriver.com. Valderrama, Juan Fernando Arboleda. El blog de la fotografia. INEM.
Anheier, Helmut K., and Yudhishthir Raj. Isar. “Chapter 21 Medellin: Tales of Fear and Hope.” Cities, Cultural Policy and Governance. London: SAGE, 2012. 227-34. Print. Chapter describing Medellín’s outcome from its violent period, and the development it has taken since the drug wars. Castells, Manuel. “La Politica Urbana Del Estado Colombiano.” Estructura De Clases Y Política Urbana En América Latina. Buenos Aires: Ediciones SIAP, 1974. 16-110. Print. Book about Colombia’s urbanity development, political, welfare, and healthcare influence in rela- tionship to the continents situation. Castro, Lorenzo, and Echeverri Alejandro. “Bogotá and Medellín Architecture and Politics.” Latin America at the Crossroads, May-June 2011, 96-103. Article synthesizing Medellin’s Social Urbanism projects and explaining governmental and civic involvement. Doebele A., William. “The Recovery of ‘Socially Created’ Land Values in Colombia .” Land Lines. 10. no. 4 (1998). http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/406_The-Recovery-of--Socially-Created--Land-Values-in-Colombia (accessed September 12, 2012). Article stating Colombia’s urban laws and regulations. Describes methods of implementation and projections for the future. Hermelín, Michel, Restrepo Alejandro. Echeverri, and Jorge Giraldo. Medellín: Medio Ambiente, Urbanismo, Sociedad. Medellín: URBAM, Centro De Estudios Urbanos Y Ambientales, Universidad EAFIT, 2010. Print. Book describing the urban impact, social aspects, and plans of development and planning for the city of Medellin. Hernandez, Felipe. “Urban and Social Articulation: Megacities, Exclusion and Urbanity.” Rethinking the Informal City: Critical Perspectives from Latin America. Ed. Jorge M., Peter Kellett, and Lea K. Allen. Vol. 11. New York: Berghahn, 2010. 207-25. Print. Remapping Cultural History. book describing the formal and informal conditions of Latin American cities. Illustrates architectural interventions and social reforms. Koonings, Kees, and Dirk Kruijt. Fractured Cities: Social Exclusion, Urban Violence and Contested Spaces in Latin America. London: Zed, 2007. Print. the book shares research experiences of urban exclusion and violence in Latin America. Com- posed of different case studies analyzing different cities in respect to their developments. BIBLIOGRAPHY
117
McPeak, Michael. Latin America in Graphs: Demographic and Economic Trends, 1972-1992. Washington, D.C.: Published by the Inter-American Development Bank, Distributed by the Johns Hopkins UP, 1993. Print Graphic comparison of Latin American countries in respect to population growth, income, age, gender, and demographics. Mesa R., Miguel. “A Manifesto for Medellín “ Domus 937, June 22, 2010. http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/a-manifesto-for-medellin/ (accessed September 12, 2012). Publication describing a series of good examples, in which the new urban space of Medellín has being constructed, taken from the perspective of the architect Mesa, Miguel, ed. BIO 2030 Plan Director De Medellin, Valle De Aburra. 1st ed. Medellin: Mesa Editores, 2011. Print Book outlining the proposed projects for the Aburrá valley up to 2030. Talks about projects such as the green belt, the linear green park along the river, submerging main roads, etc.. Mohan, Rakesh. Understanding the Developing Metropolis: Lessons from the City Study of Bogotá and Cali, Colombia. Oxford: Published for the World Bank [by] Oxford UP, 1994. Print The book analyzes the development of Bogotá and Cali in relationship to Colombia’s conditions. Studies political influence, transportation systems, and urban development. Navia, Patricio, Marc Zimmerman, and Saskia Sassen. “Medellin Y La Cultura Del Rebusque.” Las Ciudades Latinoamericanas En El Nuevo [des]orden Mundial. México, D.F.: Siglo Veintiuno, 2004. 273-92. Print. Chapter about traditional customs of the inhabitants of Medellín, talks about the city’s development and opportunities. Portes, Alejandro, and John Walton. Urban Latin America: The Political Condition from above and below. Austin: University of Texas, 1976. Print. Book about Latin America in relationship to the world, its development and political and economical ways; discusses about driving economies and potential for future growth trends.
Ritter, Archibald R. M., Maxwell A. Cameron, and David H. Pollock. Latin America to the Year 2000: Reactivating Growth, Improving Equity, Sustaining Democracy. New York: Praeger, 1992. Print. Book analyzing the development of Latin American counties up to the year 2000. Relates continen- tal issues such as economic crisis, internal violence, and poverty. Sanchez, Angela. “Social Urbanism: the Metamorphosis of Medellín.” JMS Editorial Barcelona Metropolis. no. winter (2010). http://www.barcelonametropolis.cat/en/page.asp?id=21&ui=331 (accessed September 12, 2012). Article analyzing the historic development of the city and how it was affected by violence. An inves tigation to the social and governmental involvement to create a solution to the problem. Examples of what has been done, and a conclusion to what the current problems are. Stoll, Katrina, Scott Lloyd, and Stan Allen. Infrastructure as Architecture: Designing Composite Networks. Berlin: Jovis, 2010. Print. The book is a compilation a various architect’s projects related to infrastructure and urban net works. It includes essays, design proposal, and architectural projects. Vellinga, Menno, and Dirk Kruijt. Industrialization and Regional Development in Colombia. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation, 1983. Print. The book goes over the industrial trends the country has experienced over the years. Describe in detail different cities conditions and potential for development.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
119