reclaim l i
rethink thii k
resuscitate it t
Lauren Comes Design Thinking|Fall 2011 Andrew Faulkner, Instructor Jonathan Murphy, TA
the post-industrial situation
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resuscitation
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the new industrial
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site
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proposal
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precedents
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bibliography
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contents
If he’d lived here later he could have sketched The erasures of light g in which the Were - brownfield sites he’d wash With the . Perched on the bridge As in the sky, he could plot out lines of perspective, Bird’s eye and horizon,, the vanishing gp points From which the streamed apart. Back in his rooms, he could grid them in again. -“Industrial Landscapes”, Robert Gibb
dismantled stain of oxides
great sheds
skeleton girders
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the post-industrial situation
Midwestern, “rust belt� cities are currently facing problems such as shrinking population, unemployment, and general lack of appeal. Their populations are aging, and they are unable to retain young, creative, talented individuals. Many these plights are part of the aftermath of the era of production and manufacturing. As these kinds of industries decline, they leave behind an entire landscape that no longer plays a role in the urban fabric.
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Ironically, that same industry was often the original stimulus for urban growth in the Midwest. Early cities grew up alongside industrial land and rail corridors, and industry employed a high number of workers. Thus, industrial land was a source of life and energy in cities.
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St. Louis Industrial Zones, c. 1915
How did industry go from this...
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...to this?
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1
While industrial production in the U.S. has steadily increased since 1950, manufacturing jobs have steadily declined. This is the result of an increase in automation, or machines doing the work that was previously done by human employees. With less people working at the factories, their relationship with their surroundings became less dynamic. In addition, well-designed buildings became less of a concern because they were no longer designed for people, but for machines.
automation
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100
18
80
16
60
14
40
12
20
10
0 1950
1960
1970
1980
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
1990
2000
2010
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manufacturing jobs (millions)
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productivity (index)
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14
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Early city centers were built up around industrial areas. However, lower land prices and room for expansion began to draw industries out to the edges of the city in the late 1800s. This industrial exodus was later aided by the construction of highway infrastructure and the subsequent deline of rail shipping. This continued to draw people out of downtown as they followed the jobs that industry provided.
relocation
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city
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3
Loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. in recent years has also been the result of outsourcing to countries with less expensive labor or lower taxes. Today, it is often difficult to find products made in the United States, especially at a competitve price.
outsourcing
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=
“dead” space
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Because of the missing human interface with industrial land, we are left with large tracts of seemingly “dead� land in parts of the city that are otherwise relatively stable or healthy. This land turns its back on the surrounding neighborhoods, creating unnatural edges and impervious boundaries within the urban fabric.
[My art] creates 22
energy
in a
negative space. -Tyree Guyton
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resuscitation
“There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead [space] is slightly alive [space].” The Princess Bride 24
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re sus ci ta tion (noun)
personal interpretation
to bring back from a former condition or vigor; to restore consciousness, vigor, life to restore life by emulating a former condition through the use of a stimulus modified means to the same end
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stimulus
Stimulus
Reaction
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stim u lus (noun)
A stimulus is a catalytic foce or vitalizing impulse. There are two forms of seducing, convincing or encouraging- of stimulating rather than of imposing. One is EPIC: it provides energy. The other is LYRICAL: it provides hope. The one programmes- and calls for- actions. The other narrates- and suggests- potentials.
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A third form is the EPIC-LYRICAL (a coupling). It is the best. The most difficult.
CANARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTUR CAN
“RESUSCITATE” “RESUSCITATE”
DYING SPACE? SPACE? DYING In order to restore life to industrial land, and to industry itself, a form of “designed resuscitation” must occur. This would involve echoing the conditions that made industry successful in the past with the hope of stimulating the revival of the former rhythm that supported a synergistic relationship between city and industry.
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STIMULATE STIMULATE
RE E
””
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??
DYINGTYPOLOGY? TYPOLOGY? AA DYING
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Does industry still have a place in our contemporary cities?
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Is there a way to rethink industrial architecture, both programmatically and tectonically, so that it is a stimulus of life and joy in the community rather than a source of decay?
RECLAIM. ...industrial land
RETHINK. ...the relationship between industry and public space ...the scale of industry
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R E S U S C I T A T E . R E S U S C I T A T E . RESUSCITATE. ...the site, “mostly dead” land ...craftsman industry ...the post-industrial Midwest
A 36
s iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend; and away from the centers of population and competition the face loseth its sharpness and the hand its cunning. -St. Louis: Her Commerce, Manufactures and Industries
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the new industrial
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“This was more physically tiring than eight hours of work at a machine, but it was also more interesting. It didn’t make a robot out of a man...He performed the whole process of what he was making from start to finish. He could take pride in his work.” - from Colonial Craftsmen
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the craftsman
Craftsmen in St. Louis from A Century of Enterprise
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One of the most prodigious victims of automation was the American craftsman. These men were both manufacturers and retailers of their goods. They were also businessmen, buying their own materials and supervising every part of production. They passed their skills onto apprentices, ensuring the continued quality of their goods. However, the speed and low cost of mass-produced goods gradually made craftsmen and their handmade goods nearly obsolete, unable to keep up with the new highlyefficient machines.
the “new craftsman” Despite the proliferation of mass produced goods today, there seems to be a resurgence in both the supply and demand for handmade, customized products. The accessibility of technology has resulted in the appearance of blogs, websites, magazines, and television shows that promote and enable handcrafted, “Do-It-Yourself” kinds of projects. A report from Institute for the Future states that “The next ten years will see a re-emergence of artisans as an economic force”, owing to their flexibility and targeted, customized products. The “new craftsman” will work more directly with consumers, filling niche markets not currently able to be served by large industries.
The DIY network is a television channel devoted entirely to do-it-yourself projects for the home.
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Make magazine’s website says “MAKE Magazine brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life.” It features instructions for projects ranging from homemade apple cider to a plywood coffee table.
Etsy is “the world’s handmade marketplace”. Its stated goal is to enable small (and very small) businesses to shape the economy. Users can make an account to sell handmade or vintage goods or crafting supplies. The website now hosts over 11 million members in 150 countries, and its total merchandise sales totaled over $300 million in 2010.
Spoonflower(website) was launched in 2008 as a platform for individuals to design, print, and sell their own fabrics. Once designers submit their patterns, the company uses digital textile printers to produce the custom fabric. This process is much more environmentally-friendly than traditional textile making. Today, Spoonflower has over 150,000 users.
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Ponoko is a website that markets itself as “the world’s easiest making system”. By bringing together designers, fabricators (makers), and consumers on one interface, Ponoko allows product designs to be uploaded and priced, then made locally and shipped to the consumer.
I wanted to dispell any notions that this part of the country is not 44
magical
beyond belief. -James Jeffrey Higgins, photographer
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site
site criteria “mostly dead” space •
vacant or extremely underutilized industrial land
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land with signs of life or hope in the walkable vicinity, for example: -near housing/population growth -near a Metro stop -near a node of activity in the city
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a “pinch point”of industrial land between two other stable, active uses
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historically industrial worker neighborhoods
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industrial land vacant land
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oak hill & carondelet rail line •
Built in 1887
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This line cuts South from the Wabash line near Kingshighway Blvd. It winds around the west end of Tower Grove Park, then runs South to Carondelet Park before meeting up with another main line.
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The line divides many neighborhoods that were historically settled by mining and manufacturing workers, such as The Hill, Southwest Garden, Bevo Mill, and Dutchtown.
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The railroad is still operating today, though only on one set of tracks.
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Because of its narrowness relative to other rail lines in St. Louis, this line provides many “pinch point” opportunities.
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• Branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Southwest Garden
North Hampton
The Hill
50 Tower Grove Park
Missouri Botanical Gardens
Botanical Heights
Tower Grove South
Forest Park Southeast
64/40
N Carondelet Park
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connection opportunities
existing connections
rail line
neighborhoods
industrial land
Holly Hills
Bevo Mill
Carondelet
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Dutchtown
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Intersection of Southwest Garden, The Hill, and Tower Grove neighborhoods
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Historically a settlement area for workers in the nearby clay mines
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Most of the existing industry near the site is mid-sized and still operating.
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A connection across tracks possible on an upper level.
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A connection to Tower Grove Park is a great opportunity.
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selected site
Blackmer & Post Pipe Co.
site: 1940
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Columbia Foundation for the Arts Shaw VPA School
The Luminary Center for the Arts
190,000 sq. ft.
site: 2011
Reber Place
Schnucks
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Odell
Hereford
Brannon
Reber Place
Central VPA High School
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a
b
c
e
potential partnerships The chosen site presents several oppotunities for tying into existing systems, related to both the arts and to industry. By locating itself in close proximity to these established institutions, the proposed project can utilize existing resources as well as fill in missing programmatic pieces.
a Columbia Foundation for the Arts
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Located in the former Columbia Theater, the Columbia Foundation for the Arts is a museum, archive, and event space. They seek to offer educational opportunities and access to exhibition and performance space to the community.
Project, Inc. is a not-forprofit company that offers custom packaging, assembly, and inspection services. They employ over 100 individuals with developmental disabilities.
Project, Inc.
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The Luminary Center for the Arts The Luminary Center for the Arts was founded in 2007 as a nonprofit artists’ resourcing institution. It operates a 9,000 s.f. gallery, studio, and event space in the former Holy Angels Convent. In addition, they run a residency program for local artists, allowing them access to studio space, a small woodshop, and audio-visual equipment.
Shaw VPA School
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e Central VPA High School Central Visual and Performing Arts High School enrolls 425 students in grades 9-12. It is a part of the St. Louis Public School system, offering an alternative education that combines arts and academics.
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c
Shaw Visual and Performing Arts School is an elementary school in the St. Louis Public Schools system. They currenty enroll 350 students from preschool through 5th grade. The school also partners with the Pulitzer Foundation to create links between their students and the greater arts community.
So the plea I would make is...let us make some creative craft work k 58
a normal part of normal life, not something peculiar done by peculiar people who dress and behave in an odd fashion. -Hebe Cox, embroiderer
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proposal
partner industries
existing industry 60 virtual connection physical connection
consumers
designers
public craftsmen
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neighbor industries
students
shipping
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greenway
metrolink
public space boundary
potential rail uses
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existing condition
The Hill
industry
The Hill
craft industrial complex
proposed condition
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public space boundary
Southwest Garden
Southwest Garden
4,000 s.f. 30,000 s.f.
public space
2,000 s.f.
pedestrian bridge retail/cafe
classrooms/ multipurpose
flexible workshop space
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3,000 s.f.
industry
storage
service/ access
existing industry/rail
Southwest Gardens
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The Hill
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front/public back/service
existing organization|
a break in frontage
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see next page
proposed intervention|
connect & expand frontage
schematic strategy The primary public space component of the proposal is a pedestrian connection across the railroad tracks. While the path will be more or less direct to faciliate easy access between the neighborhoods and Tower Grove Park, meanders in the path will direct visitors to experience glimpses of craftsmen in their workshops. Office spaces for the craftsmen are placed along the pedestrian path with the intention that they be spaces where commission opportunities may be discussed with customers. Retail space on the path displays the products being made on site, while a cafe serves both the public and industrial employees. Finally, educational/multipurpose spaces serve as both classrooms and event spaces. 68
workshop/industrial public space classroom/educational
offic ces
offic ce s
offic i es
retail
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cafe
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precedents
repurposed industrial land
bridge
clear
reuse
approach
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weave
description
All over the world, adaptive reuse is one of the most typical ways of handling defunct industrial sites. Projects such as the Tate Modern in London is an example of how contemporary architecture can actually utilize the conditions of existing structures to create unique spaces and new ways of experiencing remnants of an industrial past.
example project The Tate Modern London, England Herzog & de Meuron reuse of an abandoned power station
To build the Bilbao Guggenheim, the existing industrial buildings on the site had to be demolished. Now, with an important piece of contemporary architecture in their place, Bilbao (once a struggling industrial city) is a center for tourism in Spain. In fact, the term “Bilbao effect” is now used to describe the power of highprofile buildings in revitalizing distressed cities.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain Frank Gehry
The strategy of “bridging” can be applied to any attempt to connect public space over, under, or arround existing industrial uses while allowing those uses to continue. The “Big Dig” project in Boston and Rem Koolhaas’ student center at IIT are examples of this strategy being deployed on systems of infrastructure.
McCormick Tribune Campus Center Chicago, IL Rem Koolhaas/OMA
Similar to the “bridge” appraoch, the “weave” strategy works around existing industry or infrastructure, allowing it to remain in use. Yet weaving involves more integration with context, often blurring the boundaries between what is industry and what is new design. The Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle is a perfect example of this, a public gallery winding over and around rail and highway infrastructure.
formerly industrial land
built around an existing light rail line Olympic Sculpture Park Seattle, Washington Weiss/Manfredi new park weaves around rail and highway corridors
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photos
public-craft interface Glass Pavilion Toledo, OH SANAA
watch
consumers
museum, glass studio, shop
craftsmen
Craft Alliance St. Louis, MO
learn
designers
classes, exhibition, retail craftsmen
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transact
students
partner industries
designers
NYC Resistor New York, New York craftsmen
“hacker collective�
Third Degree Glass Factory St. Louis, MO glass studio, shop, event space
“challenge-based design technology community�, sponsored by HewlettPackard and hosted by CASE, Inc.
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designbymany web-based
Palo Alto Barcelona, Spain art studios, cafe, event space
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
3D Printing, Laser Cutting – Design, Make & Build Your Own Products with Ponoko. Web. <http://www.ponoko.com/about/the-big-idea>. Becher, Bernd, and Hilla Becher. Industrial Landscapes. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print. Bluestone, Barry, and Bennett Harrison. The Deindustrialization of America: Plant Closings, Community Abandonment, and the Dismantling of Basic Industry. New York: Basic, 1982. Print. Daskalakis, Georgia, Charles Waldheim, and Jason Young. Stalking Detroit. Barcelona: Actar, 2001. Print. DIY Network - Home Improvement How-To & Remodeling Projects. Web. <http://www.diynetwork.com/>. Etsy - Your Place to Buy and Sell All Things Handmade, Vintage, and Supplies. Web. <http://www.etsy.com>. Gibb, Robert. World Over Water: Poems. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas, 2007. Print. Gray, Rockwell. A Century of Enterprise: St. Louis, 1894-1994. St. Louis, MO.: Missouri Historical Society, 1994. Print. Guyton, Tyree. Connecting the Dots: Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 2007. Print. Hayes, Brian. Infrastructure: A Field Guide To The Industrial Landscape. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. Print. Higgins, James Jeffrey. Images of the Rust Belt. Kent, OH: Kent State UP, 1999. Print. Make Magazine: DIY Projects, Inspiration, How-tos, Hacks, Mods & More. Web. <http://makezine.com/>. Mercantile and Manufacturing Journals, Vol. I-III. Missouri History Museum Library. Print. Meyer, Han. City and Port: Urban Planning as a Cultural Venture in London, Barcelona, New York, and Rotterdam. Utrecht: International, 1999. Print. Rust Belt to Artist Belt Conference - Detroit. Web. <http://www.rustbelttoartistbelt.com/>. Safford, Sean. Why the Garden Club Couldn’t Save Youngstown: the Transformation of the Rust Belt. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2009. Print. Spoonflower: Print Custom Fabric On-demand. Web. <http://www.spoonflower.com/>. St. Louis, MO [map]. 1942. “Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1920-1942 – Missouri”. Missouri History Museum Library. Print. Tunis, Edwin. Colonial Craftsmen. World, 1972. Print. Wayman, Norbury L. History of St. Louis Neighborhoods: Southwest Gardens. St. Louis, MO: St. Louis Community Development Agency, 1981. Print. Wayman, Norbury L. History of St. Louis Neighborhoods: The Hill. St. Louis: St. Louis Community Development Agency, 1980. Print.
bibiliography 78