READING
THE URBAN
SETTING
LEGEND S = STOP C = CHANGE G = GO
VVV
LIBAAN WARSAME STUDENT NUMBER 110216238
SKETCH SITE LOCATION
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1. A journey never consists of one solely looking forward, instead I started my journey by looking behind to see both City Hall and Barker’s Pool monuments peaking out above the horizontal viewline for me to GO. Using charcoal into a sketch drawing, I wanted to block the heaviness of people and clumped spaces and recreate Division street’s dense GO sensation. The street consists of the same view of shops and people with no real change in transition or sense of stopping. You don’t STOP, you GO to your next destination.
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2. Looking towards the cornering roads there is a dramatic change in spatial sensation. Empty passages with dominating buildings create a shadowing space that CHANGES in light and topography as you would transition through, opening your senses and views. The perspective effect to the floorscape tells you to GO with the tramline pole acting as a distant target that changes in length. The sheltered open space negates any sense of STOPPING and only makes you want to carry through to West Street’s main road.
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3. Upon leaving Division Street’s shops and passages there stands the Pizza Express corner building that towers above you and frames passing views to itself. With a sloping floor its visual blockages causes you to STOP for a mere moment and orientate yourself as there is a small sensation for CHANGE in transition to be made peaking around its corners. This view is a frame that tempts the viewer or similarly may deter their sight to GO to the open spaces across rather than ahead.
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4. Going around the corner you are instantly zoned within scaffolding. Rather than drawing the space in its entirety, I drew hatched bars spaced so that they create the dramatic negative space of CHANGE when walking through. The underpassage mentally disconnects and restricts you to walk forward and GO, despite the bars spaced perfectly open to go as you wish. Again, there is no sense of stop as you are only met with CHANGE to GO through this transition.
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5. Through the scaffolding, both spaces and views breathe and open to expose you to little shops opposite Devonshire Green. The shops differ in feel to anywhere else in West Street with a quality of openness that allows you to slow down, STOP and view it’s sourcing of vintage and arts. In particular in the midst of greys and pastels, there stands a quirky little shop, bright yellow in colour that captures your view immediately and reinforce the feeling of STOP, even if it may be briefly. The outdoor street furniture and vibrant streetscape and facades reduce the quality of GO though it is still there.
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6. Tilting into Devonshire Green, you’re in a changing zone of peace and openness in comparison to the initial Division Street starter. The waving mosaic stone features frame both your views and movement, its form leading you on to GO but its arching shapes telling to you to sit, STOP and refresh yourself. For me there is a balance in all senses, the act of a gateway that meanders your changes around even the smallest corner yet also a resting point with intriguing features, planting and even shadows. Creating variable options for the viewer, Devonshire Green doing so completes its function as a public park.