Thesis Thesis Proposal by Jane Tran ENVR-3002-001 Bruce Hinds Winter 2016
Typology:
Alternative Public Space Public space is where daily life CAN take place. It’s where people CAN go to feel connected with their communities. But for many, they feel excluded, unwelcomed, and intimidated . Who exactly are these people? They are what urban planners might call ‘marginal characters’.
“At a very young age, I would often feel like what it feels like to be excluded from public space” -Marcos Zotes
What deep desires are unmet by wellgroomed parks such as the highline?
Thesis Statement To intervene vacated sites with an attempt to preserve and nurture its informal dynamics unique to its derelict qualities. In conjunction, transform and amplify the existing space by fine-tuning the balance between formal design and its counterpart. Through this framework, the idea is to produce an engaging environment that will invite exploration and physical exertion while keeping the allure of otherness intact.
Jouissance: an appropriation of space, an excess of use as it is related to ‘right to use’,23 ‘the right to benefit from, to use, and to enjoy something which belongs to somebody else or is held in common ownership, as long as it is not damaged or destroyed’.2
What is here versus what is else where
Shanghai, China - Dongtai Lu Antique Street Market
Re-appropriation of left-over or unoccupied space - DIY Urban Space Unplanned spaces are grounds for spontaneous and creative spatial practices
Parkdale village of Toronto - Vacated lot reappropriated as a mini-market and social space. It started off with one vendor selling used clothing and household goods and evolved into what you see here in two weeks.
Typology Research
Kensington Market Toronto, Canada Of-the-people Mix-used Community
I remember the first time being in Kensington Market. I was a small child and we were passing by in our family car. While passing through, I remember being mesmerized and filled with wonderment. What appeared before me was beyond my comprehension. How did Chinatown suddenly turn into this magical place in which I have never seen anything like? Just the mere glance of Kensington evoked feelings of excitement and a longing for exploration. Without the ‘expertise’ of the institutions, Kensington Market evolved naturally into a distinctive and vibrant landmark. The characteristics are so unique that the resulting space is true to a localized Utopia1. Moreover, the market known for its walkability, attracts huge numbers of tourist and locals and remains the most photographed landmark in Toronto. What makes Kensington
market such a special place is its authenticity. Despite some claims that the market is an hipster ‘destination’, I can appreciate that most people behind the counter, are still immigrants selling ‘whatever’ to make a buck. The random, eclectic collection of goods brought by the immigrants and put on display is all part of the aesthetics of Kensington Market. There’s an honesty between the seller and buyer - there is no barrier. The person pocketing your cash is the same person you interact with (or perceived to be). The idea of supporting the mom-and-popshop or the free-spirited entrepreneur gives you warm fuzzies like you did something good today that a corporate retail venue just cannot do. As a result, the combination of authenticity and visuals create enriching experiences for the urbanpedestrian. In addition, if you have visited Kensington market, then you are familiar with the diverse
number of ‘marginal characters’ that interpenetrate the streets. Similar to Walter’s observations of porosity in Naples2, Kensington market becomes a theater of truly unpredictable acts. Evidently, it can be assumed the market provides acceptance and comfort to characters that do not conventionally fit into society. Despite the high number of vagrants lurking about, the market is what Foucalt describes as a heterotopia,3 a meeting ground of differing social groups that are unlikely to interact in their daily life. I feel that this is a very important aspect of public space because like so and so said, it is where people meet as equals and where society establish trust (that new york guy).
Timeline of Kensington Market 1880
Victorian styled houses were built on small plots for Irish and Scottish Immigrant labourers coming to Toronto.
1900
WWII
Jewish community move north or into surburbs. A large number of immigrants from the Azores, feeling political conflict move into the area and further west along Dundas st. The arrival of new waves of immigrants from the Caribbean and East Asia changed the community, making it even more diverse.
1950
Recent Redevelopment
Populated by Eastern European Jewish immigrants and some Italians. The neighbourhood became densely packed and was one of the poorer areas of the city. It was at this time that it was called The Jewish Market. Jewish merchants operated small shops as tailors, furriers and bakers.
David Crombie, previous mayor of Toronto stopped plans to tear down the densely packed small houses to be replaced with apartment-style housing projects, as was done to neighbouring Alexandra Park.
1980 Portugese store owners retire their small shops , which led to abundant vacancy, and invited a new wave of immigrant entrepreneurs. Businesses like La Perola, El Emporio Latino and El Buen Precio took advantage of the growing wave of Latin American immigrants, and opened the door to offering ethnic street foods. Explosion of upscale cafes, restaurants and clubs, replacing many of the older ethnic businesses. Many victorian houses in the community are converted into rental units and make up more than half the neighbourhood. Thus, the market becomes an attractive location for students, artist, writers and people looking for an alternative culture.
Community rejected corporate giant Nike’s attempt to open up in the market. They protested by dumping dozens of running shoes splatterd with red paint in protect for the treatment of Nike’s workers receive around the world.
2006
In November, 2006, Kensington Market was proclaimed a National Historic Site of Canada
Despite the efforts to resist commercialization, it is slowly but surely making its mark. Unfortunately, the rise in popularity in recent years have caused land prices to increase significantly. However, Kensington market still remains a predominatly working class, immigrant community. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Market
Program
Residential
Private
Retail
Overlap of Public and Private Space
Restaurants/ Accomodations
Public
Overlap of Public and Private Space
Other Education Services
Private
Key unique features to Kensington Market 1. Storefronts are built right into the Victorian styled row houses. The lower floor and frontyard have been converted into a retail space while the upper floors remain private residential quarters. The accompanying signage and store layout lends itself to a DIY vibe, and adds to the continuity of grassroots movement. 2.Small scaled buildings along with narrow roads allow the pedestrian to view ‘everything’. The spatial experience is elevated when there is so much information being processed at once. In contrast to Queen St., the otherside is usually obscurred by four lanes of cars. 2. Narrow Roads also make it difficult for drivers to pass through, forcing them to drive slowly or to avoid the road altogether. Thus, allowing pedestrians to easily cross the road without any hassle. In some cases, pedestrians will use the road if the sidewalks become too crowded.
“They’re like this alternate universe that runs parallel to the city we’re familiar with — urban wormholes you disappear into only to reemerge somewhere else a kilometre away”. — Luke Champion, writer for blogto.com
Typology Condition: Porousity Benjamin Walter, in his writings on the city of Naples defined porousity as the ‘experiential phenomena of spatial sequences’ that happen around and in-between structures. It is essentially the relationship between private and public spaces, as well as the relationship between indoor and outdoor space. Walter contends these interstitiary spaces “become a theater of new and unforeseen constellations”.
http://ctslydialowe.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2014/02/city-grids.jpg ac.uk%2F2014%2F02%2F12%2Fgrid-system%2F&psig=AFQjCNFACEE2ZbE0V_ptV6Is4hLSJf0usg&ust=1463977746319758
Above, we can compare the map of Rome to cities with a strong grid system such as Toronto and New York. The grid system is used because it is the most efficient use of space; however, the probability of acquring richer spatial sequences at the pedestrian level is much higher in places like Rome. Evidentily, the monolithic structures are smaller and individualized rather than
being grouped into row buildings that create inpenetrable large city blocks. Instead, the resulting forms create spaces of porousity. To elaborate, it increases the surface area we see on structures -the wall or partition -the relationship between private and public, including storefronts, windows, balconies and stairs. Consequently, enhancing the walking experience on a sensorial
level. In the map of Rome, one can have a sense of adventure and unpredictability - who knows what and who we will stumble upon, the map evokes the feeling that a surprise is waiting just around the corner. It assumes daily life does not only take place at point A and B but the journey between is also a relevant part of life.
Relationship between the ‘Built’ and ‘Unbuilt’ Solid blocks represent built structure
First iteration of possible conditions Main passage ways and intermediary spaces between built structure
Second iteration of possible conditions In combination with larger passage ways the hairlines represent smaller passage ways that will foster more private and intimate environments
Design Intent Summary I have taken this stance because I empathize for the people who have been excluded from urban design. For many, wellgroomed parks such as the High Line do not enable the sorts of “adventure, inquiry, and unpredictability found in unbuilt environments.” (Campo). To elaborate, these places forgotten by urban planning are charming by their own merits. Although some would consider these places an ‘eye-sore’ or deem it as unsafe, it remains a “vital and well-loved place, offering something unique to local residents and visitors from afar” (Campo). Personally, I crave for an environment where I can run, climb, and explore like a nomad. The daydreamer in me yearns for another world, far-away from the politics and mundanities of everyday life. To achieve this dream-like quality of stumbling upon another world, I am interested in how combining formal design with these types of spaces could elevate the intended experience. The proposed landscape is centered around the idea of connecting democracy to public space. The place will facilitate DIY culture along with the concept of “build-your-own-urban-experience”. The incompleteness of the site is intended to conserve the elements of unpredictability and the unique temporal-spatial practices experienced on site.
Whether the space is physically used or enjoyed for it’s aesthetical pleasures, my intent is best described by Campo. “To stimulate the imagination and excite our innate desire for exploration, play, surprise, and animate interaction with the physical and social worlds that draw upon all of our sense and instincts” (Campo). I feel that it is important because it is something we currently do not have. In a world heavily laden with technology, I feel the rudimentary lifestyle that many of us have fallen into becomes increasingly taxing to the human mind, body and soul. Through the landscape, I wish for myself and others to be able to reconnect with their primal inclinations. As someone who sits at their desk for more than 50% of the day, I am fascinated as I am envious of those who learned to adapt to the urban landscape either through skateboarding, parkour or other similar activities. It is a stark reminder of what the human body is very capable of doing but for many of us, we tend to limit our movements to walking and sitting. I am interested if this phenomenon is a result of our contemporary urban landscape, and if architecture and design can lend a hand in encouraging people to fully enjoy their bodies and, or engage in all their senses.
Programmatic Diagram Play, commerce, in-between spaces, usable structures and built spaces
Research Summary
Through my research, I am deeply inspired by the theoretical and philosophical works of Daniel Campo, author of The Accidental Playground, Henri Lefebrve, authour of many books including Toward an Architecture of Enjoyment, Gilles Clement, on his theory of The Third Landscape, Michel Foucault, on his ideas on Heterotopia, Vito Acconci, on his ideas of what architecture should be, Michel de Certeau, authour of The Practice of Everyday Life and lastly, Walter Benjamin on his ideas on porosity. The common denominator these thinkers have in common point toward an alternative public space, one that reconciles and recognizes the importance between the built and unbuilt and the designed and undesigned. These ideas may sound strange at first, but when put into context, it can be found all around us.
When I first approached this assignment, my initial design intent, seeked to resolve the repetitiveness of everyday life. I was curious how architecture in the urban landscape can be engineered to have endless reconfigurations; thereby, creating a new experience hour-to-hour, dayby-day or on a week-by-week basis. Vito Acconci, in the documentary Unbuilt, expressed, “I’d like to become surprised when I go out on the street. If you live in a world that is constantly changing, then you probably have to adapt to the world� (Unbuilt). The idea of having to adapt to the world seemed like a solution to repetitiveness, however, the ever-changing nature of a single element can also become redundant and predictable over-time.
Despite this possibility, the Storefront for Art and Architecture by Steven Holl and Vito Acconci, located in New York City is an excellent example of a place that thrives on temporal design practices.There, select artist and designers are invited to take a stab at at their own distinctive treatment of the storefront. While the architectural elements remain a constant, the treatment of the facade and interior act as a variable that could easily be manipulated to produce countless unique designed experiences. As a result, the Storefront for Art and Architecture is true to an architectural element that never remains the same. It is no surprise that the storefront carries the same amount of freshness as it did when the concept was first introduced in 1992. Even though the execution of the concept was successful, the idea of
The Storefront For Art and Architecture
having the participants constrained to a small group of elites breeds a culture of exclusivity. It goes without saying the Storefront is a significant contribution to the public sphere but similarly to the High Line, it is a product to be observed and admired rather than used. It was then I had realized inclusivity would be an important factor in my design proposal. During my research of one of my precedents, JFK Plaza a.k.a. Love Park, proved to be a sobering and enlightening experience. First, it brought to my attention much of our public spaces are reserved for people who prefer to spectate and gently use the landscape. Other activities that are more demanding, specifically, skateboarding are prohibited and monitored by authorities. It is evident, these groups of people are whom urban planners failed to accom-
modate. A diagram illustrating this type of user behaviour can be found on the following page. Secondly, although a political matter, it is important for citizens to feel ownership over the spaces they occupy. In the instance of Love Park, because the park was used differently from its intended design, it could be argued that the resulting program of the park itself was ‘citizen-made’.
‘citizen-made’ Referring back to the case study, the residents of Philadelphia, skateboarders, as well as non-skateboarders protested against renovations being pushed by the mayor in 2002. Inadvertently, I was deeply moved by the events that unfolded before the renovations; people of different walks of life came together for a single purpose. There was
an outpour of emotions from the citizens, begging to keep what they felt was theirs, and rightfully so. Regardless of their efforts, the park was transformed into something lesser than it was. In my awakening, I knew I wanted to design a space that empowered the community that it served. Lastly, it cemented my fascination of DIY spaces. As Acconci puts it, “because architecture is used, it can possibly be misused, and once it’s misused, I think the user goes one step further than the designer, than the architect” (Unbuilt). Even Edmund Bacon, the designer of Love Park responded positively to the reappropriation of his park. While many viewed the skateboarders as lawbreakers, Bacon saw something very special taking place, he confided, “I think skateboarding is a more
profound revolution than people give it credit for. The wonderful thing to me is that these young people discovered themselves that they would creatively adapt to the environment they already found. The whole notion of adapting to the environment is almost contrary to the basis of our civilization. You skateboarders are a leading edge of a revolution to the human being to his or her environment. What you have already done is to reinvent the idea that a human being can create spontaneously out of their own interior feeling, a movement through an environment that catches their fancy, that is built on the creative application of the human body moving through an environment and relating to it.” The words of Edmund Bacon were met with my astonishment and thereby, shaped the scope of my inquiry - how could architecture possibly recreate the phenomenon that took place at Love Park. Given enough thought, it does not take long for one to realize this notion is completely paradoxical. However, Bacon’s thoughts were used as a guiding beacon to further my research on the possibilities of what a public space could become. It was shortly after I came across Gian Moretti’s project Landscape Machines, I was introduced to Gilles Clement’s theories on what he called The Third Landscape. Clement defends and values what are usually considered insignificant spaces - ie. brownfields, vacated lots, in-between spaces and ‘wastelands’. His landscape theory invites decision makers and designers to intervene on certain portions of development. To elaborate, he finds value to designate all spaces,
The people protesting against renovations, JFK Plaza 2002
neglected or untapped by man. As a result, these spaces will continue to flourish with biodiversity and promote uncertain intermediate spaces. It is true Clement’s theories focused more on the knowledge of plants and the value he saw related more along the lines of preserving life on earth. Despite the focus on biodiversity, Moretti and many others including myself, have been inspired by his works and share a curiosity on how to fuse his ideas with the contemporary urban landscape. According to Moretti, this third dimension is also evoked by the works of Benjamin Walter. In his 1925 investigation of built spaces in Naples, He describes these spaces defined as porosity, “where structure and life interact constantly: Spaces where the unexpected can happen. In these spaces, the certain and the characteristic are refused creating rich places where function is ‘secondary’, in contrast to the spaces of modernity” (re-
thinking the future). It was in these intermediary space between the built I discovered the possibility of achieving Ed Bacon’s ideas where users can be free to spontaneously interact and adapt to the environment. Going back to Gian Moretti and his project Landscape Machines, Moretti believed, “these contemporary places, spaces of freedom in the planning of the urban form, require that new approaches be developed to address them. The contribution of a ‘weak’ and porous architecture could favor possible appropriations, to be ‘interpreted’ in function of the different periods of the day, the seasons, the years, in this light, we can imagine a structure of porous partitions, where ‘functional’ spaces disappear, yielding to the relationships between the individual and the landscape. The porous partition becomes in this way an open architecture upon which each user or group of users can inscribe different spatial practices” (Rethinking the
future). In other words, my thesis is more or less defined by Moretti’s approach, the relationship between the designed and undesigned will be the main focus of my thesis. At this point in my research, or closer to what felt like an enlightening journey; it was difficult to apply academic theory to what started as an emotional impulse. Like everything else in life, there is not a one-size-fits-all theory that could be applied. Thus, I had become overwhelmed and perplexed on the nature of my thesis. My intent was a paradox. How could you possibly plan from spontaneity? If what I desired was the wasteland aesthetic then how could something designed ever be authentic? I would have to come to terms that the final product would be thematic, staged, and would lack authenticity. Fundamentally, the only way I believe I can achieve some authenticity is if I worked with the community I wished to serve. In order to empower the community through space, they would have to be part of the schematic design process. In essence, my vision is to create an entirely new public space that share no resemblance to the commercial power houses of Toronto. While I do not wish to impose or promote anarchy in any form, I feel it is important for the residents of Toronto to feel like they have a space that was truly democratic. Democratic in the sense where the government and institutions do not impose and tell us how to enjoy ourselves in public spaces. For example, there is something very desirable to be found in music festivals such as Burning Man. It is not the music that is enticing but the designed environment and how
that environment influences the culture and behaviour of its attendees. The Burning Man festival then becomes a place where people relate to freedom, they can behave in ways that are not conventional in their everyday milieu. This is exactly what I aim to do. Similar to vacated lots, these type of spaces, spaces of ‘freedom’ are usually scrutinized as places for criminal activity, specifically, recreational drug use. However, I aim to break this misconception and market the space as a place where everyone from all walks of life can enjoy and appreci- Typical fashion and attitude displayed at Burning Man ate.
Art Installation at Burning Man Festival
Michel de
The Practice of
Battle of R and Exp
“Producers”
Strategies Used by those within organizational power structures Strategies are deployed against some external entity to institute a set of relations for official or proper ends.
"People are alw ing the given to We are careless wise
User Beh Planned Usage
Static and Permanent design Could not be manipulated Spatial practices are extremely limited and can be enforced by authorities if it deviates from permitted activities Users behave in ways that they are being ‘watched’ Not a place of freedom
Alternative: Plan
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f Everyday Life “Consumers
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Consumers Employed by those who are subjugated by their very nature. Tactics are defensive and opportunistic, used in more limited ways and seized momentarily within spaces, both physical and psychological, produced and govern by more powerful strategic relations
ways transformtheir own ends. s to think othere."
haviour Creative Ressistance
for the Unplanned
n a constant state of becoming, hat the everyday is a constant, iation, and it invites that. This ss, not an unalterable end, and pectations of the design’s role ess, or at least its disregard of elos of design.� Jamer Hunter
Altering things from utilitarian objects to street plans to rituals, laws and languages, in order to make it their own.
Glossary Affordability -that can be afforded; believed to be within one’s financial means: Appropriation - Appropriation is imagined here as the dialogic relationship between harder and softer aspects of space: the practice of space, both real and imagined. Emplacement - For inveting dream-like spaces that are firmly connected to and mirror the outside world Informal-not according to the prescribed, official, or customary way or manner; irregular; unofficial: Porousity - where structure and life interact constantly: spaces where the unexpected can happen. Public Space - the intermediate space between buildings: places of meeting, exchange and socialization. A neutral space, it is defined by what surrounds it, by the buildings more or less ‘private’, between residentail and collective services. Rights to the city - A concept coined by Henri Lefebre imagines inhabitants to have two main rights: (1) the right to participate centrally in theproduction of urban space; and (2) the right to appropriate urban space Reclaim - to bring (uncultivated areas or wasteland) into a condition for cultivation or other use. Soft space - is defined here as the social coding of space: space made and remade by human activity, through everyday social interactions with material space
Biliography Campo, Daniel. The Accidental Playground: Brooklyn Waterfront Narratives of the Undesigned and Unplanned. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Freedom of Space. Dir. Steve Olpin. Fuel TV, 2011. Online Video. Certeau, Michel De., and Steven Rendall. The Practice of Everyday Life. Berkeley: U of California, 1984. Print. Rethinking the Present. Print Baetens, J..”Henri Lefebvre: Toward an Architecture of Enjoyment ed. by Łukasz Stanek (review).” Leonardo 48.3 (2015): 306-307. Project MUSE. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.