ELEVEN PM SUNDAY EVENING Once shops and offices close for the evening, levels of activity in urban centres drop. Night-time presents challenges to cities for reasons of safety and fear, lack of destination or attraction. This map details the lighting intensity along the transect due to major street lights, which are noticibly brighter along Queen, Bourke and Lonsdale Streets. The smaller streets and alley ways are often lifeless and dark after business hours, especially those with impermeable interfaces. Also detailed on this map are transparent interfaces that emit light from within the building. Mostly foyers of apartment blocks, hotels, 24hr convenience stores and late night dining spaces are accessible at this time, however, most retail stores also keep lights on all night. Being a pedestrian at this time of night can feel unsafe, due in large part to the apparent lack of ‘eyes on the street.’ It is evident that this transect has a very little activity after dark with the exception of Hardware lane and Southbank Prome-
LIGHT SOURCE Ambient Light
nade.
low
high
Building interface
0
Morphological Mapping ABPL30051 - Semester 1, 2017 Natasha Fonte de Vos 514720
100
200
AFTER DARK TER DARK
Schouwburgplein, Rotterdam. The blocks between Franklin and La Trobe Streets on the east side of the transecthad very little going on after dark, despite the residential buildings located within it. The alleyways are dark, and streets feel unsafe. Replacing part of this location with the Schouwburgplein (theatre square) introduces some much needed vitality and attraction to the area. Defined only by the high rises surrounding it, Schouwburgplein provides citizens with a site for cultural and entertainment uses. The simplicity of the site allows for complete transformation by those using it. Schouwburgplein, Rotterdam.
Rockefeller Centre, New York City. The plaza beneath the Rockefeller Centre in Midtown, Manhattan brings to the transect a much needed public space within a setback of a highrise buildings. The plaza provides visitors with al fresco dining, sculptures and artwork to look at, as well as a holiday display including an enormous christmas tree and ice skating rink at christmas time. At night time, he plaza brightens up a currently drab area of the transect.
Rockefeller Centre, New York City.
Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo. Shibuya Crossing is possibly the busiest intersection in the world. It is incredibly impressive, especially after dark, when the neon billboards on the surrounding buildings light up the area. Replacing the quiet intersection of Queen and Collins Streets brings excitement and diversity to the transect that is has little attraction after dark.
Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo.
LIGHT SOURCE EXISTING
INTRODUCED
Ambient Light low
high
low
high
Building Interface Building Footprint
0
Morphological Mapping ABPL30051 - Semester 1, 2017 Natasha Fonte de Vos 514720
100
200
AFTER LIGHT AFTER DARK