ZÓCALO MICHELLE FIERRO BFA INTERIOR DESIGN SPRING 2018
PROFESSOR NANCY HOU
SITE AND PROGRAM
LIVING IN A CITY AS BIG AS NEW YORK IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO FIND A PLACE OR AREA WHERE YOU FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE. NOT ONLY IS BEING COMFORTABLE IMPORTANT, BUT A SENSE OF BELONGING SOMEWHERE IS IN MANY WAYS A HUMAN NEED. APART FROM MY HOME I FIND UNION SQUARE PARK TO BE ANOTHER PLACE IN THE CITY WHERE I BELONG. THE IDEA OF BEING IN PUBLIC WHILE SURROUNDED BY TREES AND SHOPPING AT THE FARMERS MARKET GIVES ME A FEELING OF HOME AND FAMILIARITY. IT BECOMES A PLACE WHERE I CAN RELAX WHILE BEING PART OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME INTERESTS. THAT SENSE AND FEELING OF BELONGING TO A NEIGHBORHOOD IS SOMETHING THAT, THROUGH RESEARCH SEEMED TO BE MISSING IN NOLITA, WHERE THE SITE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECTS IS LOCATED. NOLITA HAS A NUMBER OF SMALL RESTAURANTS AND COFFEE SHOPS ALONG WITH BOUTIQUE STORES, THEREFORE IT ATTRACTS A LOT OF OUTSIDE PEOPLE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HOWEVER, WHAT NOLITA SEEMS TO LACK IS OPEN PUBLIC SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GATHER WITHOUT HAVING TO BE AT A RESTAURANT OR COFFEE SHOP. ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE ONLY PUBLIC GREEN SPACE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE IN THE AREA. WITH THIS PROJECT THREATENING TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC “ZÓCALO” IS DESIGNED TO MITIGATE THE LOSS OF PUBLIC SPACE AND FACILITATE A GREATER SENSE OF BELONGING.
GREEN SPACES IN NOLITA “...A LITTLE MORE HUMAN” “ C I T Y T R E E S , G R E E N R O O F S , GREEN GRAFFITI, GREEN WALK I N G R O U T E S , A N D G R E E N IMPULSES.” “RESEARCH FINDINGS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT BETTER ACCESS TO SAFE PUBLIC OPEN SPACES IS ASSOCIATED WITH MORE FREQUENT WALKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS TO SPEND MORE TIME OUTDOORS.”
“WHAT WE NEED MORE OF IS LESS URBAN OPEN SPACE.”
“CREATE A PUBLIC PLACE THAT ATTRACTS A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND OFFERS AN EXPERIENCE THAT MAKES PEOPLE RETURN TO THE SPACE.”
CREATING A PUBLIC GREEN SPACE FIRST OF WAS IMPORTANT TO THE PROJECT BECAUSE IN ALL OF COMMUNITY DISTRICT 2, WHICH NOLITA IS PART OF, THERE ARE ONLY THREE GREEN SPACES AVAILABLE TO ALL PUBLIC INCLUDING ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN. THROUGH RESEARCH THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT “WHAT WE NEED MORE OF IS LESS URBAN OPEN SPACE”, AND MORE OF THE GREEN. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT SEE GREEN ON A MAP OF THE CITY DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT ANYBODY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO IT. IN ORDER TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC GREEN SPACE LOOKING INTO EXAMPLES AS PRECEDENTS WAS IMPORTANT, ONE OF THEM BEING NONE OTHER THAN THE NYC HIGH LINE. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A WELL DESIGNED GREEN SPACE IS THE CHEONGGYECHEON RECREATIONAL SPACE IN SOUTH KOREA, THE SPACE RUNS ALONG A STREAM THAT USED TO BE COVERED BY A MAJOR HIGHWAY. AS A WAY TO CONNECT LOCALS AND TOURISTS TO NATURE THEY RESTORED THE AREA INTO ITS NATURAL HABITAT RETURNING FISH, BIRDS, AND INSECTS SPECIES TO THE AREA. THESE TWO PUBLIC GREEN SPACES ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES OF HOW TO “CREATE A PUBLIC PLACE THAT ATTRACTS A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND OFFERS AN EXPERIENCE THAT MAKES PEOPLE RETURN TO THE SPACE”.
GREEN SPACES IN NOLITA
O N L Y P U B L I C “ G R E E N S P A C E S”
GREEN ON SIDEWALK
ELIZABETH GARDEN EXISTING CONDITION IN THE CRAMMED NEIGHBORHOODS OF LITTLE ITALY & SOHO, ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN IS THE ONLY PUBLIC GREEN SPACE THAT PROVIDES AN OPEN, TRANQUIL ENVIRONMENT FOR LOCALS OF ALL AGES. LITTLE ITALY & SOHO MAKE UP 23% OF CB2’S POPULATION, YET HAVE ONLY 3% OF THE DISTRICT’S OPEN SPACE. ASIDE FROM THE GARDEN, ALL OF THESE SPACES ARE PAVED. LITTLE ITALY & SOHO HAS AN OPEN SPACE RATIO OF 0.07 ACRE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS (3 SQ.FT. PER RESIDENT), LEAVING THE DISTRICT WITH ONE OF THE LOWEST RATIOS OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE IN THE CITY.
THEIR MISSION: “ TO PROTECT & PRESERVE THE MAGIC OF ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN AS A PUBLIC COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE AND TO DETERMINE HOW NYC PARKS & RECREATION TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY CAN PROTECT THIS SPACE FOR GENERATIONS TO ENJOY. ”
https://www.elizabethstreetgarden.com/intro/
GREEN SPACES
CHEONGGYECHEON SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
THE HIGH LINE NEW YORK CITY, USA
FPT UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM
A10.9 KM PUBLIC RECREATION SPACE WITH A STREAM RUNNING ALONG IT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF THE CITY. THE STREAM WAS COVERED BY ELEVATED HIGHWAYS BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC GREEN SPACES BEGAN. IN 2003 THE RESTORATION OF THE STREAM BEGAN AND NOW IT IS A GREAT DESTINATION NOT ONLY FOR LOCALS BUT TOURISTS. THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT WITH CLEAN WATE R A N D N A T U R A L HA B I T A T S H A S SPIKED FISH, BIRDS, AND INSECTS SPEC IES.
“CONVERTING EACH SECTION OF THE HIGH LINE FROM AN OUTOF-USE RAILROAD TRESTLE TO A PUBLIC LANDSCAPE ENTAILED NOT ONLY YEARS OF PLANNING, COMMUNITY INPUT, AND WORK BY SOME OF THE CITY’S MOST INVENTIVE DESIGNERS, BUT ALSO MORE THAN TWO YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION PER SECT ION.” “THE HIGH LINE’S PLANTING DESIGN IS INSPIRED BY THE SELF-SEEDED LANDSCAPE THAT GREW ON THE OUT-OF-USE ELEVATED RAIL TRACKS DURING 25 YEARS THE TRAINS STOPPED RUNNING.”
THIS CAMPUS BUILDING IS SET TO HELP RENEW THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE PREVIOUSLY DESTROYED BY CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT. THE CITY ONLY HAS 0.25% OF GREENERY AND CAUSES ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS FOR EXAMPLE, FREQUENT ENERGY SHORTAGES, INCREASED POLLUTION, AND RISING TEMPERATURES.
AS A WAY TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE INTO THE SENSE OF BELONGING IN NOLITA, THE SECOND PART OF THE PROGRAM IS A MARKET. NOT NECESSARILY A FARMERS MARKET LIKE THE FAMOUS ONE IN UNION SQUARE BUT A COMBINATION OF WHAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO BRING IN TO SELL AND WHAT IS ALREADY IN THE AREA. I N N O L I T A T H E R E A R E T W O F L E A M A R K E T S , M A N Y R E S TAU R A N T S , A N D T W O F O O D M A R K E T S O U T S I D E T H E P E R I M E T E R O F N O L I TA , S O PLACING ALL OF THESE IN MY SITE WOULD BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER TO FORM A BIGGER AND STRONGER COMMUNITY. THE WORD ZÓCALO IS A TERM USED TO REFER TO THE MAIN PLAZA OF A MEXICAN TOWN. THESE PLAZAS BECOME A GREAT PLACE TO GATHER AND SOCIALIZE. HAVING DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS AROUND THE ZOCALO, WITH VARIED SORTS OF ENTERTAINMENT, LOCALS, ALONG WITH TOURISTS ARE NATURALLY DRAWN TO IT. NAMING THIS MARKET AND GREEN SPACE IN NOLITA “ZÓCALO” WAS A WAY OF BRINGING A LITTLE BIT OF MEXICAN CULTURE INTO THE OVERALL IDENTITY OF THE SITE. IT ALSO SERVES AS A PERFECT WAY OF DESCRIBING THE TWO PROGRAMS COMING TOGETHER TO MAKE THE SITE THE MAIN PLAZA OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF NOLITA.
FOOD STORE FLE MARKET RESTAURANT
FARMERS / FLEA MARKETS LA BOQUERIA BARCELONA , SPAIN IT’S HOME TO FISHMONGERS, BUTCHERS, CHEESEMONGERS, GREENGROCERS AND DOZENS OF SMALL CHARCUTERIE SHOPS SPECIALIZING IN SPANISH HAMS AND CURED MEATS. IN THE MARKET YOU CAN FIND... POULTRY AND EGGS, BARS, PORK BUTCHER’S SHOPS AND DELICATESSEN, BUTCHERS, SPECIALITIES, FRUIT AND VEGETABLE,NUTS, LEGUMES, OLIVES AND TINNED FOOD, FISH AND SEAFOOD,SALTING FISHING, AND GROCERIES “MORE THAN 200 TRADERS ROLL UP THEIR BLINDS,READY TO OFFER YOU THE BEST LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL GASTRONOMIC PRODUCTS.”
http://www.boqueria.barcelona/home
FARMERS / FLEA MARKETS OR TOR KOR BANGKOK, THAILAND PRODUCTS DISPLAYED HERE ARE SELECTED AMONG THE BEST FOUND IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. WITH SUCH AN INCRE DIBLE RANGE OF BEAUTIFUL FRUITS, EXTREMELY FRESH VEGETABLES, MEATS AND SEAFOOD. STARTING OFF AS AN AGRICULTURAL COLLECTIVE, OR TOR KOR MARKET HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS INTO AN UPSCALE FOOD MAR KET. IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW MARKETS THAT HAVE RITZY BUSINESS TYCOONS AND THEIR FAMILIES AMONG ITS REGULAR CLIENTS.
http://www.bangkok.com/shopping-market/or-tor-kor-market.htm
DESIGN
INTERSECT AND COMPARMENTALIZE
CREATING A SHELVING SYSTEM FOR THE MARKET VENDORS TO DISPLAY THEIR MERCHANDISE TURNED INTO THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING. THE PURPOSE OF THE SHELVING THEREFORE SERVED ANOTHER PURPOSE THAN JUST DISPLAY, BUT THAT OF WHAT PEOPLE WOULD SEE FROM THE STREET AND GARDE. WANTING TO KEEP THE VISIBILITY FROM BOTH SIDES POROUS THE PLACING OF THE SHELVING WOULD BE DENSE AND THEN OPEN. THE OUTER SIDE WITH LIGHT WOOD MATERIAL TURNED INTO THE DENSE SHELVING TO ALLOW A SENSE OF CONTRAST TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE OTHER SIDE WITH DARKER WOOD MATERIAL HAS THE SHELVING SYSTEM GOING ACROSS IN A LESS DENSE AND MORE OPEN DISPLAY. ALL THE WHILE BEING SURROUNDED BY A GLASS FACADE TO BRING A FEELING OF STILL BEING OUT IN THE GARDEN
VI EW FROM THE GARDEN
F I R S T F LO O R P LAN E L I Z A B E TH S T R E E T
MOTT STREET
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
E L I Z A B E TH S T R E E T
THIRD FLOOR PLAN
E L I Z A B E TH S T R E E T
MOTT STREET
PROGRAM DIAGRAM
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INTERIOR 1. J U I C E B A R 2. C O R E A N D C I R C U L A T I O N 3. O P E N / S E A T I N G A R E A 4. C O F F E E S H O P
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INTERIOR INTERSECTING PATHWAYS 1. S E A T I N G A R E A 2. C O R E A N D C I R C U L A T I O N 3. S T O R E / M E R C H A N D I S E SET UP
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INTERIOR INTERSECTING PATHWAYS 1. L O U N G E A R E A 2. C O R E A N D C I R C U L A T I O N 3. S T O R E / M E R C H A N D I S E SET UP
VIEWS FROM MAIN HALLWAYS
ELEVATION FROM ELIZABETH STREET
FIRST FLOOR VIEW OF GARDEN
1. O U T E R F A C A D E TO ADD DENSITY
2. D E N S E L A Y E R O F SHELVING ADDED TO OUTER FACADE
3. O P E N L A Y E R O F SHELVING ADDED TO INNER FACADE
4. S T E E L S T R U C T U R E RUNS THROUGH SHELVES
5. F L O O R P L A T E S A D D E D
6. G L A S S A R O U N D F A C A D E
VIEWS OF SHOP SET UP
VIEWS OF SHOP SET UP
VIEW OF COFFEE SHOP ON FIRST FLOOR
VIEW OF SECOND FLOOR SEATING AREA
REFLECTION
OVERALL I THINK THAT DESIGNING THIS MARKET AND GREEN SPACE FOR NOLITA WAS A SUCCESSFUL WAY OF CREATING A SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT, IN DESIGN THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER. THE FACADE OF THE MARKET WAS MADE OUT OF THE DESIGNED SHELVING SYSTEM, ONE THING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED WOULD BE TO INCORPORATE OTHER WAYS OF DISPLAYING MERCHANDISE IN ORDER TO ALLOW MY SPACE TO BECOME A LITTLE MORE “CHAOTIC” TO RESEMBLE THE FEELING OF MY MARKET PRECEDENT STUDIES IN SPAIN AND THAILAND. ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER WOULD BE TO FIND A WAY IN WHICH THE SIDEWALK AND STREET CAN BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE MARKET AS THE GARDEN IS. MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL I WOULD REVISIT THE THOUGHT OF THE OVERALL FACADE BEING STRICTLY GLASS. THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TRANSLUCENT GLASS IN SOME AREAS OF THE FACADE WOULD HELP THE IDEA OF THE FACADE CHANGING FROM DENSE TO OPEN. ADDING ARES OF TRANSLUCENT GLASS TO WHERE THE DARK WOOD SHELVING TAKE PLACE WOULD ADD A SENSE OF CONTRAST TO WHAT THE OTHER SYSTEM OF SHELVING HAS, MAKING IT LOOK MORE LIKE A WALL BUT AT THE SAME TIME ALLOWING LIGHT TO COME IN TO THE INTERIOR SPACE.