Ryan Lai
Stevensen Square Climbing Tower The Stevensen Square Climbing Tower is an intervention in the northern quarter of manchester that aims to provide opportunity and encourage people to participate in rockclimbing and climbing activities in general.
Site Stevensen Square Located in Northern Quarter in Manchester. In the 19th century Stevensen Square became popular with open-air speakers, and was a meeting place and starting point for processions. After decades of transformation, Stevensen Square is now surrounded by soley commercial building and is the creative hub of the city.
Bus: Warwick Street (Stop EM), Thomas Street, Piccadilly Gardens (Stop E) Tram: Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens Train: Manchester Piccadilly
(Photographed by author)
Site Analysis Building Height
(Observation Drawing)
16 m
8m
(Building Height Diagram)
Site Analysis -Sun & Shade
1st Jul 12:00 pm
1st Jul 15:00 pm
1st Oct 12:00 pm
1st Oct 15:00 pm
1st Jan 12:00 pm
1st Jan 15:00 pm
Site Analysis - Site Details & Movement Traffic Pedestrian Trees & Structures 6 zones of potential sites
Site Analysis Final site Selection OPTION 1,2,3,4: Too close to the seating area (Obstruct sun light, and the height of the structure might make people in the seating area uncomfortable). OPTION 5,6: 5 is in a more prominent position as it boarders the main street, and the presence of trees can also be utilised. The final site is decided to be area number 5.
Precedent Seljord Watch Tower - Rintala Eggertsson Architects, Seljord, Norway, 2008
Seljord Watch Tower is an elegant structure designed with the intention to blend in, and cause minimal disruption to the picturesque landscape. This precedent directly inspired my design concept. The sketches on the upper right shows the design concept. It uses the trees to separate spacial functions (Viewing & Exhibit). The sketches on the lower right is my design concept that was inspired. I overlapped the elevation of my imagined structure with that of the trees, and split the space into 3: Tree trunk part - passage Tree canopy part - playing The rest - Viewing
Plan with context trees (ArchDaily)
(ArchDaily)
Design Sketches The key design sketches ideas are from using the space behind the climbing wall as a watch tower. This way more people can be serviced by this intervention.
Sketch
The multipurpose approach became the core concpet as I realised it is key to successful destination-making.
Further Sketch
Sketch model
Design Concept Using the spacial function concept inspired by the 2nd precendent, I develop the sketches further. Using the elevation of tree to create 3 types of spaces: 1: Viewing 2. Climbing (Playing) 3. Passage
(Concept Diagram)
(Concept Sketch)
Thinking through Modelling The climbing facade design allows inserting climbing elements, And thus allows various climbing path to be created.
The sketches for model (left), and the material used for the modelling of the climbing net (down).
Final Plan 1 : 50
Final Section 1 : 50
Final Perspective