CASE STUDIES

Rome's

Alexander Robinson's use of sketches to depict myths is like a clue board for a crime mystery, where clues are unearthed and shown to be connected.

I was motivated by his actions and wanted to do a detective-like investigation of my project and extract the most valuable clues. I learned from his quick expressions to show my thoughts.

Below are sketches he made during the project to show the dynamic system of the site and are great ways to fast express design ideas.

The poster is an exploration of memories. I searched for interviews and narratives of people who once worked in or lived near the River Clyde. I found two figures who were both welders in Glasgow shipyards. They are outstanding representatives of the resilient spirit of the working class.

Robert Fullerton is a Scottish poet. He began crafting poems while working at the shipyard, finding his dark, solitary days provided the 'perfect thinking laboratory' for mining words (Callum, 2015). Billy Connolly was initially a folk singer after his leave from the shipyard, and then a stand-up comedian. He said, "Without the shipyards, I would never have been a comedian."

Time in the age of industrial activities was rigid, while the resilience of the working class brought vitality to the darkness. In the KGVD project, I wanted to present the audience with a story based on these memories to represent a counter to the rigid time and the contemporary.

I have developed a deeper understanding of the local context through this work. I believe that exploring memories can be the foundation and source of inspiration for a landscape architect's projects. However, this approach is subjective and not always understandable to everyone.

These sketches are my thoughts on the landscape installations. I wanted to fast estimate the scale and proportions of these spaces to mimic how people would interact and perceive each of them. I intended to use heavy materials such as iron and concrete in conjunction with the place's memory to bring about a sense of peace and calm, counter to the industrial era's succumbing to the rigidity of time.

By drawing these diagrams, I realised that when translating ideas into a design strategy, it is sensible not to be overly figurative and straightforward, to be mysterious and to leave room for reverie, which makes a landscape place artistic. Nevertheless, artificial landscapes that inspire memory and imagination have the subjective flavour of the landscape architect, sometimes are difficult to be defined as good or bad.

23 Viewing platform sketches

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

24 Three-dimensional analysis

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

25 Viewing platform area section

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

There are continuing industrial activities and industrial relics on the opposite bank, which provides an excellent opportunity to recall the industrial past.

The double viewing balcony is my attempt based on the original topography. The sketches are tools to quickly record my ideas while the renderings are targeted at communicating the designed spatial experience to the audience.

This strategy is subjective as I am not sure that the viewers will associate with what I have set out to create and they possibly won't understand my intentions. I believe it is wise to respect the original topography and minimise the intervention in some landscape projects. Some landscape architects and audiences, by contrast, assume that design is about moving earthwork and that it is only effective if notable changes have been undertaken. In my view, respect for the earth is the basis of a good design.

26 'Enframed scenery' rendering Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

27 'Dark space' rendering Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

28 'Welding helmet' rendering Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

29 Viewing balcony rendering Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

30 kaleidoscope installation sketch

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 1, 2021

31 Artificial fog sketch

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 1, 2021

32 Rudder square sketch

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 1, 2021

33 Sound collectors sketch

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 1, 2021

34 Ruin Garden masterplan

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 1, 2021

Govan graving docks are industrial relics that feature prominently in shipbuilding and have been left neglected for decades. These sketches represent my thoughts on the recall of shipbuilding-related memories, including the creation of various sensorial experiences.

The interactive installations will undoubtedly be interesting, but on the other hand, they may be incomprehensible. They fit in small-scale gardens, but not so much in urban designs. Others argue that new technologies will destroy the crumbling beauty of the ruins. I hold the view that respecting the specificity of different sites is a vital element in landscaping while design won't satisfy everyone.

35

FILM: "MODERN RUIN: A WORLD'S FAIR PAVILION"

36 Modern Ruin: New York World's Fair Pavilion

Photography, Philip Johnson, 2014

37 New York World's Fair Pavilion in the present day

Photography, Silva's Kickstarter, 2014

38 New York World's Fair Pavilion

Photography, Philip Johnson, 2014

The film tells the story of the Pavilion from the glory days, going through the 50 years of neglect, up to contemporary advocacy. It is to raise public awareness and re-imagination of Flushing Meadows Corona Park and lead to its regeneration.

The producer Matthew Silva says, “It would be a shame if its story ended in demolition. The dreamers see beyond the cracks, rust, and neglect to a thriving community space that will serve New Yorkers for generations” (Matthew, 2015).

Glasgow's industrial past is a precious heritage of the city, which deserved to be re-examined and integrated into modern society with new forms of existence.

The conservation of modern ruins is ultimately the preservation of culture. Public attitudes to ruins are diverse. The design and transformation of ruins are constantly under public scrutiny and the public perception is a risk, which is stressful and challenging for landscape architects.