PUBLIC FRAMEWORK ACTIVATING KAI TAK RIVER
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ABOUT UIWE
TEAM
UiWE is a Copenhagen-based cultural design agency. We create deep, rooted design solutions to social and cultural challenges – for cities, organisations and companies. Our core expertise is understanding and developing relations between physical places and social interaction.In our work we strive to unite site-specific qualities and resources with ambitious, original and valuecreating solutions. We call our approach ‘culture design’ because sustainable solutions stems from a holistic understanding of how people act, interact and communicate with one another.
Christian Pagh Louise Flach de Neergard Rike Gloy Grace Choy Hana Kim Morten Wibrand
TABLE OF [CONTENTS] PUBLIC FRAMEWORK 3 Realizing the Potential of Public Space
4
The Frame as a Game Changer
6
A Toolkit for Experimentation 8 KAI TAK RIVER 9 Kai Tak River - a Habitat
14
Challenges and Potential by the Kai Tak River
16
Making the Kai Tak River a True Public Space
18
Framing the Kai Tak River 22 USER MANUAL 25 8 Modules 26 Materials 28 Joints 29 Guide to Construction 30 Construction - Inner Part 32 Logo 32
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[PUBLIC FRAMEWORK]
UPS
REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF [PUBLIC SPACE]
The space between buildings can be used in a smarter way by sharing space and allowing for new types of uses.
SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SPACE
COMMUNITY GROUPS
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SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SPACE RESIDENTS
PUBLIC SPACE
RESIDENTS
COMMUNITY GROUPS
COMMUNITY GROUPS
SCHOOLS
PUBLIC SPACE RESIDENTS
Traditional ways of planning and management focus on
In public space, functions consist of mostly driving, wal-
lenge to use public space for public purposes. However,
take place inside buildings or courtyards.
traffic and commercial interests making it a political chal-
even in very dense urban areas, a lot of space remains unused and unproductive. The space between buildings
can be used in a smarter way by sharing space and al-
king, and shopping. Learning, playing, and recreation
Why not bring it out?
lowing for new types of uses.
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[THE FRAME] AS A GAME CHANGER
Introducing a frame in public space can designate an area to different kinds of use than what is expected. The Public Framework is a tool to create, sustain and
of a specific space, The Public Framework shows how
The Public Framework outlines public areas and opens
and interesting
share public places. With a simple construction system,
them up for a range of users. By the concrete designation
6 | PUBLIC FRAMEWORK
public space can become more accommodating, playful
BASIC FRAME
SOFTENED FRAME
OPENED FRAME
FRAME ELEMENTS
Why a frame? Why a frame? A frame has one special characteristic: it
It can grant (temporary) ownership to a school, a commu-
them. A frame is a perspective and can change the way
mal place for experiments and co-creation. It can create
delimits actions, objects and people and thereby defines we perceive things. A frame delimits the work for art from
what’s around it. This is what Marcel Duchamp notorious-
ly showed when he put a urinal display as work of art in 1917. He asked: what frame is the world of art? And he
nity group or an artist collective. It can become an infora meeting point for community activities amidst the com-
mercial activities. In that sense, a frame – though often (mis)understood as repressive – can be quite liberating.
pointed to how we, without even thinking about it, frame
In this case, the frame is a very pragmatic tool to open up
roducing a frame in public space can designate an area
of urban space.
what we perceive, according to the specific context. Intto different kinds of use than what is expected.
urban space to new uses – and to offer new perspectives
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A [TOOLKIT] FOR EXPERIMENTATION
Within the Public Framework, schools, residents, and community actors can share the use and production of public space.
8 | PUBLIC FRAMEWORK
The Public Framework can be put together in various
Granting the rights to use vacant land to local institutions
for artistic production, community projects, and a variety
gets more quality, and the institutions and residents get
ways and can be set up both vertically and horizontally of other functions. Within the Public Framework, schools, residents, and community actors can share the use actors can share the use and production of public space. and production of public space.
or residents creates a win-win situation: the public space more space to use and enjoy. The Public Framework is a
do-it-yourself test kit that planners, institutions, and assocations can experiment with.
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[KAI TAK RIVER]
12 | PUBLIC FRAMEWORK
The Kai Tak River can be greener and integrate the surrounding public spaces and community actors. Opening leftover urban spaces for community engagement can contribute significantly to the quality of the Kai Tak River, allowing the elderly and the children to use the public space in new ways.
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KAI TAK RIVER - A [HABITAT]
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[CHALLENGES AND POTENTIAL] BY THE KAI TAK RIVER
The Kai Tak River can be a classroom, a garden, a meeting point, or an exhibition space for all to benifit from. ACTIVATE LEFTOVER SPACES The banks of the Kai Tak River offer a variety of unused spaces.
INTEGRATE DIFFERENT USES
Spaces are rarely used for more purposes
than one, nor are they shared by users.
16 | PUBLIC FRAMEWORK
OPEN UP INSTITUTIONS
The social potential of the schools and associations is kept out of public space.
The reconstruction of the Kai Tak River offers a chance to
adjacent public areas intelligently can support everyday
ling different institutions to share the river space is crucial
room, a garden, a meeting point, or an exhibition space
create public spaces that support the community. Enabin this development. Redesigning the riverbanks and the
TAKE DOWN BARRIERS
Barriers occupy much of space that could be used better.
life for the community. The Kai Tak River can be a classfor all to benifit from.
SHARE SOCIAL SPACES
The Kai Tak River has many social spaces - but
they are often barred from the public space.
USE THE SPACE BETWEEN
Around institutions and by walk-
ways, much space is left unused.
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MAKING THE KAI TAK RIVER A TRUE [PUBLIC SPACE]
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If shared, public spaces and semi-public spaces can be used much more intelligently. The unused sidewalk can be somebody’s garden. The park can spill into the walkway. The river can be an outdoor classroom and a community square. Opening up areas between streets, parks, and institutions along the Kai Tak River can create a much richer urban landscape.
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[FRAMING] THE KAI TAK RIVER
The framework is a tool for trying out new ways of using and sharing public space. In the Kai Tak River context, The Public Framework can
new ways of using and sharing public space. It can be
ry. Here, projects and ideas can be tested on a one-to-
outdoor learning spaces – or something altogether diffe-
define the riverbanks as an experimental urban laboratoone scale. The framework is therefore a tool for trying out
formed into shared community gardens, art exhibitions, rent, subject to the creativity of the users.
PUBLIC FRAMEWORK | URBAN GARDENS
of parks, backsides of buildings, and the like, offering a
by residents or other stakeholders along the Kai Tak Ri-
tion for the community.
The Public Framework can enclose urban gardens used ver. The gardens can be created by the river, by borders
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platform to experience nature, plants, and food produc-
PUBLIC FRAMEWORK | OUTDOOR EDUCATION
The Public Framework grants schools the chance to use
an outdoor education area in collaboration with the local
activities can spread out in the community for mutual be-
The Public Framework can support the Kai Tak River as schools’ science departments and other stakeholders.
the river as a site for educational purposes. The schools’ nefit.
PUBLIC FRAMEWORK | OPEN-AIR EXHIBITION
school projects, and community communication. A range
tes along the river. The simple frame structure allows for
for communication.
The Public Framework can enable open-air exhibition siboth established, curated artists as well as local artists,
of frames on the riverbank creates a clear public surface
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22 | PUBLIC FRAMEWORK
Introducing the Public Framework by the river creates a reference point for the community. The content can come from schools, curated shows, or thematic exhibitions. With a low-cost set up, the public framework offers an easy way to strengthen community cohesion. It grants visibility to activities that are normally invisible in the public realm.
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[USER MANUAL]
[8 MODULES]
TOP VIEW 200 140 30
30 80
MODULE 1
30
MODULE 2
MODULE 3
MODULE 4
MODULE 5
MODULE 6
MODULE 7
a
b
MODULE 8
a
b
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SIDE VIEW 200 140 30
30 80
30
a
b
a
b
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[MATERIALS] As materials for the prototype, we propose corruga-
Framework both eco-friendly and waterproof. The modu-
plastic could be a solution in order to keep the Public
moulding to get rounded edges.
ted cardboard. For the longer lasting version, recycled
les could probably be produced by the technique of blow
Recycled Plastic
Wooden Sticks (5 cm Ă˜)
28 | PUBLIC FRAMEWORK
Currogated Cardboard (approx thickness 1 cm)
[JOINTS] The modules will be joined together on their short sides.
Here they have cutout holes with a diameter of 5 cm.
Simple wooden sticks are the joints to put two pieces together.
Holes
+
Sticks
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GUIDE TO [CONSTRUCTION]
MODULE 1
2x
30
30
30 80
One piece of corrugated cardboard all the way around.
140
30
307 This principle (2 walls, 1 long bended piece all around) does also work for the MODULES 2,4 and 5.
MODULE 3
Same principle for MODULE 6
30 132
275
40
103
30 132
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275
40
103
MODULE 7
30
30 30
60
101
41
90
41
30
MODULE 8
101
30 60
30
30
90
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[CONSTRUCTION] INNER PART
Crossed parts of cardboard inside the MODULES to stabilize the construction.
[LOGO] The logo for The Public Framework was originated from the shapes of the modules and the letter „P“. The logo will
Public Framework
+
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be stamped out on each module to amplify the recognition value of The Public Framework.