SEVEN G A S S TAT I O N S OF CAMBRIDGE
V IV IAN HO IN KUONG
S E V E N G A S S TAT I O N S O F C A M B R I D G E V IV IAN HO IN KUONG
TABLE OF CONTENTS I
Intro
4
II
Seven Gas Stations of Cambridge (A ,B,C,D)
6
III
(Dis)honest Structure (E,F)
36
IV
The Afterlife (A’,B’, C’, D’)
52
V
The New Interior (E’,F’)
82
VI
Old and New (G, G’)
98
VII
Outro
224
6
I
7
INTRO
The gas station canopy is a duck that looks like a shed, or a shed that becomes a duck. The canopy is at the same time a sign and a shelter, an identity and a place. Each gas station is unique, yet ordinary. The beauty of the simple and (dis)honest structure of each station’s canopy decorates street corners in every city. If self-driving and electric cars are on their way to becoming mainstream mode of transportation, what is to become of gas stations become over the next twenty years? Might these once-glamorous canopies become obsolete, urban ruins? Without its pumps and gasoline-run vehicles, what kind of afterlife is in store for the stations’ canopies? What is the future of the these gateways? In the Spring 2019 I conducted an independent study project with Tom dePaor and used seven local gas stations to address and explore the questions above.
8
II
9
SEVEN GAS STATIONS OF CAMBRIDGE
This chapter contains a depiction of each gas station in its current state, with as-built plan and elevation drawings, and a comments from Google Review. The essential information of each gas station is also provided in this chapter, eg :address, opening hour, and phone number. 001 Magazine Beach Shell 002 Shell Memorial Drive 003 Speedway 004 Mobil 005 Broadway 006 Shell Cambridge St 007 Sunoco
10
0 0 1
magazin e beach sh ell
11
0 0 1
4m
site plan
8m
12
s e ven gas station s of cambridge
0 0 1
1m
2m
plan
magazin e beach sh ell
13
0 0 1
1m
elevation s
2m
14
0 0 2
sh ell memorial drive
15
0 0 2
4m
site plan
8m
16
s e ven gas station s of cambridge
0 0 2
1m
2m
plan
sh ell memorial drive
17
0 0 2
1m
elevation s
2m
18
0 0 3
speedway
19
0 0 3
4m
site plan
8m
20
s e ven gas station s of cambridge
0 0 3
1m
2m
plan
speedway
21
0 0 3
1m
elevation s
2m
22
0 0 4
mobil
23
0 0 4
4m
site plan
8m
24
s e ven gas station s of cambridge
0 0 4
1m
2m
plan
mobil
25
0 0 4
1m
elevation s
2m
26
0 0 5
broadway
27
0 0 5
4m
site plan
8m
28
s e ven gas station s of cambridge
0 0 5
1m
2m
plan
broadway
29
0 0 5
1m
elevation s
2m
30
0 0 6
sh ell cambridge st
31
0 0 6
4m
site plan
8m
32
s e ven gas station s of cambridge
0 0 6
1m
2m
plan
sh ell cambridge st
33
0 0 6
1m
elevation s
2m
34
0 0 7
su n oco
35
0 0 7
4m
site plan
8m
36
s e ven gas station s of cambridge
0 0 7
1m
2m
plan
su n oco
37
0 0 7
1m
elevation s
2m
38
III
39
(DIS)HONEST STRUCTURE
This chapter examines the paradoxical thick roof and thin structure of each gas station. The iconic thick canopy is paradoxically made of the minimum and most efficient steel structure. This contrast of thickness and thiness is explored through the drawing of bird’s eye and worm’s eye axonomometric drawing.
40
(dis)h on est stru ctu re
0 0 1
worm’s eye
magazin e beach sh ell
41
0 0 1
brid’s eye
42
(dis)h on est stru ctu re
0 0 2
worm’s eye
sh ell memorial drive
43
0 0 2
brid’s eye
44
(dis)h on est stru ctu re
0 0 3
worm’s eye
speedway
45
0 0 3
brid’s eye
46
(dis)h on est stru ctu re
0 0 4
worm’s eye
mobil
47
0 0 4
brid’s eye
48
(dis)h on est stru ctu re
0 0 5
worm’s eye
broadway
49
0 0 5
brid’s eye
50
(dis)h on est stru ctu re
0 0 6
worm’s eye
sh ell cambridge st
51
0 0 6
brid’s eye
52
(dis)h on est stru ctu re
0 0 7
worm’s eye
su n oco
53
0 0 7
brid’s eye
54
IV
55
THE AFTER LIFE
This chapter provides an imagination of a future use of the canopies after they have become ruins in the city. Each of the canopies is given a new program and new life through different architectural interventions. This chapter illustrates these envisioned futures through orthogonal drawings: the plan, section and elevation. 001 Shell Petrol Museum 002 Shell Art Gallery 003 Speedway Church 004 Mobil Changing Room 005 Broadway Sushi Bar 006 Shell Yoga and Bar 007 Sunoco Pet Salon
56
0 0 1
sh ell petrol mu seu m
57
0 0 1
1m
2m
58
th e after life
0 0 1
1m
2m
elevation
sh ell petrol mu seu m
59
0 0 1
1m
section
2m
60
0 0 2
sh ell art gallery
61
0 0 2
1m
2m
62
th e after life
0 0 2
1m
2m
sh ell art gallery
63
0 0 2
1m
2m
64
0 0 3
speedway ch u rch
65
0 0 3
1m
2m
66
th e after life
0 0 3
1m
2m
speedway ch u rch
67
0 0 3
1m
2m
68
0 0 4
mobil ch an gin g room
69
0 0 4
1m
2m
70
th e after life
0 0 4
1m
2m
mobil ch an gin g room
71
0 0 4
1m
2m
72
0 0 5
broadway su sh i bar
73
0 0 5
1m
2m
74
th e after life
0 0 5
1m
2m
broadway su sh i bar
75
0 0 5
1m
2m
76
0 0 6
su n oco pet salon
77
0 0 6
1m
2m
78
th e after life
0 0 6
1m
2m
sh ell yoga an d bar
79
0 0 6
1m
2m
80
0 0 7
su n oco pet salon
81
0 0 7
1m
2m
82
th e after life
0 0 7
1m
2m
plan
su n oco pet salon
83
0 0 7
1m
elevation s
2m
84
0 0 1
V
85
THE NEW INTERIOR
The once exterior canopies are given a new interior. Through the addition of walls, ceiling, window, and so forth, the spaces under each canopy are given a new identity and function. This chapter explores these architectural intervention through the drawing of bird eye’s and worm eye’s axonometric drawings.
0 0 1
86
th e n ew in terior
0 0 1
plan
sh ell art gallery
87
0 0 1
elevation s
88
th e n ew in terior
plan
sh ell art gallery
elevation s
89
90
0 0 3
th e n ew in terior
sh ell art gallery
91
0 0 3
92
0 0 3
th e n ew in terior
sh ell art gallery
93
0 0 4 3
94
0 0 3
th e n ew in terior
sh ell art gallery
95
0 0 3
96
0 0 3
th e n ew in terior
sh ell art gallery
97
0 0 3
98
0 0 3
th e n ew in terior
sh ell art gallery
99
0 0 3
1 00
VI
101
OLD AND NEW
2020 and 2040, MMXX and MMXL This chapter combines the current state of each gas station together with a speculation of its canopy in the 2040.Each leftside image is a depiction of the present, or maybe past. The right-side iamge is an imagined scenario, an expectation, or just a dream.
1 02
M M XX
0 0 1
magazin e beach sh ell
M M XL
103
5
0 0 1
sh ell petrol mu seu m
1 04
M M XX
0 0 2
sh ell memorial drive
M M XL
105
0 0 2
sh ell art gallery
1 06
M M XX
0 0 3
speedway
M M XL
107
0 0 3
speedway ch u rch
1 08
M M XX
0 0 4
mobil
M M XL
109
0 0 4
mobil ch an gin g room
110
M M XX
0 0 5
broadway
M M XL
111
0 0 5
broadway su sh i bar
112
M M XX
0 0 6
sh ell cambridge st
M M XL
113
0 0 6
sh ell yoga an d bar
114
M M XX
0 0 7
su n oco
M M XL
115
0 0 7
su n oco pet salon
116
VII
117
OUTRO
In December 2019, the Sunoco Gas Station (007) was demolished. The demolition of these urban canopy seems to be inevitable as the development of the city pairs with the decline of gasoline-fueld automobile. In the face of a similar future for these six canopies as 007, this book serves as a space for their alternatives fantasies, imaginations, and futures to take place.
The content of this book was exhibited at the Harvard Graduate School of Design 2F Student Wall from 11/03/2019-11/10/2019. Special Thanks: Tom dePaor Kevin Chong Jessica Lim Milos Mladenovic Gabriel Lam Catherine Choi