Gas Stations of Cambridge

SEVEN GAS S TAT I O N S OF CAMBRIDGE VIVIAN HO IN K U ON G

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

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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

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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.

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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

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0 0 1

11

magazin e beach sh ell

0 0 1

4m

site plan

8m

12

s e ven gas station s of cambridge

0 0 1

1m

2m

plan

13

magazin e beach sh ell

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

17

sh ell memorial drive

0 0 2

1m

elevation s

2m

18

0 0 3

19

speedway

0 0 3

4m

site plan

8m

20

s e ven gas station s of cambridge

0 0 3

1m

2m

plan

speedway

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0 0 3

1m

elevation s

2m

22

0 0 4

23

mobil

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

27

broadway

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

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sh ell cambridge st

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

35

su n oco

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.

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(dis)h on est stru ctu re

0 0 1

worm’s eye

magazin e beach sh ell

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0 0 1

brid’s eye

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(dis)h on est stru ctu re

0 0 2

worm’s eye

sh ell memorial drive

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0 0 2

brid’s eye

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(dis)h on est stru ctu re

0 0 3

worm’s eye

speedway

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0 0 3

brid’s eye

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(dis)h on est stru ctu re

0 0 4

worm’s eye

mobil

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0 0 4

brid’s eye

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(dis)h on est stru ctu re

0 0 5

worm’s eye

broadway

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0 0 5

brid’s eye

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(dis)h on est stru ctu re

0 0 6

worm’s eye

sh ell cambridge st

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0 0 6

brid’s eye

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(dis)h on est stru ctu re

0 0 7

worm’s eye

su n oco

53

0 0 7

brid’s eye

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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

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0 0 1

sh ell petrol mu seu m

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0 0 1

1m

2m

58

th e after life

0 0 1

1m

2m

elevation

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sh ell petrol mu seu m

0 0 1

1m

section

2m

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0 0 2

sh ell art gallery

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0 0 2

1m

2m

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th e after life

0 0 2

1m

2m

sh ell art gallery

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0 0 2

1m

2m

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0 0 3

speedway ch u rch

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0 0 3

1m

2m

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th e after life

0 0 3

1m

2m

speedway ch u rch

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0 0 3

1m

2m

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0 0 4

mobil ch an gin g room

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0 0 4

1m

2m

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th e after life

0 0 4

1m

2m

mobil ch an gin g room

71

0 0 4

1m

2m

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0 0 5

broadway su sh i bar

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0 0 5

1m

2m

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th e after life

0 0 5

1m

2m

broadway su sh i bar

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0 0 5

1m

2m

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0 0 6

su n oco pet salon

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0 0 6

1m

2m

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th e after life

0 0 6

1m

2m

sh ell yoga an d bar

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0 0 6

1m

2m

80

0 0 7

su n oco pet salon

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0 0 7

1m

2m

82

th e after life

0 0 7

1m

2m

plan

83

su n oco pet salon

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

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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

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0 0 4 3

94

0 0 3

th e n ew in terior

sh ell art gallery

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0 0 3

96

0 0 3

th e n ew in terior

sh ell art gallery

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0 0 3

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0 0 3

th e n ew in terior

sh ell art gallery

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0 0 3

1 00

VI

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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

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0 0 4

mobil ch an gin g room

110

M M XX

0 0 5

broadway

M M XL

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0 0 5

broadway su sh i bar

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M M XX

0 0 6

sh ell cambridge st

M M XL

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0 0 6

sh ell yoga an d bar

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M M XX

0 0 7

su n oco

M M XL

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0 0 7

su n oco pet salon

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VII

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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