Final Journal

Open publication - Free publishing - More urban

Final Panels

Open publication - Free publishing - More urban

Open publication - Free publishing - More urban

Open publication - Free publishing - More urban

Final - and very delayed - Post

It has been awhile since my last post so before I upload the final journal for this porject i shall recap the last few weeks of the semester.

URBAN PARK
Following the various precedent studies into urban ladscapes, I settled on a way forward for the topography of the urban parkland  - based on the 3rd experiment done prior to the studies - largely because that one did more with the topography, which was necessary for the significance of the site.

Once this decision was made it was much easier to move forward.

Another challenge that cam up was the connection between theMarine Base and Urabn Park, which was tested and tried before the final design was settled on, resulting in a simple connection of materiality.

MARINE BASE
The planning for the marine base didnt change much although the advice givien at the interim review to simply and rationalise was taken and the base simplified to one level rather than two.

The other significant move forward was in the realm of materiality - I was always felt the materials and window stratergy we akward together - but in going back the marine origins and considering how copper an timber were used in boat building, a solution became clear - copper shell with timber interiors.  - this also allowed a more cohesive rationalisation of the door and window configurations.

The other move forward related to the loosening of the tigth orthoganal geometry and while I was a little hesitant at first  - as i explored and experimented with notion of the copper shell as having a certain ribbon like quality, it allowed for some opportunities to strenghten and celebrate the material language.

Then things moved into the production phase - which was fraught with many things going wrong at inconvinient times - but alls well that ends well!!


FINAL PRESENTATION

Unfortunately my presentation fell in the gap between critics, so i only had Danielle Pinet - but no matter.

I definatley felt I presented much better than last time  - much m,ore cohesive and thought out - i think it helped i had thought about this while putting panels together so they were organised in an appropriate order.

FEEDBACK

2 main comments were returned.

Firstly that the weak spot was the connection between the first ang ground floor volumes. And this i acknowledge and agree with as i have struggled with it the whole semester - and while it can certainly be improved, it is much better than it was before!

The other was that i was trying to do too many different things in the one building. This one I'm a little unconvinced about  - and perhaps it was a communication issu - or emphasis in the wrong places - but nonetheless, were i to continue with the project would certianly consider this in more detail.


Towards the exhibition!!

Glebe Foreshore Walk/JMD Design

Rather than a single park, this project covers the Sydney Harbour foreshore walk along over 2km of the Glebe shoreline linking 4 parks, as well as smaller intermittent spaces. In doing so a number of strategies are utilised in dealing with the different existing conditions that arise of the length of the walk, and the varied interactions that occur with the water. The project was designed by JMD Design and was completed in November 2006.

Urban Context

The Glebe foreshore walk is located on the shoreline of Blackwattle Bay, a largely industrial bay of Sydney Harbour. The immediate context is small scale residential development, with the with commercial and industrial at either end of the foreshore walk. The walk is anticipated to be a part of the 17km long Sydney Harbour Foreshore promenade stretching from Woolloomooloo to Rozelle Bay once a number of other missing links are instituted including at Bank Street.

By and large the walk is separated from an immediate urban context, and the only twice does the path come into specific contact with architecture, being the historical Bellevue House located within the centre of Blackwattle Park. In the construction of the walk, existing vegetation was cleared between the house and the water re-establishing the links between the house and the harbour.

Natural Context

The Glebe Foreshore Walk responds to it's natural context with the various insertions, and additions being responsive to the natural conditions of the site, such as the provision of stairs to a natural sand deposit that is exposed at low tide, the provision of a mangrove habitat on existing mud flats and the integration of the many existing fig and other trees along the walk. The walk also consistently uses the natural context to mediate between the harbour and the residential environment with regular bio-swales that deal with stormwater from the local streets on its way to the harbour.

Movement and Connections

The movement along the Glebe Foreshore Walk is predominantly in a single linear path than forms the main promenade and defines the direction and connection of the various parks and locations to each other. This main path is set back from the existing sea wall in response to practical requirements by NSW Maritime but also as a means of displaying the sea wall as a historic and aesthetic object.

Secondary paths are then utilised, often with a material difference, to connect the main path to urban streets and access points, as well as the more intimate spaces created along to walk in response to the natural conditions.

Order and Objects

The main identifiable objects that the Glebe Foreshore Walk respond to and make use of are many of the existing conditions of the site both natural and urban, such as significant trees and coves, the existing sea wall and the historical Bellevue House. The main promenade meanders along the shoreline interacting with these objects when they come into contact,

 
Plane Manipulation

The ground plane of the path largely follows the existing topography of the site, being raised up slightly from the height of the existing sea wall. When the promenade opens out to a park it is often the lower point of a slope of varying degrees and treatments. The various treatments range from a gradual turfed slope, to retaining walls, to terraced gardens, to paved steps depending on the existing urban and natural context. At other points the promenade becomes the high point with secondary paths and stairs leading down to an intermediary platform or the water. By and large the manipulation of the ground plane is very subtle and influenced by the natural topography, where the linear journey is more predominant the the secondary vertical journeys.

Light, Colour, Texture

Variation of light is largely dependent on the trees within the locality. Unlike the other precedents which trees are new, the Glebe Foreshore Walk, makes use of many existing and mature trees some set back from the water front, others right alongside, allowing the promenade to experience changes in the light quality throughout the day.

Materials are kept to a minimal and subtle palate with the predominant introduced materials being pre-cast concrete (refer to colour and materials here) timber and some sandstone. The pre-cast concrete uses a quartz mixed sand in order to obtain a warmer colour and slight sparkle that relates well to existing sandstone and contrasting to the existing concrete.

A focus exists in revealing the nature of the existing materials of the site, such as the sandstone and the various types of concrete that have been used in the area over the years. The differing aggregates of the these old concretes make for differing characters and these differences are celebrated by remaining and being revealed.

Water Connections

Aside from the constant visual connection with the water that occurs with the promenade following the shoreline, the Glebe Foreshore Walk also capitalises on the natural context with the introduction of numerous and varying opportunities of further interaction with the water. These include a boat launching beach and pontoon, viewing platforms on the waters edge, access down to naturally occurring low tide beaches, occurrences of incidental seating.

It is important to recognise that some of these more deliberate water interactions are located on secondary paths,. Requiring a decision or purpose to engage with them physically, such that these interactions are afforded to the public not demanded of them. The promenade along the shore already offers an increase in dialogue with the water, and these further interactions offer the public the opportunity to take that one or many steps further.

Relevance to Bank Street Boat Park

The Glebe Foreshore Walk is relevant on two fronts. Firstly the fact that it is part of the same greater Sydney Harbour Foreshore walk, means that there is a physical relationship between the two projects, and so they should connect on more levels than simply physical.

Secondly, the many of the intentions of the Glebe Walk are the same as those for Bank Street, primarily the desire to increase and vary peoples interaction and connection to the water they live alongside.

Moreover, the Glebe Walk achieves a sensitive acknowledgment of the existing context without replication with the landscape interventions enhancing the various locations without complete domination. The Glebe Walk also demonstrates the articulation of a wide range of interactions with water, without becoming a theme park and providing them as opportunities rather then ultimatums.

Pirrama Park/ASPECT Studios

Pirrama Park is a 1.8ha park in one of Sydney's major inner city residential and commercial suburbs. After much political wrangling the site of the former Water Police Headquarters was given over to be public land and ASPECT Studios and Hill Thalis Architecture worked together in designing the landscape and architecture involved in the project, which was completed and opened in 2009. The park incorporate play and bbq areas, cafe and amenities, a look out, a sheltered bay, ferry jetty, water board walk, sculptural pole and water garden as well as a range of intimate and larger variable use open spaces and incidental seating.

Urban Context

Located in on the edge of residential/commercial of Pyrmont in Sydney, but surrounded by predominantly residential, but only connected to its urban context at the south end, due to the cliff face on the east (although a stair does run to residential developments on the cliff top) and the foreshore parkland on the north. The major architectural intervention occurs at the southern point, both mediating between the park and the main urban connection as well as the major level change that occurs at this point of the site.

The park connects in the greater urban context by way of the promenade connecting to the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Walk, as well as the ferry connection that occurs between the park and the main CBD.

Natural Context

 Prior to this development the site was a massive concrete slab, used for car and boat parking after the Water Police Headquarters was relocated to this end, the park is a massive improvement in the natural context allowing the site to breath and incorporating various water sustainability initiatives including detention tanks and stormwater processing. Alongside these included but largely unseen initiatives is the inclusion of the water and nature playground that allows for children (and adults no doubt!) to interact physically with the landscape

Movement and Connections

Primary paths street and run down the centre of the park with a web of diagonal secondary paths connecting these two parallel paths as well as a secondary path following the waterline. These secondary paths mediate between and stitch the many and varied 'outdoor rooms' that are created by subtle level and material changes.

Order and Objects

Much of the order of the park is defined by the circulation paths, with the trees tending to border these defined spaces creating a sense of enclosure to these' outdoor rooms.'

Some of these 'rooms' have a a more defined program and incorporate objects accordingly such as the childrens play area and pole garden.

While public art is incorporated, it is more by way of sculptural architectural elements such as the look out and the shade structures, rather than dedicated artworks, although the potential for further integration of artworks exist.

Plane Manipulation

No major ground manipulation occur with the natural topography of the site being relatively flat except at the southern end, where a sharp level change occurs. Here a cafe and toilet block are inserted ,mediating not only between the level change but also between the parkland and the city which connects with the park at this southern point.

Varying levels are introduced with subtle topographic changes and platforms in as a means of giving definition to the various 'outdoor rooms' and creating different characteristics for each.

Light, Colour, Texture

The location of the park results in high levels of sunlight through most of the day with little overshadowing from the context. Trees, shade structures and some sculptural elements provide the only means by which the quality and effect of light within the space is variable.

The material palette is subtle with the predominant materials being concrete, timber, grass and paving, with much of the vegetation carrying the subtle tones of natives. These materials are varied in quality in different locations providing different qualities to each of the defined spaces of the park.

Water Connections

The board walk over the water on the north and west side of the park, create an obvious dialogue with the harbour environment, and included with this is a jetty that enables a connection to other parts of the harbour via the water for water taxis and ferries, engaging the public in this park with more than simply the immediate water context but also the greater context of Sydney Harbour.

More uniquely the sheltered bay that has been inserted into the park where land was previously reclaimed, provides a water amphitheatre, and location for potential swimming, but more specifically allows for awareness and experience of the natural tidal movements of water, revealing words carved into the seating at different times of the day as well as revealing the more natural waters edge. Steps down into this bay allow for both visual and physical interaction and contemplation of the harbour that gives so much character to Sydney.

Relevance to Bank Street Boat Park

Pirrama Park is firstly of importance to study as it forms part of the larger Sydney Harbour Foreshore Walk of which Bank Street will also be a part of, and thus needs to be considered and responded to in some way within the Bank Street proposal.

Pirrama Park also provides examples of both active and passive interactions with the water and displays the importance in allowing for both visual and physical connections as well as the portraying the natural characteristics of water, its movement over time and necessity for life.

Olympic Sculpture Park/Weiss + Manfredi

The Olympic Sculpture Park was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects as the result of an international competition, and opened in 2007 and constructed both as a new urban landscape connecting the city and the water as well an outdoor art gallery for the Seattle Art Museum. The development includes gallery pavilion, public terrace amphitheatre numerous permanent and transitional artworks and 3 distinct gardens.

Urban Context

The Olympic Sculpture Park is a very large park comprising of 3 staggered landforms that zig-zag their way from the urban city on the north side (12m up), over both rail line and major road down to the waterside of Elliot Bay . The park essentially forms a green oasis in what is still a largely industrial part of Seattle forging a continuous pedestrian and cycle path from the urban centre to the formerly inaccessible waterfront. In doing so the park has to deal with a significant level change and relate to urbanity, infrastructure and water.

Weiss/Manfredi Architects tackled this challenge by creating an engineered landscape to gradually wend its way down to the waterfront via a zig-zag path, bridging the road and rail, but not enclosing them completely, giving both the pedestrian's drivers and passengers an awareness of the other.

A transparent pavilion with angled grassed roof is located on the high point of the site in, flagging the main urban connection point from the city and transitioning people from the urban built environment to the constructed landscape of the park.

Natural Context

The site in this instance was 3 brownfields sites, previously an oil manufacturing and storage plant, and so no significant natural vegetation existed on the site.

The park incorporates three gardens of distinct character that reflect the native vegetation of the area. A dense evergreen forest in the northwest, a transitional deciduous forest and the large terraced garden of aquatic plants on the waterfront incorporating a new salmon habitat are connected via sloping lawns, providing a nature lesson as visitors make their way down to the waterfront. The journey culminates in a small carefully sheltered beach at the northern end of the park providing a focus and destination, and a very physical interaction with the water, which previously has only been visual.

The park also enhances the public's access to the larger natural context in providing a dynamic location from which vistas of Olympic Mountain and Puget Sound are highly visible.

 

Movement and Connections

The main gravel zig-zag path is defined by the sloping topography as it negotiates the various urban infrastructure in it's journey down to the waterfront. Secondary smaller grain paths meandering paths across the grassy slopes, displaying the artwork within as well as transitioning the visitors through the three main gardens and connecting the road and train line to the park itself.

Order and Objects

The site challenges in negotiating the level change and various infrastructure clearly determines the layout and arrangement of the landscape, so in this instance the urban and natural context are overwhelmingly the drivers of the larger order of the park.

The premise of this park as an art gallery determines the manner in which objects, here artworks, some permanent, others transitory, are placed within the landscape. Placed in order to display each artwork to best advantage as opposed to creating pockets of space.

Plane Manipulation

Manipulation of the ground plane occurs on a grand scale within the Olympic Sculpture park in part due to it's vast expanse and the various urban connections that is makes, to the museum, road, rail and shore. The extent of the earthwork in this project is beyond to notion of a bit of cut and fill, with the park essentially being a completely engineered landscape raised up to mediate the level change between the urban city and the water front. This practicality could have been achieved via bridges or other connectors but the creation of this new landscape provides a continuous landscape which not only provides better public amenity but allows topography to define the edges and character of the areas rather than physical boundaries.

Light, Colour Texture

The change in the topography and the subsequent creation of valleys and peaks makes for a more apparent changes in light quality to the different zones of the park, with these changes reliant on the changes over the day with the suns movement.

Materials used in the general landscaping are kept to a minimum, primary concrete, gravel and grass, allowing the individual gardens to make more of a statement not to mention the artworks themselves, which utilise much more bold vibrant colours, in particular the rusted steel of Richard Serra's 'Wake' and the bright red of Alexander Calder's 'Eagle.'

Water Connections

Water is a key player in the Olympic Sculpture park most obviously since it fills the predominant expansive view from just about all location within the park, but it also is the forms the destination at the end of the meandering journey down the zig-zag path, not in the form of a pier or look out but a simple unassuming beach sheltered and protected from erosion. This beach contrasts significantly with the drama and scale of the whole landscape yet communicates what the driving force of the project, to connect people living within the urban city to the waterfront that occurs so simply and naturally on their doorstep.

Relevance to Bank Street Boat Park.

The vast range of contextual levels of the city the water and the infrastructure are reminiscent of the context of Bank street with the water, the cliff with high rise residential and the Anzac bridge above. The Olympic Sculpture Park responds to these with big sweeping gestures within the ground plane, which suggests that Bank Street Boat Park, needs to be bold in making a statement within it's context.

The culmination of the Olympic Sculpture Park journey in the small beach also reflects the humble fact that nature in its true form has a beauty and perfection that cannot be manufactured and this too needs to be reflected within the Bank Street Boat Park.

West Harlem Piers Park/W Landscape Architecture

West Harlem Pier Park is located in Harlem, New York and instigated by the New York City Economic Corporation in order to develop the public space along the riverside with the long term goal of improving the economic development of the Harem area. The park was designed by W Landscape + Architecture, completed in 2009 and includes 2 new piers supporting boating, fishing and ecological study as well as cycle and pedestrian connections and performance space.

Urban Context

The West Harlem Pier Park was formerly a car park located within the industrial area along the Hudson River front and after much community activism and master planning by various agencies was transformed into a waterside recreation area which was the last piece of the puzzle in creating a continuous bike and pedestrian path from Battery Park along the Hudson River.

The park is a linear strip of land bounded by 135^th and 125^th street, separated from the main city by a major roadway that defines the city edge of the park which is accessible via an underpass. The other linear boundary of the park is formed by the Hudson River.

The park was part of a greater masterplan that sought to develop the neighbourhood of West Harlem with the dual purpose of creating better public space and improving the economic climate of the area.

Natural Context

Layout and formation of the park is related significantly to the natural landforms of the park prior to it being a car park. Even the built structures are intended to mimic natural forms with the piers projecting out like sand bars rather than the more common perpendicular industrial piers.

The programme of the site also encourages public interaction with the nature of the site, in particular, one of the piers is dedicated to the study of the ecology of the river. Subtle layers are introduced into the site by way of topography and platforms in order to reference the various ecological layers that any site possesses.

Movement and Connections

The major bicycle and access pathway is kept on the urban side of the park, running parallel to the roadway above. Secondary paths lead off from this roadway down to the waterfront, with the main of these cutting across the main diagonal of the park. Two other secondaries connect two of the main urban streets, through the park and out over the water to the piers. Another secondary path runs alongside the water front. At points of intersection of these paths, plaza's are formed where public activities can take place, performance art for example.

Order and Object

Within the park, the site furniture is has been intentionally scattered within the parkland reminiscent of driftwood and other flotsam and jetsam which is characteristic of a tidal marine environment. This site furniture includes granite benches, timber platforms, steel planters.

Public art is incorporated into the space by way of three large sculptures that encapsulate the fishing history of the site, and actually identify with local fisherman of the area. Also incorporated is a platform and a subtle natural amphitheatre in the landforms that can be(and has been) utilised for performance art.

Plane Manipulation

The ground plane has been modified to be similar to the pre car park, valley land form. Several layers are articulated with platforms, sloping lawn, paving and piers indicative of the layering of various ecological and cultural systems inherent in the parkland.

The scale of the ground plane is quite subtle which is sensible in response to the size of the site, the major road above and emphasis on the physical interaction between the public and the water.

 

Light. Colour, Texture

The park is completely open and exposed to the natural light elements, which forms a contrast with the major road running parallel to the park, the underpasses of which are constantly in shadow. This contributes to the idea of the park being light, open and airy, welcoming contrast to the high-rise living of New York City.

Materials used within the site a subtle, largely natural landscaping colours, with granite, timber, steel and concrete, in order to emphasise the view of the river, as well as reference the industrial path of the area. Specifically the granite benches and cobblestone pavings are recycled from previous uses in the city.

Water Connections

Two piers just out into the water, carrying the visitors out into the Marine environment that previously they were purely spectators of. In particular these wharfs are intended to be used for activities that create even more of a relationship with the water such as fishing, ecological boat tours and kayak use.

The path along the river is in fact a timber deck suspended over the water, with the water visible through the surface of the deck, increasing awareness of the proximity to the water underfoot.

The tidal movements of the river have also been brought into the site, much of the site furniture being scatted around the site as if deposited by the tide, conveying that the river environment does not stop at the water's edge, but has impacts upon the land as well.

Relevance to Bank Street Boat Park

Both the location and the intentions of the West Harlem Pier Park, are very similar to the conditions of Bank Street Boat Park. The park is located along an urban river with significant urban infrastructure being part of the immediate context. Also the intentions of the park to draw and connect the visitors and residents to the water is significantly the same as the intentions for Bank Street.

Some of the things that West Harlem makes clear that may be useful for Bank Street is the subtlety of the interventions, allowing the contrast with the urban city to communicate and advertise the benefits of the park and the users to determine how they wish to use the park. What West Harlem attempts to do (and it is hard to say if this is successful without visiting) is being the movement of the marine environment to bear on the urban parkland, and this is definitely an idea worthy of consideration. Not simply having the land form next to the water and leading people down to the water, but also bringing elements of water and it's character into the site itself, whether physically or figuratively.