Lessons from the underground : the pedagogic possibility of urban infrastructure
Name
50543363-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
21.84 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
c9c0ddf106fb9421a2d359fa1c3f8222
Author(s)
Kramer, Zachariah, 1972-
Advisor(s)
Anne Whiston Spirn.
Date Issued
2002
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
There is no end of superlatives regarding Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel project [CA/T] , also known as "The Big Dig". Each day, as the budget grows and the construction progresses, another benchmark is passed. It has been ubiquitous in the city for over a decade, and yet, the goal of this project-that has literally torn through the earth of downtown, South Boston, East Boston, and finally stretched across the Charles River to Charlestown-is to conceal the enormous infrastructure change as much as possible. The artificiality of a city is easily forgotten-in part because it is tremendously complex to consider how a city is formed. Repeated visits to the same places yield distinct impressions. An enriched awareness of a place makes it unique among the complexity, a destination. This thesis proposes four new destinations, distributed along the CA/T path through Boston, that will enrich the awareness of the city and its supporting infrastructure. By strategically choosing installation points, each with different architectural requirements, unique aspects of the CA/T can be revealed. A visit to the four sites will yield an understanding-through direct physical experience-of the CAIT and its path through Boston, and of urban infrastructure there and elsewhere. All of the locations present opportunities to explain the myriad urban implications- from hydrology to neighborhood formation-inherent in such an enormous endeavor. The hope is to increase a visitor's awareness of their surroundings, and to foster the questions that lead to a deeper awareness of this and other places.
Description
Thesis (M.Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2002.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-76).
Subjects
Architecture.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Architecture
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copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but
reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written
permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
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