Brief encounter : transformation of space underneath elevated expressway through surface design

Abstract

The emergence of automobile culture has significantly influenced the development of contemporary cities since the late 19th century. On the theoretical level, fascination with the concept of "mobility" can be clearly traced from numerous visionary urban proposals by architects, ranging from members of ClAM and Team X to Japanese metabolists. Despite these creative attempts, the actual solution to the demands of motorization often resulted in erections of elevated expressways. These infrastructures are cost efficient remedy to growing traffic flow and to improve connections between points in and around cities. However, they often generate problems by breaking the continuity of urban fabric, therefore, interrupting pedestrian street life. The space underneath an elevated roadway is usually undesirable for inhabitance due to poor lighting and acoustical qualities. In regards, this thesis project intends to create an association between elevated structures and public space. The thesis, titled "Brief Encounter", investigates the possibility to transform the interstitial space, created by public infrastructure, into a container for pedestrian experiences. Taking the structural members of the elevated roadway as a given condition, the project aims to explore spatial qualities through various building skin/surface designs. The design concepts are guided by five parameters: usage, pattern of movement, light, acoustics, and materials. The use of natural and light-weight materials (bamboo, polycarbonate, water) is given priority. The topography generated by the surfaces responds to three program destinations: assembly, gallery/garden, and a chapel that can be transformed into an open market. These programs introduce a counter-rhythm to the everyday life, and create an anchor against the speed of automobile traffic. The goal the project is to search for a tectonic synthesis that mediates between the dynamics of different programs.