The presence of absense : Haymarket

Abstract

This thesis proposes that physical memory can be a basis for architecture. The goal of this project is to make legible the seasonal growth and decay of an open-air public market in a way that is resonant with the form of the city and its daily life. If we understand a connection to natural and seasonal cycles and a sense of continuity to be a positive thing, this project seeks to relate the use, form, and architecture of one piece of the city to larger ideas about cycles of transformation. By proposing both a permanent and seasonal market, the comings and goings of the temporary pieces are made apparent, giving a presence to their absence. The site for the project is Haymarket Square, located at the southern tip of the Bulfinch Triangle area of Boston, Massachusetts. It is a part of the city which has undergone a radical series of transformations throughout its history, beginning as part of the Charles River and later developing into the first formally planned area of Boston. Today, another series of changes is about to take place as the Central Artery project promises to re-establish some of the fabric of the Triangle that was lost during the construction of the elevated highway in the 1950's. These transformations and the traces they leave behind were the point of departure for the project. Rather than attempting to build or record the physical history of the city architecturally, this project proposes the use of visual and physical devices to make us aware of the cycles of change that take place around us. The major goals of the project are to: -- Detect and re-establish the urban rules which govern that part of the city by defining the edges of the Bulfinch Triangle, Dock Square, and North End areas. -- Create a building that is a focus and still adheres to those rules. -- Make the architecture communicate the weekly, seasonal, and annual cycles of the market in a way which is meaningful to its public spaces.