phenomenology of the underpass

i think the perkins row underpass will be a cool project. the although the area has its definite challenges- 1,000 lb semi-tractor trailers running rhythmically overhead, for instance- it feels promising. like there is a certain energy about the site. i like that the area is a very in-between space. it is difficult, but holds the potential of re-envisioning something new where you didn’t think anything could work.

as i begin to experience and observe the site, several things become immediately apparent:

1. sound

i thought that the heavy, dark structure of the highway overhead would be the most overwhelming sense, but it was actually the noise. the repetitive din of the cars and trucks on the highway fill up the experience of the area. it feels like that loudness is the biggest challenge of the site… so i think: how can sound be mapped? through a recording of decible levels in different spots at different times of the day? what is the textural/tonal quality, and how does this affect the space? the way people behave? i think the effects of sound could be quite interesting. there have been lots of investigations into how sounds affects mood and behavior. i know in various medical/religious traditions, certain tones have certain healing powers. was a great radio lab edition about the effects of music too (1913 riots to stravinskey’s “rite of spring”)… anyway, i think it would also be interesting to explore how auditory data can be expressed graphically. (our textbook has some amazing examples of this…)

2. light

obviously, the light and its various permutations have a huge impact on how the site is experienced. i thought the different geometries created under the highway and the temporal reflections were really interesting. the shafts and spaces of light sort of remind me of a kaliadascope. it seems like the space is waiting for a glass house or some sort of structure to magnify that quality… i think looking at the way light moves through the area would be interesting- where it falls, how it connects places, what spaces it creates.

3. concrete pillars

i actually like the columns of the highway. they sort of can be seen as a massive urban trellis. all the emergent vegetation concentrates around their looming structure: vines and grasses sprout up against the round supports, even a tree has established itself. i can see the hanging gardens of babylon here. (i know that may sound really cheesy.) i also noticed that birds seem to like the I-beams. certain areas seem to have particularly enviable nesting sites as evidenced by their striated swaths of droppings below. the pillars and surrounding flora and fauna make me think about how the highway is embedded in and connects or divides the surrounding landscape. it seems like the traffic congestion and concrete superstructure fragments the space, but it can also be seen as a huge piece of infrastructure which connects as well. like a giant zipper or something.

4. traffic whizzing by

what can you say but there is a lot of it. cars and trucks overhead, speeding by, around, and through. the experience of traffic here is very strong. i am sure the flows change at different times of the day, perhaps year as well. it would be interesting to look at how the site is accessed by vehicles and how its uses are shaped and perhaps limited by the current circulation patterns. it seems that the primary function of this area is storing cars at the moment. how can this function be preserved while creating viable space for other activities?

~ by agalinski on March 26, 2008.