Sophia Xiao (MLA I AP / MDes)
Linger in the Coast
A Primer of Increasing “Weight” of the Transitional Zones between Water and City
The urban coast is not a line but a gra- dient. From one end, the water, to the other, the city block, there is often an in-between area that has been long ig- nored by people, as the two ends are of- ten the time much more attractive and meaningful.
With six case studies, this primer discuss- es how creating certain spatial qualities on the coastal transition zones can ele- vate the “weight” of the area and make them public spaces for people to linger around. These spatial qualities are: the contained, the amnesic, the neutral, the anarchic, the blank, and the normal. By intentionally introducing these spatial qualities into the design, it becomes pos- sible to empower the transitional zones as the public anchor points, letting pub- licness and freedom emerge from these original no-man’s lands.
Experiments in Public Freedom Spring 2021
Linger in the Coast
A Primer of Increasing “Weight” of the Transitional Zones between Water and City
The urban coast is not a line but a gra- dient. From one end, the water, to the other, the city block, there is often an in-between area that has been long ig- nored by people, as the two ends are of- ten the time much more attractive and meaningful.
With six case studies, this primer discuss- es how creating certain spatial qualities on the coastal transition zones can ele- vate the “weight” of the area and make them public spaces for people to linger around. These spatial qualities are: the contained, the amnesic, the neutral, the anarchic, the blank, and the normal. By intentionally introducing these spatial qualities into the design, it becomes pos- sible to empower the transitional zones as the public anchor points, letting pub- licness and freedom emerge from these original no-man’s lands.
Experiments in Public Freedom Spring 2021
On the Way to the Sea
Derman Verbakel Architecture
Bat Yam, Israel
2010
Spatial quality: The Contained
Derman Verbakel Architecture
Bat Yam, Israel
2010
Spatial quality: The Contained
