Sunday 26 January 2014

Procraspiration

Procrastination and the search for inspiration...
This is Superkilen, a kilometre-long park in an "ethnically diverse and socially challenged" area of Copenhagen, that I (virtually) stumbled across while trawling for inspiration. Getting a bit ahead of myself probably, as I'm still fumbling round with sketch designs! It is both transformative and playful though...



 
Designed by BIG, Topotek1 and Superflex, the park is divided into three zones of different function and form (Red Square, Black Market and Green Park) and features objects from the 60 nations represented by the area's residents. Local residents were extensively consulted during the design process; the park was conceived as being 'for the people, by the people', a hub to bring a diverse neighbourhood together.

It includes playgrounds, spaces for sport, cultural activities, picnics, socialising and relaxing - and fully integrated bike lanes (sensible Danes!)

More here: http://www.dezeen.com/2012/10/24/superkilen-park-by-big-topotek1-and-superflex/

In practice, some bits work better than others aesthetically-speaking (in my humble opinion). I'd be interested to know how it actually feels and is used on the ground by the people it was built for - the real marker of success I suppose.

MUST DO ACTUAL WORK NOW ! Oh dear.



Monday 20 January 2014

Scrapbooks and fog

What my brain feels like! This is described in a book as a 'fog garden' - is that really a thing? (Google doesn't think so, but it can't know everything...)

But back to the project in hand...I've made scrapbook pages for each of the themes to be used in making sketch designs for the site: Playful, Restorative and Transformative. They don't look like much, but I really thought hard about their meanings and the site while doing them, and none of the images are chosen at random. It was a good way of kicking the imagination out of hibernation.

Playful: the obvious thing that springs to mind is children, imaginative play etc. I also thought about things playing on other things e.g. light/shadow, water, movement, sound. Playful appeals to me for Dickens Sq and Newington Gardens as they are both have a decidedly un-fun atmosphere at the moment (except the adventure playground in Dickens).

Restorative: the main ideas to come out of this exploration were calmness, balance, reflection and (shudder) wellbeing, which could be achieved with form, texture, colour and scent. It would be beneficial to have parks which feel like a haven (activity and sociability can act as a tonic too, so wouldn't all need to be meditation and gentleness), particularly as there's a health centre adjacent to Dickens Square Park.

 
Transformative: the area currently feels a bit forgotten about, and the parks are rough around the edges. It's a real contrast to other parts of north Southwark; even Trinity Square at the edge of the site has a completely different and coherent identity. A transformative theme would give the opportunity to change the parks completely and create a place which feels special, a place residents could feel some attachment to and enjoy living with. Hopefully people's perception of the area and their relationship with it could be positively transformed too.