Howeler + Yoon Architecture
Submission 0108
Switch
Braiding
Integrating planting, circulation, seating, as well as information display
and distribution systems, SWITCH proposes a series of woven landscape elements
that form a new neighborhood center at the BCA plaza. The landscape braids
intertwine linear park elements: hardscapes and softscapes, high tech and
low tech. Through the strategy of braiding, existing site elements are interwoven
with new elements to create a new integrative public space.
The existing planter and its trees are preserved and incorporated into a band
of vegetation. A series of stepped wooden benches run parallel and peel up
to form a pavilion marking the corner of Tremont and Clarendon Streets. The
top surface forms amphitheater seating, while the underside houses an interactive
information center. A linear water feature weaves through and over the wood
band, providing a continuously flowing line of water and a soothing audible
presence. Spanning over the other elements a concrete walkway allows for diagonal
shortcuts through the park as well as more leisurely occupations. At the end
of the ramp, the “Info Band” peels up to create a backlit information
board.
The ramp/bridge element, called the “Bridge Banner” is lined with
information: a scrolling LED signboard is integrated into the ramp edge, distributing
information about upcoming events and adding a dynamic lighting feature.
Marking
Info Bands, developed from the braided landscape, are located to mark the
corner of Clarendon Street and Warren Avenue, and on East Berkeley and Tremont
Streets. At these locations visitors would find information about upcoming
events, community programs, and exhibitions.
Patterning
The BCA precinct is further defined by a consistent lighting and color scheme,
consisting of a flush lighting paver element that is inserted into the existing
brick sidewalk. Distributed across the site, the Light Masonry Units produce
a distinctive and ever-changing pattern. The LMU’s are designed to be
interactive, blinking softly when they detect the presence of a passerby.
Furthermore, they can be networked to behave in particular ways: pulsing gently
at curtain call, or blinking to the rhythm of a musical performance. The network
of Light Masonry is an interactive landscape that acts as a screen capable
of producing large images, rhythms and atmospheres.
The Artist Courtyard and the intersection of East Berkeley and Tremont Streets,
would be articulated with a dense pattern of a “Light Field,”
made up of interactive LMU’s in a tight grid.
Switching
The interweaving of landscape and informational elements produces a series
of spaces that are simultaneously intimate and defined, as well as flowing
and extensive. An open system, it allows users to occupy the plaza in multiple
ways: switching from open to closed, fast to slow, on and off. It creates
a diverse topography as a platform for staging a multiple activities: outdoor
venues for performances, spaces for dinning, hanging out, and for gathering.
The landscape elements become more than mere topographies, they become information-dense
surfaces and activity platforms.
