The Inclined Plane
The Inclined Plane is a project based around a commuter bridge connecting the lots to the north and south of Lisbon Avenue. A ramp leading up to the bridge meanders across the site and, in conjunction with pathways on the ground plane, defines a series of smaller public spaces to be used for an assortment of purposes by different user groups.
The theoretical framework for the project is influenced by Amos Rapoport's concept of space and setting, especially the notion of a sequence of events (1). The spaces are a series of distinct, yet connected, nodes of activity. The many paths in the project take the user around the site to the various public spaces, all the while controlling views between spaces. You get hints and glimpses of the other activity spaces - enough to let the user know that other spaces exist while still allowing each space its own relative privacy. Additionally, the spaces are designed to be flexible. The more programmed spaces included are a permanent retail space, basketball court, and open space for a temporary farmer's market. There are two separate regions of tiered seating for small and large performances or movie screenings. The smaller spaces have few elements that restrict their use. Again referencing Amos Rapoport's writings on the relationship between activity and architecture, the paths and walls that define the smaller spaces do so loosely and have minimal impact on the activities the spaces can be used for. The many angles of the project are drawn from a networked web of axial lines - represented by dashed lines on this plan - connecting socially and culturally important sites, as well as physical features of the site. Therefore, the project is a representation of the intricate web of connections and relationships that sustain this neighborhood. 1. Rapoport, Amos. "Systems of Activities and Systems of Settings." in Domestic Architecture and the Use of Space. Ed. Susan Kent. (Cambridge UP, 1990). 9-20 |
Floor Plan of the Inclined Plane
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