Time seems to fly by so fast and soon enough, next Monday is our Thesis Seminar exhibition where we get to introduce our ideas and preview to our proposal for thesis. So far, I think I have enough material to suggest what I’ve planned to do. The site I chose seems to be getting more and more interesting as I started to diagram the possibilities and the site existing conditions towards the proposed building and quest of a modern agora, which brings to the title for the thesis proposal. Finding the right title is so difficult at the moment and I just can’t seem to be inspired enough to think of a short, direct and catchy sentence. So far I’ve got 1. Urban Remix / 2. Urban Remix: Quest for the Modern Agora and that’s it! Sigh. Might have to think of something maybe with civic or assembly in it that could get the message out or will “modern agora” be enough?
Taken from the center point of the selected site.
As far a the building type and programming goes, I might still have to defined what exactly goes on in a modern agora. Suggestions include a museum, meeting rooms, performance space/multipurpose hall. However those seems to be rather normal and predicted program for a community center, which I have no intention of designing. Backtracking for a bit, the idea behind the center was suggested during a desk crit with my professor who mentioned the idea on how he considered Boston to be a rather secluded community, as there’s really no central point where different groups from the different neighborhood in the city can come together and meet as one. Thus, the idea for a cultural center was born, where people are free to express who they are with no attachment to the politics of the city. Interestingly enough, the site itself also sits in isolation from the surrounding neighborhood, and could have potential in developing a building that could act as a connector to the nearby neighborhood as well as the greater city of Boston.
However, though I think having a cultural center/civic space/community center is a good building type and could probably change the vibe of the neighborhood, I think programmatically, there should be another level beyond the idea of a community center. As an example, I’ve been rather intrigued with the urban program BIG+JDS had came up with for the High Square (a roof top urban plaza) proposal in Copenhagen. Below are some which I thought are rather cute and imaginative on how a place can change during season.
Getting a tan in the summer
Selling Christmas Tree