project16:Republic
As an industrial heritage and a future subcultural center, the site has a large amount of open space. This feature becomes both the opportunity and the challenge for the future development of NDSM area. How to use this large open space and how to improve the quality of it become the critical problems for the design project.
Hypothetically, the future demands for public space could be various, complex and multiform. Conventional architectural solutions may require a certain amount of fixed site to build architectural space filled with particular programs. But the limitation and restriction of landuse make it very difficult. The activities are supposed to happen everywhere in different forms. How could architecture also be everywhere and fit also the requirements?
On one hand, the large area of undeveloped open space provides flexibility and wide-open possibility for its users. On the other hand, since there is no program, it needs a long process of construction and transformation to fit user's requirement.So, for me, the most important question is:how to find the balance between the resilience and efficiency?
In the project 'City of The Captive Globe', Rem Koolhaas makes a conclusion for the urban development formation of New York City, which he called 'Manhattanism'. He thinks the emergence of Manhattanism caused by both the discipline and freedom. The control and limitation of the grid in horizon actually makes the anarchy in vertical direction. Each block in the grid has the equal importance and authority. All the blocks have the freedom of autonomy, but at the same time, they also need to follow the zoning law in general. As a matter of fact, Manhattan becomes a huge urban platform for all different kinds of ideas, styles and values.
Apple also uses the idea of open platform to create a marketing operation system. Instead of designing the applications by their own, Apple gives the design authority to the public, invites lots of individual developers. The applications which designed by these develops are sold in apple store-a online virtual market- to the end users. In this case, the freedom is generated by inviting individual developers, while the discipline is controlled by the media-Apple in general.
The Plug-in City from Archigram almost illustrates a physical version of open platform. Lots of customized housing units are infilled into infrastructure. The following projects from Archigram such as Walking city and Instant give the revolutionary ideas such as mobility, interconnection and interaction which supply and enhance the idea of urban platform.
The site of the project could be seen as two parts. The fixed part includes a facade fragment of a warehouse and also the attic space under the roof. On the other hand, the flexible part which provided by the products could serve the whole NDSM area.
Aiming to establish an not only efficient but also resilient architectural system for NDSM, this project invites three roles-the developer, the operator and the users- into the architectural design process, creates a open platform for all these participants to interconnecting and interacting with each other, encourages different ideas and concept as well as the feedback informations together in order to constantly generate products for NDSM area.
