I got a bad beginning of today. I too a wrong train which take me to 125 St and far away from 72nd St. Thanks for the route information offered by my partner Kate and my friends. I could catch up and meet with you guys at the second site, Chelsea River Park. The air quality is much better than the deeper city. With the planting of trees, it created a natural sound barrier along the riverside, which provide a very peaceful space for waterfront parks. I enjoyed the slightly sloped piers there. They expanded into the river from the city and create different view to enjoy the graceful landscapes and views along the river by different heights.
Then we walked along the Hudson River to go through the whole river parks, finished or under construction. During this process, we saw several “pile fields”. They marked the history of those piers. Some of them were destroyed seriously. Some kept the shape of rectangular very well. The piers between these fields were reconstructed and designed by different landscape firms. These designers explored the potential of piers’ landscape in various ways. Each of them fit the site pretty well and took advantage of the reserved constructions. They looked like huge modules with various shapes or skins. Simply, there are three kinds of “modules”: public transportation, pier parks and pile field. The whole view of those piers were also under controlled very well. All of the landscape were carefully designed and constructed. I enjoyed the diversity and unity very much. It is a very enjoyable thing to lying on the grass or sitting on the chairs to feel the freeze and sunshine.
Then we arrived at the Teardrop Park, which is located in a residential community. At the first view of this park, we can only see a huge artificial stone wall gathered in a huge pattern with a little door in the middle of it. When we passed through the door, we found that there were many landscapes hidden behind it. There were stone steps which you can use to go upon the stone wall, and sand playground for children. The most interesting and impressive thing was the little slide in the middle of the garden. It was not just a simple slide. On the opposite side of the playground, there was a hierarchy rest zone. Parents and children can communicate in this area and enjoy the beautiful view at the same time. Meanwhile, the other point of this park is the falling water coming out from the gaps between the stones. It made the whole stone wall vividly and lively. And it is said that the water can generate graceful iced wall in winter. A simple element which was not designed by purpose made the whole project quite differently.
Then we went to Irish Hunger Memorial, which was close to Teardrop Park. It was very interesting because it was build based on ruins. The designer took use of the ruin of the house and create a roof landscape which took the ruin as a connection between ground and floor. The plantings were also very beautiful.
I’d like to skip the landscapes we visit before Governors Island. Because we can made a good comparison between it and the River Parks. The Governors Island was used to be a military base and the new one would be built as a huge park which would serve New York City very well. The limitation of the project is the transportation of materials and drinkable water. The master plan of the design proposal looked very crazy with crazy curves on it. It is said these curves were generated by parameter design method. The reason I want to put it and Hudson River Park together is based on two points: scale and diversity. They share the similar scale of sites. But Hudson River Park was divided into separately parts and designed by different firms based on several unify rules. But Governors Island was designed by only one firm who won the competition. I thought the diversity and unity in this project could be a kind of issue in the future. What’s more, the plans from River Parks are more fitful for the site and they also took advantage of the reserve parts. But, for me, Governors Island’s plan looks like loss of context. The designers should explore the potential of how to use the military reservation firstly, the use parametric design method to organize the whole project.
I like the view from this island very much. It is quite different from the piers when you look at New Jersey and Down Manhattan. That’s why I picked it into the first row of the visual assignment to make a comparison.
In sum, it was a really wonderful and tired day. We need time to rethink and digest what we learn.
Then we walked along the Hudson River to go through the whole river parks, finished or under construction. During this process, we saw several “pile fields”. They marked the history of those piers. Some of them were destroyed seriously. Some kept the shape of rectangular very well. The piers between these fields were reconstructed and designed by different landscape firms. These designers explored the potential of piers’ landscape in various ways. Each of them fit the site pretty well and took advantage of the reserved constructions. They looked like huge modules with various shapes or skins. Simply, there are three kinds of “modules”: public transportation, pier parks and pile field. The whole view of those piers were also under controlled very well. All of the landscape were carefully designed and constructed. I enjoyed the diversity and unity very much. It is a very enjoyable thing to lying on the grass or sitting on the chairs to feel the freeze and sunshine.
Then we arrived at the Teardrop Park, which is located in a residential community. At the first view of this park, we can only see a huge artificial stone wall gathered in a huge pattern with a little door in the middle of it. When we passed through the door, we found that there were many landscapes hidden behind it. There were stone steps which you can use to go upon the stone wall, and sand playground for children. The most interesting and impressive thing was the little slide in the middle of the garden. It was not just a simple slide. On the opposite side of the playground, there was a hierarchy rest zone. Parents and children can communicate in this area and enjoy the beautiful view at the same time. Meanwhile, the other point of this park is the falling water coming out from the gaps between the stones. It made the whole stone wall vividly and lively. And it is said that the water can generate graceful iced wall in winter. A simple element which was not designed by purpose made the whole project quite differently.
Then we went to Irish Hunger Memorial, which was close to Teardrop Park. It was very interesting because it was build based on ruins. The designer took use of the ruin of the house and create a roof landscape which took the ruin as a connection between ground and floor. The plantings were also very beautiful.
I’d like to skip the landscapes we visit before Governors Island. Because we can made a good comparison between it and the River Parks. The Governors Island was used to be a military base and the new one would be built as a huge park which would serve New York City very well. The limitation of the project is the transportation of materials and drinkable water. The master plan of the design proposal looked very crazy with crazy curves on it. It is said these curves were generated by parameter design method. The reason I want to put it and Hudson River Park together is based on two points: scale and diversity. They share the similar scale of sites. But Hudson River Park was divided into separately parts and designed by different firms based on several unify rules. But Governors Island was designed by only one firm who won the competition. I thought the diversity and unity in this project could be a kind of issue in the future. What’s more, the plans from River Parks are more fitful for the site and they also took advantage of the reserve parts. But, for me, Governors Island’s plan looks like loss of context. The designers should explore the potential of how to use the military reservation firstly, the use parametric design method to organize the whole project.
I like the view from this island very much. It is quite different from the piers when you look at New Jersey and Down Manhattan. That’s why I picked it into the first row of the visual assignment to make a comparison.
In sum, it was a really wonderful and tired day. We need time to rethink and digest what we learn.
