On our last day of the 7-day Urban Landscape course, it was great to focus on sites that incorporated art into its design. My two favorite sites was Socrates Sculpture Park and Lincoln Center.
I have visited Lincoln Center multiple times, but never experienced it through such an informative lens. The class learned about the history of Lincoln Center, the logic behind its design, and a bit on the new and upcoming installations. The most interesting thing I absorbed from the explanation of its design is why most of the buildings had glass walls. The architects knew that extravagant events would be held at the center, and when these events were to take place, elegant New Yorkers would go up to the large windows to look out at the City, all the while passersby’s looking up at the Center from below could check out these well-dressed people in their lavish measures. It was meant to be a prestigious experience. Nevertheless, my favorite part of Lincoln Center was the grassy, stair lawn that was unfortunately, closed off on our visit.
To go along with the theme of art-meets-landscape-design, the class headed to Astoria, Queens to visit Socrates Sculpture Park. This site was created and supported by local artists with a passion for creating and incorporating art with green space. I really appreciated this Park because Astoria was not as welcoming of a community when I grew up there as it is now. I believe a great portion of this rise in standards is owed to the founders and contributors of Socrates Sculpture Park. The most interesting thing about the space is that the art instillations are constantly alternating. The park is located right near the water and looks out onto the tip of Roosevelt Island. Socrates Park is definitely and example of how green space/art space raises the quality of life in a neighborhood. With its artists and educational programs, it is truly a site meant to inspire.
In closing, I leave below the first draft of the final short film project. I wanted to focus on the relationships between bodies of water/water features and the urban landscape that is New York City. From piers and streams, to waterfalls and fountains, a lot of landscape architecture involves with water. However, not all designs that include water are beautiful and healthy. Sites such as the neglected Gowanus Canal and the extremely polluted body of water that runs behind Brooklyn’s water treatment plant are a few of the many examples of how the maltreatment of water can negatively effect a space. My short film will shed light on the, for the lack of a better term, “beautiful” and “ugly” characteristics of water features. They ways water can be used to sooth and enhance a design, or how it can, contrastingly, negatively impact settlements around it.
I have visited Lincoln Center multiple times, but never experienced it through such an informative lens. The class learned about the history of Lincoln Center, the logic behind its design, and a bit on the new and upcoming installations. The most interesting thing I absorbed from the explanation of its design is why most of the buildings had glass walls. The architects knew that extravagant events would be held at the center, and when these events were to take place, elegant New Yorkers would go up to the large windows to look out at the City, all the while passersby’s looking up at the Center from below could check out these well-dressed people in their lavish measures. It was meant to be a prestigious experience. Nevertheless, my favorite part of Lincoln Center was the grassy, stair lawn that was unfortunately, closed off on our visit.
To go along with the theme of art-meets-landscape-design, the class headed to Astoria, Queens to visit Socrates Sculpture Park. This site was created and supported by local artists with a passion for creating and incorporating art with green space. I really appreciated this Park because Astoria was not as welcoming of a community when I grew up there as it is now. I believe a great portion of this rise in standards is owed to the founders and contributors of Socrates Sculpture Park. The most interesting thing about the space is that the art instillations are constantly alternating. The park is located right near the water and looks out onto the tip of Roosevelt Island. Socrates Park is definitely and example of how green space/art space raises the quality of life in a neighborhood. With its artists and educational programs, it is truly a site meant to inspire.
In closing, I leave below the first draft of the final short film project. I wanted to focus on the relationships between bodies of water/water features and the urban landscape that is New York City. From piers and streams, to waterfalls and fountains, a lot of landscape architecture involves with water. However, not all designs that include water are beautiful and healthy. Sites such as the neglected Gowanus Canal and the extremely polluted body of water that runs behind Brooklyn’s water treatment plant are a few of the many examples of how the maltreatment of water can negatively effect a space. My short film will shed light on the, for the lack of a better term, “beautiful” and “ugly” characteristics of water features. They ways water can be used to sooth and enhance a design, or how it can, contrastingly, negatively impact settlements around it.