Inserted Communities for Temporary Gathering

Thesis Statement 

Inserted communities for temporary gathering in public space relieve the congestion of circulatory pedestrian.

Context 

Traffic jams happened frequently when someone stops inside the fast and intensive flow of circulation. Well known as one of the highest density cities, Hong Kong owns most narrow and crowded pedestrians in the world. Therefore, reducing the temporary detention on sidewalks is the key to prevent circulatory congestion.

The temporary detention and occupation of sidewalks is subject to regular periodicity.

  1. Tourists flood into Hong Kong during public holidays. In 2015, Mainland China continued to be Hong Kong largest visitor source market with 45.8 million arrivals, accounting for 77% of the total arrivals. Amongst all Mainland arrivals, 27.8 million (61%) were same-day visitors, while 18.0 million (39%) were overnight visitors. Public holidays are the peak of the tourism and the disaster of the public spaces. Although leave the city fast, these short-stay visitors are still users of narrow pedestrian.
  1. Foreign domestic helpers intrude all kinds of public space on their Sunday-off. By the end of April 2015, Hong Kong foreign domestic helpers are over 335500 people, mainly from the Philippines (175859, 52%) and Indonesia (151482, 45%); the rest come from places such as Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Most of them are living in their employer’s house, and they usually spend the Sunday outside, randomly gathering at public spaces like parks, footbridges and corner of the pedestrian.
  1. Apart from external population and transient people, local citizens also obey their regular pattern of using pedestrian and public space. Commuting workers travel during rush hours (usually from 830am to 10am and 6pm to 9am); white-collars get out from the building for lunch at noon. And there are also even smaller communities which will block the way of pedestrian such as the people waiting for bus/tram, waiting for traffic light, and waiting for friends anywhere around.

All above detention people gather in public area during certain times, forming temporary communities for a week, a day, an hour, or only a few minutes. But it causes a force to be reckoned with in the congestion of circulatory space.

Methodological Processes

We human beings keep our biological clock, while the pedestrian also have its own timetable.

The schedule of different temporary gathering groups will be studied through observation and research. Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok are proposed targets, which are bothered seriously by pedestrian congestion problem of visitors and domestic helpers. The biological clock of pedestrian and public space will be found out and the potential sites in the future design will be decided.

Most of the public spaces near the ground level have already been used up in dense urban centers. However, there are still instances of in-between existing either physically or mentally, where is suitable to place these temporary communities to relieve the congestion of pedestrian among different time slots. This thesis will take advantage of the in-between space by inserting structures for temporary communities, and create a pedestrian freeway for the usual passersby.

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Model & Photo by Qian Ruobing

 

The initial concept is coming from inserted drawing pins in an urban scale. Elevated platform helps transit the overstay communities upwards; meanwhile the tiny footprint minimizes the influence on ground floor level. To further develop the idea, the umbrella system may be adopted into the design for following reasons:

  1. Similar form as drawing pin: single support with tiny footprint; large upper platform space for small and temporary communities to stay;
  2. Naturally provided shelter;
  3. Easy to fold, adapted to different times, different users, and different weathers;
  4. Potential to collect rainwater or obtain solar energy;
  5. Circular shape as a symbol of friendship and community.

The umbrella system will provide not only an overhead shelter for temporary communities, but also a real architecture that contains interior space for long time detention by extruding the thickness of the platform above. Some program to be placed into these spaces are domestic helpers’ activity center (including performance space, post office, and foreign exchange counter); small shops and nursery for paused visitors; public seats for people who wait for bus or traffic lights.

 

http://www.archivenue.com/masdar-worlds-first-real-eco-city/

Masdar City Center

http://www.archivenue.com/masdar-worlds-first-real-eco-city/

 

The function of rainwater collector and solar power generator will be considered after the basic form and programs are confirmed. Mechanical system to fold the umbrella shelter will be studied and arranged at certain place.

 

Reference:

Uffelen. C.V, Pedestrian Zones: Car Free Urban Spaces (Architecture in Focus), 2015.

Vreedenburgh. E, Rooftop Architecture: Building on an elevated surface, 2005

Wei. T, Skywalk new elevated walkway system in Tsim Sha Tsui, 2011

HK Transport Department http://www.td.gov.hk/en/home/

 

HK Tourist Commission http://www.tourism.gov.hk/english/statistics/statistics_perform.html

 

HK Immigration Department http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/faq/foreign-domestic-helpers.html

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