Public spaces are the beating heart of our cities. They act as the hubs of social and cultural activity where people congregate, interact, and escape the clamor of the city. These areas are crucial in determining a city's identity, character, and citizens' well-being and standard of living. Public spaces can define our communities and significantly impact how we live, work, and interact with one another through their architectural designs, facilities, and activities. Furthermore, they provide leisure, exercise, and recreation opportunities, allowing individuals to escape the confines of their daily routines and connect with nature.
This week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights projects submitted by the ArchDaily community showcasing different proposals made to enhance public space. Ranging from reimagining central squares to placing massive land art in the urban epicenter, these public spaces enhance the quality of life for the city's locals. In Germany, the redesign of the entire Memorium Nürnberger Trials reimagines this as a place to come together, grounded in its history, while in Havana, the new Cuban Square reimagines the metaphor of unity in the city center. The design and accessibility of public spaces significantly impact our well-being and quality of life. Thoughtfully planned and inclusive spaces with seating, greenery, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure can promote physical activity, mental health, and community engagement in a city.
Read on to discover 8 public and urban gathering spaces submitted by the ArchDaily community, along with descriptions from the architects.
Redesign of the environment at the Memorium Nürnberger Trials, Germany
The starting point of our concept is the desire to create a place for people. A place to come together, a place to remember, and a place for the present and the future. We generate a generous outdoor space by deciding to accommodate the essential functions below the existing height level. The view of the east wing of the Palace of Justice is uncovered so that it gains presence in the urban space. The square is held in the west by the listed wall, and the eastern edge of the square is enclosed by a functional wall. At the same time, this wall closes off the perimeter development to the east. It contains access and supply elements as well as the desired exhibition areas in the form of walk-in showcases
Central Square of the city of Ioannina, Greece
Giorgina Papageorgiou & Pavlos Vlastos
King Pyrros Square is the central square of Ioannina, a place of cultural and social mixture. It was designed to enhance public life aesthetically and functionally and to cultivate and implement social contact. The square refers to a large public building to the west, while its key and integral element is the cafe of the "Oasis", designed by the Greek modernist Aris Konstantinidis. The solution sets the following goals: Unification of all the spaces of different functions in the current square; Spatial connection with the surrounding areas but also restoration of the "heart" of the city; Design of the square with a building capable of coping with challenging weather conditions and urban equipment that can withstand brutal use and lack of maintenance.
In Time? Germany
“IN TIME?” is a giant clock for the city of Mannheim, ticking away towards a sustainable future, generating about 1077.6 MWh of energy annually. Positioned at a cross junction of streets and the existing railway route, the circular form becomes a contrast to the current and proposed landscape. The public art proposal comprises Seven Pie-shaped public spaces and represents seven days a week. Each pie hosts twenty-four columns representing the number of hours in a day. As time passes, the column glows, performing an act that attempts to address the current urgency. The design of each PIE is primarily a composition of the “ground” and the “column cluster.” Local parameters, pre-existing street composition, and incident radiation address the “ground” and the “column cluster” design. The ground is designed using both abstract and non-abstract compositions to encourage play and enhance creativity. In some cases, the morphology of the ground addresses a specific functional use case, while others do not, allowing the conduct of public interventions.
The Cuban Square – Intersection for Interaction, Cuba
HOAX Architects
Thought and imagined as the new heart of the Cuban capital, Plaza de la Revolución's current state is far from that reality. Nowadays, the whole context represents an isolated and underused area, lived only a few times per year. As a result of our intervention the ever-forgotten Cuban Square got a chance to be rediscovered by those who wander into it and find themselves looking out of the building-sized terrarium dedicated to every living species. The conceptual integrity of the new square's role as a linkage between old and new Havana is based on the superimposition of the urban grids of both parts, creating a multidimensional system of paths connecting the three levels of the square and a complex of solids, two of which serve as a platform for hot air balloon trips to the historical and modern parts of the city and act as a metaphor for unity.
The Solar Root, Uzbekistan
KIM MIN JAE' revealed his merged solution regarding contemporary environmental and sustainable issues. Trees have naturally formed a familiar relationship with humans throughout history. Large trees cast a shape that becomes a recognizable place for gathering across generations. Today, the importance of trees is again directly related to the survival of mankind, although through a different set of essential ecosystem services. Carbon emissions from human industrialization collide with an epidemic of deforestation to threaten the balance of the world’s climate."The Solar Root" is a study on protecting endangered trees while celebrating their centrality to human culture. A transparent glass wall of photovoltaic glass surrounds an endangered ginkgo tree at a crucial crossroads within Spinelli Park. At the foot of the wall is a public space for healing and reflection.
Eastern Rehovot Urban Renewal, Israel
Rosenfeld Arens Architetcs Ltd
The development of a distinct, clear, and stable urban space is the fundamental mechanism for developing a community life, education, and creativity. The urban vision for Rehovot, as defined in the city's master plan: “City of Science, Education, and Culture,” is achieved through innovative urban observation. First and foremost, by the changing needs of the “creative class,” also defined as Generation Y, whose requirements for livelihood, housing, and lifestyles are completely different from older generations. The requested program represents a new planning approach that emphasizes the importance of public space and allocates 65% of the total area for public needs. The remaining 35% is intended for commercial, residential, and employment areas. The program was designed to guarantee uses at any scale, from the district to the neighborhood to the residential block levels. The mix of uses and the distinct public space creates the synergy to achieve the city’s vision.
Electric Oasis, California
LVL (Level) Studio’s steel canopy and site remediation concept to reinvent the gas station experience for the EV age won the American Institute of Steel Construction’s 2023 Forge Prize. The steel canopy and site remediation concept to reinvent the gas station experience for the EV age has won the American Institute of Steel Construction’s 2023 Forge Prize. Studio co-founders Jeffrey Lee, Christopher Taurasi, and Lexi White won the $10,000 grand prize in a YouTube live stream Thursday afternoon. They worked closely with Schuff Steel Senior Vice President Christian Crosby to refine their Electric Oasis vision along with the details that would be required to make it a reality.
Lake Monona’s Waterfront, Wisconsin, United States
Sasaki has been selected to redesign Lake Monona’s urban waterfront in Madison, WI. After an intensive design process and four months of review, the Lake Monona Waterfront Ad-hoc Committee selected Sasaki to lead this once-in-a-generation design opportunity. Sasaki’s winning, final proposal, “Voices of the Lake: Monona’s Waterfront,” will create an accessible, activated waterfront and establish a protected shoreline for wildlife to flourish. e design lays out plans for pedestrian infrastructure that makes a stronger connection to the core of downtown and to the south neighborhoods such as Bay View, Bay Creek, and Alliant Energy Center. Improved intersections, widened walking paths, and separated bike lanes will create a new waterfront that is accessible to all people. Destinations at Law Park, S. Hamilton Street, the John Nolen Causeway, and Olin Park bring new programming to activate Lake Monona’s waterfront throughout the year.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN UNBUILT PROJECT
We highly appreciate the input from our readers and are always happy to see more projects designed by them. If you have an Unbuilt project to submit, click here and follow the guidelines. Our curators will review your submission and get back to you in case it is selected for a feature.
