Precedent Studies – Week 6

My research into precedent studies continues... 

Mary Bartelme Park - Site Design Group

Mary Bartelme Park is a 2.3-acre city park located on a brownfield site in the heart of a revitalized warehouse district.  There are strong diagonal paths that connect the distinct zones throughout the park, identifying transition throughout the space – for someone who is frightened by dogs, I personally appreciate the separation of the Dog Park and the attention paid to the differing desires of the park users.

In the same way, the Contemplative Garden has been positioned at a distance from the Sculpted Playground, revealing a variety of spirits within the site – almost different parks as part of a whole. Although I appreciate the notion that the site will be used by different people for different things , it leads to me wonder whether there is a lack of unity.

For me the design boasts practicality and makes positive use out of a once forsaken place – there are bright, colourful visuals provided by both planting and structural components.  The bright red of the playframes provides a dramatic contrast against the surrounding green lawns, though subtle and not dominating in the landscape outlook.

The mist structures are too, a ‘nice’ idea but the scheme as a whole seems to be a little too mismatched. Smooth rounded pebble features sit next to concrete block seating and shiny stainless steel sculptures are paired with corten planters  - the conceptual idea represents the sites history and it’s modern identity but aesthetically it appears uncomfortable and careless to me.    

Shanghai Carpet – TLD Landscape Architecture

The Shanghai Carpet is a set of pedestrian plazas, using historic recycled materials to represent the juxtaposition between humble, physical resources and the world of digital data.

I admire the concept and have thought similarly regarding North Place Car Park – a tapestry of the past that defines an innovative and progressive future. Unlike Mary Bartelme Park there is an obvious collage of materials – the deliberate ‘mixed-media’ approach provides varying surfaces, texture and physical forms and reveals the potentialities of transforming waste into wonder.

Although the concept forebodes expression and variety in the landscape, precedent images fail to show any of these components. I imagined a colourful, medley of pattern and flamboyance, as well as simple, fine textures and colours - that of a carpet?!

The design is practical to its purpose and uses recycled materials which is a win win, but the execution of an artistic concept isn't as expected – an underwhelming anticipation.

I will explore this mixed media approach throughout the concept stage for North Place Car Park – can this be part of a community based public art strategy?

Blue Stick Garden

WOW! How unexpected – similarly to the Shainghai Carpet, the concept of the Blue Stick Garden represents digital outputs. It is an abstract, reproduction of a traditional garden following modern idioms – ‘it is not a contemporary installation, but the garden itself.’

I love the use of colour within the landscape and the height of the sticks, creating a forest-like, surrounding experience – it reveals the powerful contrast between the approach and being within. From afar the garden provides colour and tones in the landscape but from within it inspires wonder, adventure, enigma, excitement and surrealism – I am a fan!!!