competition entry / design project

The main goal of the intervention is to reactivate the underused urban spaces, the so-called “voids”, in the area of Connaught Centre. Remnant areas or corridors between buildings which are only being occupied by cars are usually excluded to the public due to this specific use. Unpleasant, unsafe (during the night), hot (during the summer) spaces are not attractive for socialising. From the other side, spaces between buildings are small and vary in area and form. Additionally, they are well protected from winds and traffic noise, so their transformation to attractive public spaces does not need a great amount of new constructions or even a big budget. Designing less for the vehicle and more for a walkable and mixed-use community will reinforce public interaction, participation in group activities and will promote public life in underused spaces between buildings. So, the proposal tries to establish a social interaction between people and the city. Space ‘invoiders’ create diverse environments accessible only for pedestrians and establish different atmospheres during all seasons.

In order to achieve a slow transition from unused to utilised spaces, the proposal allows to upgrade the public realm with feasible and simple small-scale interventions, which can improve the ecological, social and economic conditions of these spaces. The projects are divided in two categories: the ephemeral, which are short-lived projects without extension e.g. pop- up uses, or provisional projects that start out as short-lived, but in the future can be developed into a more long-lasting or permanent. The three catalytic planning tools of the interventions are stop and move, recreation and interaction. With these points in mind the “invoiders” function as the spaces, where everyday life invades and takes place. These kind of interventions are possible to spread through other in-between voids aiming to form a network of public spaces in the city.

team: A. Karageorgopoulou (Notus Architects) and M. Oikonomou

when: March 2015

where: Calgary, Canada