2006
"Just as we take advantage of what is, We should recognise the utility of what is not" Lao - tzu. Whitfield Garden - A public space that occupies the left over ground of an eroded city block
Parnell Square - can once again provide a growing city with open public space which unifies its cultural institutions
Urban Acupuncture - A new cut in the cities fabric is formed through strategic demolition. A new urban space and city route addresses Parnell Squares current imbalance, acting as a catylist for its regeneration
The original thesis diagram is transferred to Parnell Square. Obsolete hospital buildings are removed and replaced by a new structure which acts as artificial ground
This results in a stratification of the site. An upper level which is a unifying public space and a lower level which is divided into private gardens accessed from the hospital
Site Plan
This stratification results in a series of interconnected and seperate spaces that allow the potential vibrancy of the public realm to co-exist with the more intimate requirements of the maternity hospital
Parnell Square today is a disappointing ternination to the cities primary thoroughfare. The proposal seeks to offer a city space, for retreat, recreation, demonstration, assembly and all other types of theatrical event
Experimental projects were carried out in relation to infrastructures and frameworks that contain a structured indeterminacy as to their specific function, allowing flexibility and openendedness
Taking account of site and programme a structure is proposed that is stitched into the urban fabric providing long term stability and coherent civic form, allowing other elements to be more adaptive and ephemeral
Developed both in plan and section, the structure sets out spatial limits and suggests patterns for occupation. Containing all services it is 'adhesive' and acts as a conduit spread out over the site
Currently the 'Garden of Remembrance'. An Agora or Forum is proposed for the squares uppermost level - A multi purpose city space with a deliberate emptiness - A more fitting memorial to the formation of a republic
The variety and intensity of uses proposed within the square has resulted in several edge conditions where there is an overlap of public and private space. These were studied in terms of detail and materiality
Large scale models were used to study the relationship between the permanent concrete structure and the more ephemeral timber structures which inhabit it
Architecture and the city are constantly evolving and their can be no definitive point of completion. Designed to outlast the more ephemeral elements, the main structure remains as a catalyst for the future
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