BLOOMING RUINS
The sprout of the sylvan city
Blooming Ruins is a part of the Sylvan City project seeking for a Sylvan Urban Design composed of trees forming the routes, rooms, fields, boundaries into buildings and built infrastructures of Winnipeg. A project that aims to use trees to connect the forest network with pocket spaces, unify the cultural identity and to link the inside and outside of Winnipeg’s city centre.
Concentrating to the historical, The Bay building , the design intention it to create a Sylvan city with the use of avenues, orchards, and woodland deriving from the revived The Bay to provide ecological, cultural and aesthetic impact and functions to the city of Winnipeg’s downtown core.
The Bay building is located almost in between of residential and commercial spaces in the city center. It acts as a gateway to the significant built infrastructures when entered from the west side. It is also surrounded by infrastructures dedicated to art, culture and education, making it an ideal centre space for the Sylvan city.
The bay’s north, east and west wall will be kept not only to preserve its significant facade but also to provide a microcimate for the flowering trees planted within. It’s north wall will be kept the same height while the rest will be minimized to exposed the tallest columns to the public.
FACADE
COLUMNS
Columns played an important role to the Bay infrasturcture. It is placed on a gridded pattern to provide support to the historical building for decades.Aside from its remarkable aesthetic value, some of it will be preserved to add distinction of The Bay’s initial architecture. The columns ranges in height to provide usage and emphasize the preserved columns of The Bay.Some of it will be used for seatings and leaning whereas the others will remain tall to make the site more attractive and noticeable to the people far away to the site.
SURFACE
The cracked surface of the site signifies the growth of a new life to a former built structure. It will hold the orchard as well as the presrved columns. The mixed of permeable and impermeable surfaces will provide ideal areas for various of activities.
TREES
Planted trees within The Bay’s preserved walls will be flowering trees including Malus ‘Prairie’ (Prairie Fire crabapple), Prunus sargentii (Sargent’s Cherry) and Prunus padus (Hackberry). These flowering trees will provide a charming colours ranging from various shades of pink. The Prunus padus will be planted along the preserved walls , framing the other trees planted. Malus ‘Prairie’ and Prunus sargentii will be replacing removed columns , filling the space while also providing shade and amusement.
These orchard will be blooming during the spring season, starting the growth of new life of the avenues of American elm trees placed along the streets and sidewalk and the woodland scattered around The Bay’s building.
‘As above, So below’
Paradise Garden
The ‘As Above,So Below’ (After Covid) Paradise garden, will provide both sunken area (“BELOW”) and the hill (“HILL”) which offers two different atmospheres in relation to the use of land elevatiuon. It is surrounded by woodland that attracts different kind of bird species,and other living organisms contributing to the garden’s well-being. These species along with the provided pavillions or the “IN-BETWEENS” will also help the garden achieve the essence of a Paradise in their contribution in aesthetic and organic value.
Placed along the central pathways of the paradise garden is the 20 metres high hill that Athe people to experience a 360 degrees view of the garden as well as the agricultural land surrounding it. ‘ABOVE-GROUND’
‘BELOW-GROUND’
The sunken area is 3.5 metres below ground and is surrounded by a reflecting pool. The walls have a water falling from the reflecting pool imitating the sound of nature’s waterfall. This will create a relaxing ambience due to the sounds it will create throughout the area.
The path going in this space is designed to interfere with people’s illusion. From a far, people walking down the path will look like they are walking on water and slowly be gone on sight. The slope is on ly 2 degrees providing a minimal change in elevatuion, which can accomodate people with disabilities.
A green space is provided in the middle to provide shade to its surroundings, It wil also be planted with the vegetation that can sustain the habitats of butterflies and other species.
