Residential Squares

Residential Squares European vs. American Prototype ARC 562 Cities and the Culture of Urban Housing Morphologies Research Paper Prof. Arthur McDonald Asli Germirli

Residential Square is considered as a low-rise high-density mixed-use typology; known as the foundation of urban housing morphology that mixes the residential and civic programs in a defined zone. Up until the emergence of residential squares, people gathered around the cathedrals and churches, which were being used as community centers; thus the market spaces were sprung around those areas. Squares were connected to passages or archways; and convents, hospitals and monasteries had their own gardens. 1 The residential squares typically generate a vibrant urban population by the historical adjacency of public and private use. As a result of this adjacency, people living in the dwellings of residential squares are more likely to get involved with the civic institutions forming the square.2 Because each city has its own social quality, open spaces in the squares are being programmed differently including markets and landscape gardens. Although, in the European squares, residents are willing to become a part of the civic profile of the square, in the American

squares,

individuality

dominates

this

interaction

and

collaboration. Covent Garden in London represents the European profile of a residential square while Gramercy Square stands for the American profile.

1 2

Catt, Richard. 1995. Residential squares. Structural Survey 13 (4): 16-20; P. 16.

“The Tournament.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 32, no. 4 (1973): 76-87. P 76.

Residential square typology can be analyzed in two different frameworks highlighting different public-private aspects. On one hand, it owns a civic and public role similar to any open space in the historical urban setting. On the other hand, it is the expression of personal and private domain through architectural order.

3

The

residences around the open space define the formal boundaries of the urban space. (Figure 1) The balance between the individual investment and the collective public setting is crucial for the residential squares in order to preserve its hybrid identity.

Figure 1

In Europe, the residential squares are declared to be a part of the civic property including merchandizing, recess and socialization. As

3

Duany, Andres, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Robert Alminana. The New Civic Art: Elements of Town Planning. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2003. P. 86.

Sitte states, European residential squares are based on a similar nature of an ancient forum, in which churches and palaces are used to form part of a building complex that was closed off from the outside; thus, they are successful in creating harmonious total effects.4 (Figure 2) Covent Garden is a great example of European identity on the residential squares both architecturally and socially; even though it is true that in the 20th century its civic identity is overshadowing its residential identity.

Figure 2

Covent Garden is accepted as the first formal residential square in London. During the 16th century, haphazardly placed housing started to sprout on the Covent Garden area. Later, Earl of Bedford obtained a license for demolishing the older settlements and had the

4

Dennis, Michael. 1981. Architecture and the City: Residential Squares, M. Dennis. P. 1.

chance to build a more organized, well-thought residential square. The area was redesigned by Inigo Jones with the aim of prospering the capital, and built it in early 17th century.

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Covent Garden was planned

as two rows of houses located behind the uniform arcaded facades on the north and the east sides.

The south side was occupied by the

garden Earl’s house, which was demolished and replaced by a new building in early eighteenth century. St. Paul’s Church, gateways and two more houses were placed on the west side. St. Paul’s had a key role to accomplish King’s request for Covent Garden to become the ornament of the town, thus a critical importance and effort was given to its design. (Figure 3) The church is lower than any other building; however, the extreme detail on its façade, its portico and columns made it seem larger.

Figure 3

5

Rasmussen, S.E., "Tale of Two cities", pp. 103-116. P. 106.

The square was used as an open market until the permanent market was built in 1828. (Figure 4) The arcades of Covent Garden are similar to the arcades of ancient market places where citizens use them as gathering places.

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The planning of Covent Garden is not a

Figure 4 successful example of a residential square. The market area, which grew up towards the north of the garden wall of Bedford House, gradually expanded to cover the whole open space of the square.

Thus, many residents moved to other places where they had more privacy. As it is pointed out in Catt’s article, Mumford defines a residential square as “ an open space surrounded solely of dwelling houses, without shops or public buildings, except perhaps a church.”

Covent

Garden

is

not

following

this

definition

because

6

Rasmussen, S.E., "Tale of Two cities", pp. 103-116; P. 107.

7

Catt, Richard. 1995. Residential squares. Structural Survey 13 (4): 16-20; P. 16.

of

7

its

outstanding market area even though it is built around St. Paul’s Church.8 In the United States, the residential squares display American characteristics and are adapted from its European equivalents in the affirmation of a particular neighborhood setting. Sitte points out that “Today we designate a ‘plaza’ even the empty space which is formed when a building lot bordered by four streets remains unbuilt.”9 His explanation shows how the definition of a public square changed over time and that people don’t need to have a church or a palace as the focal point of their civic space to create a residential square.

Gramercy Square in Manhattan, NY is a great example of how individuality of American society outweighs the efforts of communal space in order to bring people together. Gramercy Park is still mixing the residential and civic programs however in a more private manner.

As Garmey argues, Gramercy Park is a communal property more than it is a private property, as an open space shared by all the members of the community that surrounds it, putting aside their separate identities and becoming members of a kind of commune.10 The privacy of the park is against the nature of being defined as civic property because it

8 Catt, Richard. 1995. Residential squares. Structural Survey 13 (4): 16-20; P. 16.

9

Dennis, Michael. 1981. Architecture and the City: Residential Squares, M. Dennis. P. 1.

10

Garmey, Stephen. Gramercy Park, an Illustrated History of a New York Neighborhood. New York: Balsam Press Rutledge Books, 1984. P.9.

is only available to a certain people of the society. However, since the definition of ‘plaza’ changed it is not correct to point out that Gramercy Park cannot be accepted as a residential square. (Figure 5)

Figure 5 The 200ft by 400 feet park area is located between 3rd and 4th

Avenues, and 20th and 21st Streets on the same axis with Lexington Avenue and Irving Place. The park was settled for the use of the residents of the sixty adjacent building lots. Park’s access is limited to people who have keys of the four locked gates. There is an 8 feet high iron fence surrounding the park. The park has the statue of the actor Edvin Booth who lived on the residential apartments of the park.

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11

Dennis, Michael. 1981. Architecture and the City: Residential Squares, M. Dennis. P. 251.

Samuel B. Ruggles who bought the land in 1831, set the rules in order to control the advancements of the park. According to these set of rules, the buildings should not be lower than 3 stories while there is no maximum height restriction. Also, even though the residential buildings have various façade designs, their façades are all made out of only brick and stone.

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All of the buildings are being used for

residential purposes including not only apartments but also hotels. In late 19th century, New York’s first cooperative apartment house was built at 34 Gramercy Park East as red brick Victorian design with turrets. The Gramercy Park Hotel was built in early 20th century to the north end of the park.13

Figure 6

12

Garmey, Stephen. Gramercy Park, an Illustrated History of a New York Neighborhood. New York: Balsam Press Rutledge Books, 1984. P. 24.

13

Vigoda, Ralph. 1996. The 19th century is a part of Gramercy Park Today. The Sun, Sep 15, 1996. http://search.proquest.com/docview/406937333?accountid=14214

The buildings surrounding Gramercy Park represent a selective mix of characteristic New York architecture. Gramey quotes “Although, Ruggles was motivated by the idealism that seems out of place in Manhattan, the essential New York-ness of the place still prevails.”

Different mix style and periods of building types create a different coherence that the standard European residential square buildings can’t create. (Figure 6) In conclusion, European and American residential squares both mix the residential and civic spaces. American residential squares are examples of the contemporary definition of residential square, which doesn’t have strict rules like the older definition that resembles an ancient forum. American residential squares form a more elite civic space that are showing respect to the individuality of the residents while European residential squares is after the communal spirit in full sense.

Figure Notes Figure 1.

Left Image.

Right Image.

Figure 2.

Left Image.

Right Image.

Figure 3.

Left Image.

Right Image.

Figure 4.

Left Image.

Right Image.

Michael Dennis, Architecture and the City: Residential Squares (M. Dennis., 1981), 255.

S.E. Rasmussen, "Tale of Two cities", 107.

Helen K. Shaw, "Life in Ancient Rome." Forum Ancient Coins. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view. asp?key=life in ancient rome. (accessed November 28, 2014.)

Donald J. Olsen, Town Planning in London: The Eighteenth & Nineteenth Centuries (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1964), 42.

Michael Dennis, Architecture and the City: Residential Squares (M. Dennis., 1981), 122.

Donald J. Olsen, Town Planning in London: The Eighteenth & Nineteenth Centuries. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1964), 40.

Michael Dennis, Architecture and the City: Residential Squares (M. Dennis., 1981), 123.

Dennis, Architecture and the City, 125.

Figure 5.

Stephen Wilkes, "Gramercy Park." (Lenscratch Rss. January 1, 2011). http://lenscratch.com/2011/09/stephen-wilkes/. (accessed November 17, 2014.)

Bibliography Catt, Richard. 1995. Residential squares. Structural Survey 13 (4): 1620.

Dennis, Michael. 1981.Architecture and the City: Residential Squares, M. Dennis.

Duany, Andres, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Robert Alminana. The New Civic Art: Elements of Town Planning. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2003. P. 86.

Garmey, Stephen. Gramercy Park, an Illustrated History of a New York Neighborhood. New York: Balsam Press Rutledge Books, 1984.

Olsen, Donald J. Town Planning in London: The Eighteenth & Nineteenth Centuries. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1964.

Prince Vulpine, “London Churches." St Paul Covent Garden. http://princevulpinelondonchurches.blogspot.com/2013/04/in-1630skings-surveyor-of-works-was.html. (accessed November 16, 2014.)

Rasmussen, S.E., "Tale of Two cities", pp. 103-116 “The Tournament.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 32, no. 4 (1973): 76-87.

Vigoda, Ralph. 1996. The 19th century is a part of Gramercy Park Today. The Sun, Sep 15, 1996. http://search.proquest.com/docview/406937333?accountid=14214 (accessed November 16, 2014).