going
over
the
san
diego convention center is possible after ascending, then descending, hundreds of steps. There is no direct access to the stairs from streets. Pedestrians diverge from their natural pathway just to reach stairs.
going under the david l. Lawrence convention center in Pittsburgh is possible after sharing a long tunnel with vehicular traffic. The tunnel has poor natural light, low air quality and high vehicular noise. This is an awkward space that may seem a bit claustrophobic.
not
going
anywhere
is the situation with the Jacob K. Jevits Convention Center in New York City. This is the worst offender of all three typologies. This type of convention center is not penetrable and it acts as a solid barrier to exterior pedestrian thru traffic.
In all of these typologies, the exterior pedestrian flow is greatly diverted or in some cases interrupted altogether by a conglomerated building. These paradoxical typologies undermine the civic life they are attempting to celebrate because they obstruct the natural flow of exterior pedestrian traffic. Hence, a new design is in order; a design that is true to the celebration of civic life by promoting the natural flow of the pedestrian community through the building instead of around, over, or under it. While at first glance the conglomerated program may seem crucial, more can be done to liberate the interior program from the unnecessary envelope that houses it. Removing the “shell� will not only facilitate the flow of natural pedestrian circulation, but will re-proportion the civic center into an appropriate human scale that allows the civic center to form a more responsible and intimate part of the urban fabric.