URBAN THRESHOLDS

URBAN CORRIDOR GARDEN

ALLEY

VERANDAH

THRESHOLDS

PLAZA

BOUNDARY MEMBRANE SQUARE ARCADES

PARKS

ARCHED CORRIDORS

DOORWAY STAIRWAY PROMENADES

EDGE STREET CAFE 1

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URBAN

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A CATALOGUE OF IN-BETWEEN PLACES

THREHSOLDS MODERN ARCHITECTURE AND MODERN CITIES KAREN VIJAYANAND | GTID - 903324915 MSUD

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How Porous is the city we traverse through? The Porosity in a city refers to the ambiguous zones, the in-between spaces, the thresholds that permeate the Urban Environment. Every city is a composition of spaces with various functions interconnected by transition zones. These transitional zones are spatial boundaries which aid in transitioning from one zone to the next. Architecture builds on transition, and transition builds on Porosity.

THE THRESHOLD “The phenomenon of the threshold thrives on spatial ambivalence.

Thresholds open up spaces and organize transitions. At the same time, they are read as part of the boundary and can be perceived as a barrier. A space that is delimited by thresholds and space defining elements can be termed a threshold space. Threshold spaces are required for access to the actual functional rooms. They provide a preface to perception of architectural space. They live in the sequence of what lies in the past, present, and future. This means: threshold spaces also live in the expectation of what is to come1.”.

How these thresholds / in-between spaces affect/characterize a city?

THE AMBIGUOUS CITY The European Cities exhibit a closed porosity but are organized with numerous ambiguous thresholds present in-between them.

The ambiguousness exhibited in these in-between spaces – leads to the ambiguous city with spaces that have a fundamentally different meaning for every person who encounters them.

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INTRO

THE VOLUME These transition zones between buildings aid in the perception of the volume of the buildings around it, and thereby play an important role in the perception of the city.

1 Threshold Spaces: Transitions in Architecture. Analysis and Design Tools, Book by Till Boettger

ANALYSES

“The architecture of the city could in fact be conceived as the art of Thresholds�

Sophie Wolfrum.

The various case examples presented in this study are spaces which I passed through during the 60-day program and I thought deserved a mention. These spaces are he ones where I stood for long observing activity, Passed through and decided to pass through again to get a complete feel, the spaces I felt curious about. This study is a photo documentation with graded points for the Selected areas.

The main questions the analyses is based on are as follows: Delimitation How is the threshold space defined? Can the spatial body be perceived in its entirety?

Structure Is the threshold integrated with the surrounding architecture?

Topography What is the position of the threshold space with respect to the architecture as a whole?

Materiality What atmosphere can be experienced in the threshold space? What color, what light, what contrast does the threshold space possess?

Function What is the function of the threshold space like?

The following is a grading system applied for each case presented.

MT for MATERIALITY SIZE denoted as S | M | L | XL EN - An ENTITY - Is it an individual entity?

CN - A CONTINUUM - without a definite end?

STRUCTURE denoted as Integrated with the architecture X Not intergrated with the archietcture Y TOPOGRAPHY denoted as Higher 1, in level with Ground 0, Lower -1 FN for FUNCTION

MT L

CN

Y

0

FN

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ALLEY

NO TRESPASSING, BARCELONA. 6

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The ALLEYS of Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and London is were life happened. The web of passages strewn across the city easily helped people to move from one part of town to the next without experiencing the main roads. Most of these alleyways had multiple functions.

They were not only used for movement to reach a destination but were also a place were people gathered, shopped or went home to. We also came across residences which fronted these alleys, for those people this was space in-between the public an their private homes.

The Alleys of these modern cities can be termed as the MEMBRANE - a kind of threshold which does not have physical delimiters but the their integrated organization with the city as routes which helped in commuting from one place to another naturally characterizes them to play the dual role of passage and threshold.

Routes claimed by the people to become a place.

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LDN

CECIL COURT Cecil court represents the alleyways of London. The street is a pedestrian street with numerous retail and boutiques fronting onto the alley. A typical alley in London is one which is a secondary shopping street with its fair share of people passing through. It is a communal space which exists in between the private realm.

MT L

FN 8

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Tar, uniform color throughout, brightly lit, as it is open to sky.

CN

Y

0

Serves as a shared street in-between shop vendors and pedestrians.

A communal space.

AMS

OLD-TOWN Amsterdam’s alleyways are where one finds the rarest of things. In level with the architecture, they are a continuous passage which would lead those treading onto the Main street to their destination. The alleys of Old town Amsterdam are bustling in the nights. With bars taking the party to the alleys. Its a place to see, experience, and commute through. A transition zone which serves as a threshold separating the private spaces on either side.

MT L

FN

Paved surface, neon lighting, street storage by private home owners such as cycles, chairs

CN

Y

0

A passage, a place where people linger, a welcoming zone for the private spaces.

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BCN

CARRER NOU In Barcelona, is a shared pedestrian street.

It is an example which carries numerous characteristics of a typical Barcelona street. It serves as a pedestrian walkway as well as a gathering space for locals and tourists alike. It is highly active and is an in-between space which is at the juncture of public and private realms.

MT L

FN 10

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Tar Road, Paved sidewalks, bollards,

CN

Y

0

Mainstream public space, cycling possible.

PAR

OLD STREET In Paris is a typical example of Parisian alleys. A common characteristic of these alleys is the presence of a threshold within a threshold. The alley here is considered as a transition space and as we walk through it, we are bound to pass through one of the many vaulted archways with cafe seating on the outdoors. The transition happens from public to private along the alley and into the spaces on either side.

MT L

FN

Coble stoned path, vaulted arches, light and shade.

CN

Y

0

Passage, cafe.

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MUSEUM

MACBA PLAZA, BARCELONA. 12

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Museums were one of the main categories of architecture which was experienced in every city visited. The organizations of the most of the Museums were straightforward. The two Museums selected had an unique access points. The Museum of London made the person go through multiple thresholds in order to access the main building. This was also due to the fact that it was a part of a larger complex. The Danish Museum on the other hand has a straightforward access but was composed of multiple interior thresholds which were semi public spaces.

Museums usually started with the street, and were accessed by treading through a public plaza, a cafe or a park. Spill zones for the visitors and th public to linger. Public transition zones.

The Thresholds in the Museum and around it can be categorized as VOLUMES OF TRANSITION which transport people from the reality to a place where time stands still.

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LDN A THRESHOLD

The MUSEUM OF LONDON In London, England is situated on the London Wall close to the Barbican Center. The museum houses various exhibits and documents on London’s Historic Past.

A. The main access to the museum is through an elevated walkway which circles around and puts into view the various public thresholds present within the museum .

B. The main entry to the museum from the public walkway.

B

C. The various in-between spaces in the museum serve as gathering spaces, events spaces.

MT S

FN 14

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C

Brick and mortar. Paved.

CN

X

0,1

Walkway to access the museum, in-between thresholds functions as gathering spaces.

CPH A THRESHOLD

The DANISH MARITIME MUSEUM In Helsignor, on the outskirts of Copenhagen is completely below the ground level.

Standing on the pier it is invisible to the eye. On moving closer it slowly comes into view. All the spaces below, which are visible and open to sky are publicly accessible.

A. The main entry to the museum is through a gleaming white passage. This is the only entry into the interior of the museum to view the exhibitions.

B

B. The multiple stairs around the museum give access to the public to experience the central court.

C. The central court is a transition zone which gives a glimpse of the indoor auditorium and play zones and has access to the book store.

MT M

FN C

Concrete, stone, glass.

EN

X

-1

Route of entry to the museum, outdoor gathering events space with a view of the indoor.

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CEMETERY

THE LABYRINTH, BARCELONA 16

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CEMETERIES are featured in this study because of how they integrate them with the city.

Where I’m from cemeteries are ones which are built on the outskirts of the city, those which are considered a thing to be looked at from afar. Through these cities we visited a fair share of cemeteries. Each one had a distinct organization. The two cemeteries featured in the study represent one each of the two common types.

Right from the main access to the cemetery to the most deep and monumental burial areas it comprised of a series of thresholds such as gardens and landscape, arched walkways, columbariums to break the monotony, hedges used as boundaries. The graves in the Cemetery in Amsterdam were built with a boundary for each grave. The boundary created a place on the ground to personalize the grave with its own garden. The boundary here is the threshold which separates the grave form another.

Thresholds through the cemetery can be categorized as a LINEAR THRESHOLD - usually a difference in material, landscape , low walls, and spaces open to sky.

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PAR

A

The MONTPARNESSE CEMTERY Paris is one of the most famous in the world, housing the graves of many notable personalities in history.

B

A. A green belt is formed around the city acting as a natural threshold which creates a clear boundary and also creates a visual barrier for the buildings around the cemetery.

B. The transition form street to the cemetery occurs in the paved entrance plaza leading to the gated entry of the cemetery.

C. The tombs are enclosed spaces which are raised on pedestals from the ground, thereby creating a distinction between the private and the public.

MT XL

FN 18

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C

Dense trees as a buffer, paved and chained entry zone, concrete pedestal as boundary.

CN

Y

0

As a Buffer, A transitioning entry zone, A boundary / separator.

AMS

A

The AS BURIAL GROUND In Amsterdam is a modern take on a cemetery. The site comprises of organized sections of burial spaces, a Columbarium and an Islamic burial place.

A. The pathways are zones of movement from one burial area to another.

B

B. The Columbarium opens at different junctions and is a threshold with its own function.

C. The Central water body welcomes the incoming crowd and slowly transitions them into the main burial space.

MT XL

FN C

Landscape is the most recurring method of separating the various zones in this cemetery.

CN

Y

0

The Columbarium is a transition space with a function. It is a porous structure.

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CATHEDRAL

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Religious places have a grand approach. A grand stairs like the one seen in the picture or a public plaza with fountains or their location in the city, prime and of importance, all played a major role in defining the kinds of thresholds present in and around these places of Religious Importance. These thresholds where areas people gathered, rested, stood in line, had coffee, or waited for transport.

The thresholds of these Religious places can be categorized as THRESHOLD ROUTES, for they move people from one type of a place to a sacred zone which becomes everyones own private place.

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BCN A

THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

The GIRONA CATHEDRAL In GIRONA, Barcelona is one of the most revered monuments in old town Girona.

The passages leading unto the cathedral are alleys and arched tunnels.

B

A. The grand stair serves as the threshold between the public zone and the religious zone. Although public the cathedral has certain restriction which need to be followed.

B. The archways along the alleys / streets serve multiple functions. Here its a passageway as well as a cafe seating zone.

C. Stairways are a historic threshold which may either be a passage to the main street or it can also lead to interconnection private spaces.

MT M

FN 22

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C

Stone walls and pathways.

EN

Y

0,1

As a threshold between the cathedral and the public space.

LDN A

THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

The NOTRE DAME DE PARIS In Paris is a cathedral with a great historical importance. Highly articulated the cathedral, the Cathedral sits on a large plain with the Seine as one of its boundaries.

B

A. The huge cathedral plain comprises of gardens both private and public. These Gardens along with the Seine act as separators which distinguish the Cathedral from the other surrounding development.

B. The plaza in front of the Cathedral is an active public space which sees long queues everyday for access into the Cathedral.

C. The final threshold, the arched entrance niche and door before one could pass into the holy space.

MT XL

FN C

Stone, Historic, Landscape

CN

Y

0

Public gathering spaces.

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MIXED USES

CAIXA FORUM, BARCELONA 24

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MIXED USES is a category of buildings which serve different functions. Housing, Office blocks, Commercial spaces, Parks and mixed use developments. From a niche on the wall which leads to the front door of a house in Barcelona, transitioning from the public street to the private, or carved out volumes of skyscrapers serving as a public plaza, the thresholds of these mixed use types are many.

The most common is plazas and public zones which are integrated with its architecture.

These thresholds can be categorized as THE IN- BETWEEN - A membrane, an area or a volume which creates transition.

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OSL A

THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

BARCODE In Oslo is multi purpose, high rise development on a former dock. The various buildings on the strip house a wide range of functions such as offices, hotels, retail and housing.

A. The in-between spaces serve a variety of function. Here is a bike stand plaza.

B

B. These in-between spaces have been designed as parks and resting spots for the residents and the general public.

C. Each building is connected to the next by intermediate access thresholds.

MT M

FN 26

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C

Park landscape and infrastructure.

EN

X

0

In-between spaces which aid in transitioning from one block to another.

LDN A

THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

LEDENHALL TOWER In London, also known as “the cheese grater� is another prominent skyscraper in London.

A. The main level of the building is raised thereby creating a public zone which acts as multipurpose space. It is an extended threshold which serves a public function.

B

B. The image shows the approach to main office space two levels above and the seating space below.

C. The space beneath the cheese grater transitions form semi closed threshold space to a open to sky court, a central zone for all the abutting towers.

MT XL

FN C

Steel, Landscape

EN

X

0

Threshold space which serves as a resting / spill zone.

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LDN A THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

BROADGATE TOWER & Beyond In London, is a skyscraper in London’s Main financial district. The criss cross style steel beaming over the windows gives a dynamic appearance to the tower.

A. The space in-between the two blocks graced by the mammoth steel structural components is a totally public space with a cafe and leisure seating area with sparse landscape.

B

B. Beyond is the porous void in the building overlooking the broadgate tower. Through this porous void is access to the closest train station and is a free public zone.

C. Passing through the porosity one lands on the plaza overlooking the train station and provides access to the cafe’s seating space and a bronze sculpture.

MT XL

FN 28

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C

Paved plazas with adequate lighting and steel all around.

EN

X

Public Spill out zones.

1

BCN A THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

POBLENOU PARK The Park is located in Barcelona, and was designed by Jean Nouvel.

A. The pedestrian plaza is the first encounter on our way to the park. It is a fun public zone with seating and play for kids.

B. The park starts right from the tunnel which frames a major thoroughfare. The green tunnel is the main transition zone before entry into the park.

B

C. The park has multiple entry points through a wrought iron door. The aesthetics of the park are splendid. And have various types of spaces for play, seating, walking and all composed into one vast site.

MT L

FN C

Landscape, park infrastructure.

CN

X

0

The park itself serves as a threshold to access the developments around it.

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RDM A THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

The JUSTUS VAN EFFENCOMPLEX In Rotterdam The housing complex was designed in 1919 by Michiel Brinkman. It has a large block which encircles a courtyard containing small blocks. The main feature of this housing complex is the bovenstraat.

An elevated walkway along the blocks inner edge at the third storey level.

B

A. Shows the Bovenstraat, elevated street, the primary walkway which provides access to the apartment units. An elevated threshold.

B. The main entrance archway to the complex from the immediate main street.

C. The ground level public courtyard spaces and the cantilever of the balconies forming informal porches for the ground level apartments.

MT M

FN 30

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C

Brick, Concrete, Paved surface, Landscape.

CN

X

0,1

As a walkway, As an entrance arch, As an informal porch.

CPH A THRESHOLD

PUBLIC

The TORPEDO HALL APARTMENTS Located in the old Torpedo (boat) Hall the 67 apartments designed by Tegnestuen Vandkunsten are the first loft-style residences made available in Copenhagen.

A. The Large wooden staircase serves as the entity which provides access to the elevated corridors.

B

B. The elevated streets accessed from the staircase lead to the private apartment units.

C. A void in the structure serves as an entrance to the complex. Stands as the threshold between the decks and the residences.

MT M

FN C

Wood, steel, restored structure.

CN

X

0,1

The primary element providing access from the public to the private, An entry zone, 31 URBAN THRESHOLDS

CONCLUSION

THRESHOLDS IN THE SKY, EVERYWHERE. 32

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“The door to the house acts as the threshold to the city. Passing through the door means to be for a moment still inside the house while breathing the air of the city. The street is public, but we perceive it my street in which we feel at home while relating to the city�.

- POROUS CITY Featured in this picture is a category of Thresholds I would like to term as THRESHOLDS IN THE SKY. The cantilevering balconies and overhead shelter across these cities created a visual transition zone between the ground and the sky.

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ALLEYS

MUSEUM

CEMETERY

CATHEDRAL

MIXED USES 34

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Thresholds are spaces of Passage. Passing through a threshold inculcates feelings such as freedom, intimidation etc. It is up to us to choose the path we tread upon. The urban cities are full of options when it comes to these in-between places. These European Cities resonated a strong connection between the buildings, the spaces between them and the street. The various case examples presented were representing a different kind of transition space. And there are yet many more which went unmentioned. But the case examples represent the most common thresholds encountered in these cities and most of the spaces encountered functioned as a separate entity while still being integrated with its architecture. The people claimes these in-between spaces, also termed as ambiguous zones, perceived it as their own and made it into a PLACE. “An architecture of thresholds in indispensable for the spatial quality of the cities, for thresholds are privileged and special places in the city. Their ambivalence, strength, beginning with a cushion on a windowsill, a conversation in the front garden, or a farewell in the doorway.

Sitting on walls and hanging around underneath sheltered canopies on verandas, resting in street cafes and observing the scenery, sitting on stairs in front of entrances, sunbathing g on balconies, lingering in foyers, or entrance hall of stations – it is here that consequential encounters take place, for they occur unexpectedly, Urban corridors, broad promenades, plazas and squares, edges boundaries, and membranes – ambivalent places seem to be necessary at every scale. With all this the architecture of the city could in fact be conceived as the art of thresholds. “ - An extract from POROUS CITY.

REFERENCES - Analyses module was coined based on “Threshold Spaces: Transitions in Architecture. Analysis and Design Tools Book by Till Boettger.”

- Quotes and inspirations from “Porous City - From Metaphor to Urban Agenda”.

- Google Images - Aerial Image source for Notre Dame, AS Burial Ground, Montparnesse Cemetery, Museum of London.

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CORRIDOR URBAN GARDEN

ALLEY

VERANDAH THRESHOLDS

PLAZA

BOUNDARY MEMBRANE SQUARE ARCADES

PARKS

ARCHED CORRIDORS

DOORWAY STAIRWAY PROMENADES

EDGE STREET CAFE 36

URBAN THRESHOLDS