Liminal space Thesis

SOFIA SOFIA SOFIA

LIMINAL SPACE LIMINAL SPACE LIMINAL SPACE LIMINAL SPACE

REGENERATION OF URBAN PARK REGENERATION OF URBAN PARK

Politecnico di Milano | Scuola di Architettura e Societa | Laurea Magistrale Relatore: MicheleREGENERATION Roda | Student:OF Ralitsa | A.Y. 2015/2016 URBANYordanova PARK

REGENERATION OF URBAN PARK

Liminal Space Regeneration of Urban Park in Sofia Relatore: Michele Roda Student: Ralitsa Yordanova Laurea di Magistrale Scuola di Architetura e Societa Poitecnico di Milano A.Y. 2015/2016

Acknowledgment I would like express my profound gratitude to my supervisor Professor Michele Roda for the helpful and creative guidance throughout the course of my thesis.

I would also like to thank my family for supporting me and believing in me.

Without you I would not have been where I stand today.

I would like to thank Bahar Azimi and Aigerim Ospanova for the continuous advocacy and enormous help. Thank you for the discussions, for working together and enjoying, thank you for enduring my thesis conundrums.

Last, but not least, big thanks to Lam Ng and Arianna Piccinno for the help for the last step of my thesis. I will be forever grateful!

Abstract The aim of this project is to propose a sensitive solution for the regeneration of urban park in Sofia, Bulgaria. The context sensitive design is incorporates architectural and landscape qualities to regenerate the existing public spaces and propose new urban centrality. Situated on one of the main green connection from the city to mountain Vitosha, the site is an urban void surrounded by dense city centre fabric, which makes it adequate for urban scale transformation with nature held in high regard. By looking into the history of the site and exploring the design through the perspective of time the project establishes a new city to nature connection, repatches the discontinuous city fabric and reestablishes the morphological and temporal coherency. The result is a liminal space: a sensory threshold in time and an intermediate space between city and nature.

Key words: liminal space, urban regeneration, park, city-to-nature connection, public space, timescape

Abstract Italiano L’obiettivo di questo progetto è proporre una soluzione rispettosa del contesto per la rigenerazione di un parco urbano a Sofia, in Bulgaria. La progettazione del contesto incorpora qualità architettoniche e paesaggistiche per rigenerare gli spazi pubblici esistenti e proporre una nuova centralità urbana. Situato su una delle maggiori connessioni naturali che dalla città porta alla montagna Vitosha, l’area è un vuoto urbano circondato dal tessuto denso del centro della città, che lo rende adeguato per una trasformazione a scala urbana tenendo in grande considerazione gli elementi naturali.

Dalla ricerca storica dell’area e dal considerare lo sviluppodella soluzione nel tempo il progetto restituisce una nuova città connessa agli elementi della natura circostante, ricondensa il discontinuo tessuto della città e ristabilisce la coerenza morfologica e temporale. Il risultato è uno spazio percettivo: un ingresso sensoriale nel tempo e uno spazio intermedio tra città e natura.

Key words: spazio percettivo, rigenerazione urbana, parco, connessione città- natura, spazio pubblico, cronopaesaggio

Contents Introduction Context The Site Approach Historical Development Site and Surroundings: Functions Temporal Context: History & Traces Present Signs of History Urbanisation Pattern City & Nature: Concept Strategic Approach Masterplanning Relationship with the Soil Relationship Built-up Spaces References

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Introduction Nowadays, when working in the densely build inner city fabric in Europe architects and urban planners are facing a tremendous challenge. Contemporary designs are supposed to incorporate landscape and architecture altogether in a respect to the existing environment. Projects should show consideration to the context and at the same time conceptually and practically complete the urban fabric.

On a city scale the design should aim at improving the overall image of the city and should be used strategically with respect to the potential that the location holds. Existing urban voids tend to have the greatest potential in the present-day European environment. The different pace of city growth – from rapid urbanization to brisk downturn has resulted in urban eclecticism: combination of patchwork morphologies in no relation to each other and emptying of the city from the inside.

Both these factors contribute to the disrupted urban wholeness: interrupted link between the city and the nature; lack of quality public spaces; and strictly individual, diverse developments from different time periods with little or no connection in between and sadly, often, with no regard to the context.

The eclecticism of existing urban fabric reminds us that nothing is permanent. Built-up, voids and limits are constantly changing, giving new nuance to the social realm and transforming architecture as they go. Time is the invisible thread that holds urban fabric together. No line that architects draw can be as strong as the line of time.

In this sense contemporary design should give a solution and work scru13

pulously on these matters: by introducing elements, even conceptual, that give the city not its morphological wholeness but its temporal one, reaching from the city to the nature and back, and reaching through time.

This project will present one possible solution for a design in a city core void in Sofia, Bulgaria. The site once caserma, then military arsenale factory, then shooting range and museum is now under urban decay and a great example of emptying the city from the inside. It is disrupting the link between the city and the nature, since its location is an interval on the way of one of the main green connections coming to the city.

Both these factors combined give it a great potential to the notional link in the surrounding context and reconnect the city with the nature.

City moving towards nature and landscape moving towards architecture in an attempt to form a space that does not act as a limit but as liminal space, place of transition between the two.

In this project we witness the simultaneous and synchronised dissolution of two typologies the city and the nature, and at the same time the dissolution of time itself.

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Context Sofia, situated on the Balkan peninsula is the largest city and capital of Bulgaria. The city stretches over 500 km2 (the province over 1350 km2) and has a population of 1,5 million. Sofia is located in a valley and is surrounded by three mountains: Vitosha to the south, Liylin to the west and

Geographical Context

Balkan to the north. The average altitude is 500-700 m. Three rivers cross the city: Iskar, Perlovska and Vladayska and there is an abundance of natural hot mineral springs, in the outskirts as well as in the city centre.

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The Site

Site Location 16

Canal System 17

Approach Unity through Fragmentation The approach is strictly contextual. By context is understood the spatial: urban and geographical situation, as well as temporal: the historical time and specific epoch of the different elements.

The site itself is an urban void and is located in the city core, surrounded by dense urban fabric, but at the same time it is the innermost part of the green system coming from the nearby mountains.

The challenge in the urban scale is to manage the smooth transition and interrelation between the city and the nature, thus creating a liminal space - one of both the city and the nature. It may be as well said that it is the link between the city and the nature.

From this point of view working with the edges is very important, since the site should enhance and unify the surrounding urban tissue. By analysing the edges a clear statement is made that the channel edge is the one which is not working with the adjacent city block. Hence, it is the one with uttermost significance to reconnect the city and the nature and the site with the adjoining urban tissue.

The temporal context is considered in city and neighbourhood scale. By contemplating the urban development pattern of the city through the different periods (Roman, Medieval, Present time) a development strategy for the urban scale is composed. Superimposing the city grids during the various epochs gives a clear understanding of the urban tissue development pattern.

Additionally, exploring the design of the adjacent garden in front of the National Palace of Culture provides useful knowledge for con18

text based design, since both parks form a continuous space.

The temporal context is a more complex matter. Since on the site are present various buildings from different periods and charged with historic controversies and active public debates. This is due to the fact that the site often changed its function in time: in the late XVIII and early XIX century it was the caserma of the king, supporting the monarchy; later it became military arsenal factory and a shooting ground, where many of the opponents of the regime (socialism) were executed.

Nowadays, the site has no clear identity, it is put ‘on-hold’ and its full potential is not unlocked. This is due to the fact that the site is charged with political history and is just left as it is, turning it into an urban void with few scattered buildings from different epochs right into the city centre.

The site’s location and historical significance give the opportunity for it to be turned into a new urban node, that can change the image of the city.

What should be the main guideline in the design is an approach that can recover its spacial and temporal wholeness.

Therefore the project focuses on these two main goals.

As mentioned before the spacial wholeness must be restored in regard to the geographical and urban context - the city and the nature.

The temporal wholeness can be restored by introducing an element that can bind and unify the existing buildings, turn them into a system. The design should be the strong embrace that holds together the scattered pieces of history that time has left for us.

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Historical Development Urban Tissue through Time

Roman

Medieval 20

Post-Liberation 21

Historical Development Site & Surroundings through Time

1890

1945

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2016 23

Site & Surroundings: Functions The Void as an Opportunity Compared to the dense city-centre urban tissue the site is a void. It however contains several buildings with primarily public and cultural activities. From them only the Museum “Earth & Man” is func6 tioning properly , where as the other buildings, even though public, are not well developed, in some cases 7 too small to hold the activities assigned to them and are primar8 ily closed throughout the year.

9 The gallery is extremely limited 10 with only the groundfloor be4 5 ing used. The shooting range, 11 now museum is closed.

The surroundings hold a great potential of primarCULTURAL / EDUCATION / SPORT ily residential buildings 1 NATIONAL PALACE OF CULTURE 2 SHOOTING RANGE 3 MUSEUM & GALLERY with groundfloor for 4 SOFIA ‘S “GREEN SYSTEM” OFFICE 5 SPORTS HALL public activities. Als 6, 7, 11 SCHOOL 8, 12, 15 HOSPITAL the proximity to the 9 THEATER GROUP OFFICE 10 COMMUNITY CENTRE school is crusial.

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CULTURAL / EDUCATION / SPORT COMMERCIAL / OF

1 NATIONAL PALACE OF CULTURE 1 HOTEL 2 SHOPPING MA 2 SHOOTING RANGE 3 SHOPPING ST 3 MUSEUM & GALLERY 4 SOFIA ‘S “GREEN SYSTEM” OFFICE 4 OFFICE TOWER 5 SPORTS HALL 6, 7, 11 SCHOOL 8, 12, 15 HOSPITAL 9 THEATER GROUP OFFICE 10 COMMUNITY CENTRE 14 MUNICIPALITY

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COMMERCIAL / OFFICE/ HOTELS 1 HOTEL 2 SHOPPING MALL 3 SHOPPING STREET 4 OFFICE TOWER

RESIDENTIAL

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Temporal Context: History and Traces Past & Present

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Present Signs of History

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1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Bunkers 1945 A School 1972 B Shooting ground 1932 D Gallery 1882 E Museum 1886 F Mall 2005

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Past & Present 30

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Urbanisation Pattern

By analysing the urban tissue and its development through time a clearer view on the context (spatial and temporal) is given. The city grew towards

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the rivers. Superimposing the urban tissues from different periods shows the use of orthogonal grind based on the Roman Cardo and Decumano.

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City & Nature

The view: To the nature, South (up) and to the city, North (down)

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Concept

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Rythm: City to Nature 36

Green and Water System 37

Strategic Approach Using the direction of the city growth a new connection nature city is proposed, where the river is seen as a main connector.

Orthogonal connection to an existing park to the east is also established, forming north to south and east to west system.

City & Nature Continuation

City: Cardo & Decumano

Existing Urban Park 38

Nature: Site & River

Green System Connection

Urban Scale Strategy 39

Existing Garden Design Principle

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Main Elements

Interaction with City Tissue

Extension of Existing Grid

Path Fragmentation 41

Edge Washout

Unity through Fragmentation

Masterplanning

Site Sy

stem

Per ma bili ty

Urb an

Syst e

Con nec ti

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on

Layers 42

Composition 43

Masterplan 44

Masterplan 45

Groundfloor Plan

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Relationship within the System: The Main Path

Relationship within the System: Path to Nodes & Transitional Path to Nodes 47

D

E B

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A

I Community Centre II Library III, V, VII Museum IV Classrooms VI, VIII Gallery IX Pavilion 1 Library 2 Museum 3 Performance 4,,5,6 Exhibition A School B Museum C Observation point D Hotel E Gallery F Museum G Mall

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Relationship System to Context

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Relationship with the Soil

Relationship within the System: Path to Nodes

Relationship within the System: Transitional Path to Nodes 50 1:500

Relationship within the System: Transitional Path to Nodes 51

Section through Bunker and Hill 1

Section through Bunker and Hill 2

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Section through Bunker and Hill 3

Section through Bunker and Hill 4

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Relationship Built-up Spaces

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Sections location

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References Allen S. and McQuade M. eds. 2008. Landform building. Princeton University school of architecture Arpa J. and Per A.F., 2008, The public chance: New urban landscapes, Impresion Printing Ibelings H. eds. 2008, The artificial landscape: Contemporary architecture, urbanism, and landscape architecture in the Netherlands. NAi Publishers McHarg I., 1969, Design with Nature Neutelings R., 1989, Regional Analysis: Patchwork Metropolis Pisano C., 2014, Colouring the Patchwork Metropolis Tennent S. eds. 2006, The Landscape Urbanism Reader, Princeton Architectural Press Museumplein Di Amsterdam, Sven-Ingvar Andersson http://divisare.com/projects/62824-sven-ingvar-andersson-massimo-venturi-ferriolo-luigi-latini-museumplein-di-amsterdam Parc de la Villette, Rem Koolhaas http://oma.eu/projects/parc-de-la-villette Residence for the Irish Prime Minister, Dublin, 1979/80, Zaha Hadid http://www.zaha-hadid. com/architecture/irish-prime-ministers-residence/ Museum of the 19th Century London, 1977/78 http://architizer.com/blog/early-hadid-zahasprojects-with-oma-1977-81/ A Line in the Landscape: Craig Ellwood’s 1977 Inhabited Bridge http://socks-studio. com/2013/11/07/a-line-in-the-landscape-craig-ellwoods-1977-inhabited-bridge/ Taichung Gateway Park, Dogma with Andrea Branzi and Favero&Milan Ingegneria http:// www.ilparcocentralediprato.it/en/dogma-with-andrea-branzi-and-faveromilan-ingegneria-ramones-project-for-the-taichung-gateway-park-taichung-taiwan-2011/