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First blush reactions, H.S. Wright competition: Why not make the required problem solving exercise a "collaboration" rather than a competition? Isn't genesis of "fresh vision" a bit much to expect of a 9 acre site, central to the center though it may be? Wouldn't such a major city, with such a storied past and history of innovation and civic engagement already be doing its inspirational magic? Why should "great public spaces" be transformational unless unchallengeable models for such change exist? By what criteria is "transfomational" to be understood in this context? What are the challenges of the future that can be met with more "great public spaces"? Is the area truly blighted? Characterized by transformations no longer considered transformational? A lot of urban renewal projects have been "transformational", but history records many as misdirected and destructive of the urban fabric. Hence, I doubt that hyperbole can be a reliable tool for understanding the urban condition. Of course "we" can generate ideas that will inform future cultural centers and public spaces; that is what has gotten us to wherever it is that we are; maybe the term "ideas" should at minimum be preceded by the phrase "sustainable and nurturing", vague and as indeterminate as such terms may yet be. Just a snack for thought. ------------------------------------------- Gary Collins AIA Principal Gary R. Collins, AIA Jacksonville OR -------------------------------------------
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-18-2012 11:14
From: Douglas Paul
Subject: Urban Intervention: The Howard S Wright Design Ideas Competition for Innovation in Public Space
Ecologically? Socially? Economically? How can public space evolve to better meet the needs of our changing social and natural systems? What kinds of public spaces will be needed in the future and how can activation and use be encouraged and accommodated in new and inventive ways? Can we generate ideas today that will inform a new generation of cultural centers and public places? Urban Intervention invites designers to conceive a fresh vision of environmental, social, and economic opportunities on and beyond a 9-acre site at the heart of Seattle Center. Design ideas should harness Seattle's history of innovation and civic engagement to inspire the next generation of great public spaces, connecting interaction and innovation to meet the challenges of the future. http://www.thenextfifty.org/urbanintervention/
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Douglas Paul
Director, Knowledge Communities
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
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