City' plans. (Shamefully) I had no idea about this, somehow managing to
miss any mention of it in the news previously (I'll blame not owning a
TV but it's a poor excuse I know).
My prior ignorance aside, this sounds like a interesting concept;
converting an airport for alternative uses, the possibilities seem
endless yet limited at the same time. By using the existing structure
you are faced with various large -scale spaces which admittedly aren't
the most aesthetically pleasing. With the infrastructure on the site to
me the possibilities feel commercial, and in that realm it has the
possibility to become a fantastic public domain. With so much space
between the buildings imagine the possibilities for the open, green &
public space that exist here. With retail developments within the
buildings, the open space could host a plethora of pop-up pavilions,
delighting us with everything from cold drinks on summer days to
exhibitions.
Pulling back to reality though, here are the designs unveiled today:
All 3 propose a new and almost self-contained city however each of the 3
have placed emphasis on different aspects
Maccreanor Lavington architects: The Fully Functioning City
The Selling Point: Large Tracts of Woodland
Verdict: I love the idea of a city intertwined with nature, what would
really elevate this for me would be a real effort to build complimentary
infrastructure that would make this a city without a need for cars so
that we could genuinely enjoy our burst of nature without fear of being
run over.
Hawkins Brown Architects: The Modular City
The Selling Point: Customisable City
Verdict: A nice idea as modern day housing developments are all so
'samey' if you found yourself dropped in one you'd have no idea as to
where you were. This does however immediately say to me that this will
not be affordable housing (although is it ever affordable in London),
which to me make its miss the mark of the goal being to solve the
housing crisis, the wealthy don't need any more homes.
Rick Mather Architects: The New Hub City
The Selling Point: Utilising the Existing context
Verdict: This feels closest to my own thoughts, I am intrigued as to how
the site could be developed using what's already there. Could it be made
to look like a city or would it just look like we decided to inhabit the
airport?
My Choice: For me Maccreanor Lavington feels like my winner although,
I'd want to see more as I fear that this could be a wonderful idea (&
opportunity) ruined by a network of typically London style
over-populated roads. I cant imagine a green space being all to relaxing
when you cant hear birds sing for the noise of the traffic.
Find the story & the images at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-28320432
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