THESIS: REINVENTING FRANKLIN PARK

ADVISOR: ERIC JENKINS

Skateboarding started in the sixties by southern california surfers, but a lot has changed since then. It went from being done on the downhill streets there, to skateparks in the eighties. When its popularity declined, the parks started closing down and they had nowhere to go but hit the city streets. Nowadays, skateparks are mostly in the suburbs, away from easily accessible public transportation. Franklin Park is a perfect site for a public park that combines skateboarding (and other sports) with public programs, because of its location within the heart of the city and its proximity to its amenities.

Skateboarders redefine space and public space should be for everyone, as long as people respect each other. Instead of barring them from these spaces, they should be made so to accommodate both. Skateboarders may also reduce crime by populating otherwise unused spaces. Skaters interweave their own speed and time into the fabric of the city. They rush past people on the street and stay longer at places people rush through. They also use parts that are unused after business hours, when otherwise they would lay dormant.

Architecture is not just about a building, it is about the relationship between the object and the user. Public space should facilitate the interaction between all citizens. There is abundant evidence that when a space is accessible to all the diverse public, it doesn't need to be managed from the outside. It will regulate itself.

I want to create a space that is friendly to all people, not just skateboarders. It will accommodate varying speeds of transportation (skateboarding, rollerblading, bicycling, etc.) and different types of entertainment (amphitheater, cafe, gallery, etc.). By slicing a field and inserting program under and over it, I am not taking away from the park, but adding onto it. Spaces weave in and out, over and under each other, facilitating opportunities for adventure and interaction.

Click to enlarge each board and model images.