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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Cool Cool Seaside in Kaohsiung, Taiwan by Atelier Let’sFebruary 13th, 2019 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Atelier Let’s Cool Cool Seaside Next to the Gushan Ferry Pier that connects Kaohsiung to Cijin is a FamilyMart. Further down the road is a Watsons. Continuing along it is a series of storefronts, most of which are delis and dessert shops. Would anyone have ever wondered what is behind this row of shops? Indeed, if you take some time to get around to it, you will discover a local neighborhood situated just between that bustling road and the pier-side, where the place is decorated with some casually erected melon sheds, a small square in front of the temple, and plenty of randomly placed plantations. Above all, you will also be treated to some waterfront sceneries in the cool breeze as you stand in this subtropical city of Taiwan.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government
 Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government Thanks to the Urban Development Bureau, this homelike neighborhood is once again being introduced to the public by means of revitalization as opposed to eradication for something completely anew, opening up this modern city crevice that already brims with liveliness to the local residents. In addition, with the touch of Bamboo Yang, a brilliant graffitist from WALLRIORS, the colors of the basketball court are now in perfect harmony with the atmosphere of this place.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government Therefore, whether you are here for a nap, or taking your time diving into a bowl of shaved ice, or simply just looking for a chill-out spot, the canopy stands here, welcoming you with its spanning roofs. As if giving a massage to the city, this place helps it shed away some weariness of the everyday life, allowing the vitality to sprawl on without boundaries.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government History Background and Space Potential The railway no longer exists, but it has become a small open space for the community. The site is located in Hamasen area, Kaohsiung City (the word Hamasen means “coast railway line” in Japanese), adjacent to the second basin dock of Kaohsiung Port. It was once seated with warehouses for storing cargos and commodities during Japanese colonial period, and was also one of the terminals of the Kaohsiung coast freight railway line. In the process of urban development, the railway was finally abandoned and became a park and square for the local community. In the past, as the resources were invested mostly on the tourism industry and the local main roads, the square is lacking of maintenance and gradually becoming old and insufficient for the public use.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government Today, the site is sandwiched between residential houses, warehouses and factories without being fully utilized. However, its continuous spatial characteristic has the opportunity to connect with nearby hotspots in the vicinity, as well as to link up Gushan Ferry Pier in the west and the Pier-2 Art Center in the east. The square itself is also a good place for community gatherings, tourist taking rests and residents having exercises.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government Space Configuration Redefining the square as a living space for the community To relocate two sets of basketball stands to the other side of the square, allowing players on courts to have larger space to move around. In between these two courts, an additional canopy is added to provide a shaded area for people on both sides. The longitudinal axis of the square is aligned to the center of the cultural belief of the residents, Wen-Long Temple. We emptied the middle part of the canopy, so Wen-Long Temple would remain visually accessible when one viewing from the other side of the square. The height of the canopy is also carefully calculated so that it does not exceed the ridge of the temple. The freedom and flexibility of the space, as well as the penetrability of the façade is what is aimed to be preserved as much as possible, hoping that the space under the canopy would be like the living space of the community where various activities can occur.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government Materials and Tectonics Utilizing used containers and existing concrete seats as essential structures, in response to challenges of the limited budget and construction time. Given the limited time, it is necessary to utilize ready-made materials as much as possible in composing the canopy. The existing reinforced concrete seats conveniently become the foundation of the canopy, saving the time to be spent on excavation for other parts of the construction. The main structure is disassembled and reformed by two cargo boxes, the side panels of which made into sunshades and the frameworks into structural supports. All of which are then lifted up by 15cm*15cm H-shaped columns erected closely adjacent to the concrete seats, creating the necessary resistance against the sheer force. Finally, the texture of the southern-pinewood flooring gives a sense of relaxation in providing an environment for the residents to rest underneath the canopy at ease.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government A Glance of History Respecting the existing context Temples in Taiwan are always the spiritual centers of townships, and the Wen Lung Temple is no exception. As the project site is located some distance away in front of Wen Lung Temple, the height of the pavilion has thus been carefully calculated to not surpass the height of the temple rooftop. We also intentionally minimized the center structure by removing the sunshade panels in that area to preserve the visual continuity for the view through the central axis of the temple.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government Patterned Window Grills and the Wave The wavelike steel bars are also reinforcement components for the structure. Various patterns of the window grills often leave vivid impressions to those who visited the Hamasen area. Techniques such as forging, welding, and bending are commonly used to create linear forms imitating images of flowers, grass, mountains and waterscapes. After the structural panels are removed from the cargo box frames, reinforced steel bars are added in respect of structural consideration, as well as to echo with the window grills of the neighborhood. During the day, when the sun moves across the sky, the silhouette of the horizontal bars on the ground reminds us of the sea waves and the ocean that warmly surround us.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government Imagining the Future After the renovation, the playing courts are distributed on both sides. In addition to enlarging the space for the players, it also retains the possibilities for various original activities. After the graffitist’s painting, the ground became cleaner; the soft color scheme not only made the space more relaxing, it also prevents people from littering carelessly.  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Yi-Hsien Lee Photography, Urban Development Bureau and Kaohsiung City Government  Image Courtesy © Atelier Let’s  Site plan, Image Courtesy © Atelier Let’s
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Categories: Pavilion, Playground, Renovation |
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