COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, AND PRESERVATION ADVANCE STUDIO: Spring 2012 Critic: Galia Solomonoff

Studio Assistant: TBD

THE UNDER GROUND

There are a million creative people in this city, and I would love to get 500 ideas of how to deal with this space. -Peter Hine, Senior Manager at the Transportation Authority of New York City, referring to the Low Line Project, New York Times, 11.21.2011 Cities feature vast amounts of square footage underground. These spaces are often dismissed as dark dumps, yet as cities increase in density, the space that lies beneath the streets becomes a zone of imperative potential. New York City in particular offers a network of residual spaces left from the times when the first transit and communication infrastructures were built. The intention of this studio is to capitalize on the existence of these left-over and undervalued spaces, repurpose them as valuable public space, and give them a public program. See: http://project.wnyc.org/news-maps/lost-subways/ See: http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2012/jan/03/new-yorks-lost-subways/

Grand Central Section Looking South

To use underground space in a public and enjoyable manner a device for increasing luminosity and air flow needs to be researched and conceived. For this studio it is not sufficient to rely on known systems of air conditioning and artificial lighting; the invention of new formats of air and light transmission is part of the studio agenda. The studio will research existing built projects and consult with structural and mechanical engineers to determine ways in which to develop the schematic design into a detailed set of architectural drawings.

Images from Delancy Underground site - remote skylight channels natural light allowing photosynthesis underground developed by James Ramsey NYT 22/11/2011 - see www.delancyunderground.org

Projects to be studied; Pertinent details of these buildings will be studied to address given underground conditions applicable to each project. 1. Diller Scofidio Renfro Lincoln Center Grounds/ Restaurant 2. Steven Holl, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, underground connectors, skylights, stairs 3. OMA/Koolhass, Cornell, Milstein Hall, structure and underground mound 4. Herzog De Meuron, Hamburg Philharmonic, Concert Hall 5. Peter Zumptor, Terms at Vals, bath and spa building GSAPP/SOLOMONOFF/FALL2011page 1

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, AND PRESERVATION ADVANCE STUDIO: Spring 2012 Critic: Galia Solomonoff
Studio Assistant: TBD

POTENTIAL SITES: Select one of the 7 options below. Phase I of the site research is due February 1, 2012 (we understand that locating and reproducing site information will not be easy, please allocate time to navigate through Libraries and Archives, such us Avery, 42 Street Branch of the Public Library, Map Room, Department of Building, Manhattan Borough Office, Landmark Preservation Commission): 1. # 6 Train turn point under City Hall th 2. # 6 Train abandoned station at 18 Street and Park Avenue 3. Columbia University, 116 Street and space under Alma Matter Stairs 4. Avery Library towards Amsterdam Avenue 5. Delancy and Essex Street space of the Delancy Underground 6. Macys Plaza 32 Street and Broadway 7. Open other existing residual space within the NYC transit system with a public right of way, determined by the student and approved by the critic individual sites must be selected by February 3, many students can design for the same site. POTENTIAL PROGRAMS: Select one of the 5 options below for your program. Consider the possibility of limited or phone/internet free zones. While we see a positive side to internet use, we also recognize that the intensity of this hyper connectivity as a compromise in the ability to concentrate deeply. Data, sound and light shall be considered as they signal the use of space. 1. A Childrens Library 2. A Book Market and Publishing presentation place 3. A Public Auditorium 4. A Park and Lounge 5. Open to be determined by the student and approved by the critic. We discourage food related uses. Toilets: Public access: Outdoor Area: Egress Provide toilets at every accessible floor/level. Spaces should be publicly accessible from the street. Elevators shall be provided for accessibility at all levels Outdoor spaces can be provided as well 2 independent means of egress are necessitated from every public space excluding bathrooms Elevator and escalators do not count as egress

TASKS:

Document a site or sites. Group shared research until February 3. Select a site and program that tightly connect Produce a massing physical and 3D model at 1/16 = 1-0 Design the access of people from the public way at 1/8 = 1-0 Develop a series of Sections and Plans at 1/8 and scales as appropriate Develop a series of lighting, ventilation, planting, access details at = 1-0 Consider the different user scenarios, paths, and timelines.

DELIVERABLES: Corresponding plans and section drawings Site Plan including context and ground floor plan Overall building plans, structural grids, and ventilation circuits should be indicated. Models: Massing model in context and Section model Clarifying diagrams, perspective views, sketches, etc. as desired. TIMETABLE: Site February 3, 2012 Program and Site February 17, 2012 Midterm March 1, 2012 Final Review Wednesday April 25, 2012

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