Kings Cross Square - Adaptive Urban Landscape
The design strategy for Kings Cross Square looks towards improving public transitions between transport networks. Determining the main connection routes and transitional desire lines through the space the landscape combines different programmes, spaces and materials to organize experiences through the space.
Structural adaptive islands establish the direct transitional routes between the transport facilities. Strategically placed they raise above the busy fast channels of movement and adapt according to the speed, density and populace of movement detected through the space and surrounding area. Contracting when there is a high populace of commuters in the space and expanding when a calmer atmosphere is present, increasing or decreasing the spaces of key intersections between desire lines.
The fast channels of transitional movement can be utilized at peak times by commuters, these channels provide direct paths between transport connections. The elevated islands offer spaces of calmer and clearer atmospheres, raised above the fast channels of movement to create wide open site lines of the surrounding space. The main central islands covered by glass roof canopy’s provide wayfinding stations and rows of furniture, while the outer islands offer areas of green spaces with clusters of furniture pieces encouraging a more sociable atmosphere.
The material qualities combined with the geometrical forms will influence and control the function of the space. The elevated platforms are constructed of Baltic pine contrasted against a smooth concrete finished floor, splayed across these wooden islands flow curved glass canopies. Seating arrangements constructed from square blocks of Baltic pine are situated above the transitional routes to provide calmer spaces. Green areas arranged above and around the busy channels of spaces are organized with clusters of facing furniture pieces and small pockets of open grassland encouraging a playful and more sociable areas of human interaction.
Structural adaptive islands establish the direct transitional routes between the transport facilities. Strategically placed they raise above the busy fast channels of movement and adapt according to the speed, density and populace of movement detected through the space and surrounding area. Contracting when there is a high populace of commuters in the space and expanding when a calmer atmosphere is present, increasing or decreasing the spaces of key intersections between desire lines.
The fast channels of transitional movement can be utilized at peak times by commuters, these channels provide direct paths between transport connections. The elevated islands offer spaces of calmer and clearer atmospheres, raised above the fast channels of movement to create wide open site lines of the surrounding space. The main central islands covered by glass roof canopy’s provide wayfinding stations and rows of furniture, while the outer islands offer areas of green spaces with clusters of furniture pieces encouraging a more sociable atmosphere.
The material qualities combined with the geometrical forms will influence and control the function of the space. The elevated platforms are constructed of Baltic pine contrasted against a smooth concrete finished floor, splayed across these wooden islands flow curved glass canopies. Seating arrangements constructed from square blocks of Baltic pine are situated above the transitional routes to provide calmer spaces. Green areas arranged above and around the busy channels of spaces are organized with clusters of facing furniture pieces and small pockets of open grassland encouraging a playful and more sociable areas of human interaction.