Public vertical transition : a thought experiment on a pre-emptive response to rapid urbanisation in urban centers in effort to de-privatise the sky

Abstract

The continuing growth of the world’s population and the subsequent trend of urbanisation increase the fear that the gap between science fiction and reality is closing. The urban fabric of cities are becoming denser. The built form is growing rapidly. The public realm is becoming over-crowded and stagnant with petrol-fuelled congestion. How are we responding to these fears that science fiction has predicted and continually highlighted over the last century? Does our city architecture need a radical change in order to prevent this future? Or is this future inevitable?

[From 1.3 Aims and Objectives]: On a micro scale, the project aims to mitigate the effects of social class stratification that might occur with the inevitable rise of elevated streetscapes. Even the current urban environment displays a clear segregation between ground public plane and elevated private spaces. This project aims to facilitate the vertical transition of the public.

[From 1.6 Methodology : Future Response] This project establishes a future scenario through research of current trends of our urban environments around the world, futurist theories and science fiction film and literature.

The research compares an array of science fiction film’s depictions of dystopian futures, to our city’s current trend towards it. Blade Runner and Metropolis portrayed strong depictions of heavily urbanised cities, which aligned with the futurist theories of Le Corbusier and Hugh Ferris.

The commonalities of all three sources of research (film, literature and current trends) formed a rapidly urbanised future of Auckland City, for this project to respond to.

Project site: 106 Albert Street. The site is bordered by three streets: Albert Street, Victoria Street West and Elliot Street.