Synergistic Surroundings | Curating the City

Irene Ayla Castro | Kathleen Bainbridge | Krati Gorani | Yasmina Wery

Focusing on an architectural intervention that activates under-valued spaces throughout the Example – the design process commenced with a study of machines for drawing – automated systems, that given specific directions could move in repetition over the span of hours to create manufactured beauty.

The hidden lines informing the development

Line drawing using pens + radial operation system

This form was them taken form a 1:1 machine to a 1:100 architectural solution to an existing space.

Could the Eixample Super Block become a new environment ruled by greenery?

The Curator has been designed to manipulate new Super Block spaces with the gradual injection of vegetation in the pedestrian zone.  The city of Barcelona has only 6.6 sq meters of green space per capita, 3.15 in Gràcia + 1.85 in Example. To repair this problem, the Curator is a nomadic being, passing through the streets, vegetating the cracks and potholes with seeds over the span of years.  In line with the removal of car traffic, the existing dilapidation to the street has been mapped and entered into the programming of the Curator.

Initial mapping of the site identified a number of areas of cracking and damage to the surface treatment. Using these coordinates, the Curator is able to distribute an array of seeds, slowly and constantly over the space of two years. As the damage tot eh surface treatment increases and the vegetation becomes more invasive the capacity for shading solutions, food generation and public spaces are increased.

The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum of 9 sq meters of open public space per capita. This proposal has a 3 phase projection (1, 5, + 10 years).  The first year predicts 20% greenery presence, the fifth – 60% and 90% in year 10.