Sydney Vivid

New Sydney vivid festival will be held since 23 May to 9 June this year. Actually, I have visited the festival for many times. Yesterday, I visited MLC and saw the fantastic art, which is impressed my deeply.

Vivid is the unique annual event of lights, musics and ideas. Creative people around the world come here to show their folios. In order to build up a innovative and modern city, Sydney government offers this opportunity.

This year, excellent project happened at MLC in my opinion. The designer has chosen external walls of MLC, which is the landmark of Sydney CBD, as project light wall. According to overall shape of the building, the main idea of artists is show the consequence of trees' growth. With different light appear at different time, this idea could be caught by audiences easily. At the same time, this project has give cold cement wall is lively lives and souls.

From this art, I could understand that  design could reflect cosmic inventory. Therefore, just open eyes and minds, you will be good at designing.

Cycling Utopia

Metropolitan has more and more people, along with development of economy and culture. London, as a metropolitan, has the same situation. In 2013, there were 14 cyclist deaths on the city's street in 2013. 

In a crowded city, more and more people adopt much healthier lifestyle, avoid public transport system. Also, they do not want to waste more time on public transport; therefore, people choose bicycles to work or go out rather than drive to work. However, bicycle lines share with public transport system routes; this situation has caused mentioned situation and data. 

To solve the problem, famous architects designed the 'cycling utopia' proposal plan, which is situated over existing routes of training lines, approximately 220 km. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmKg1mUNERo (animation of proposal)

If this proposal is approved, after 20 years, the routes will offer relief to a transport network that is already at capacity and will need to contend with 12 percent population growth over the next decade. 

In order to encourage a new generation of cyclist, the project should create a safe and high-quality routes. As London's space has already at a premium status, how to more efficient use of space is the main issue which could be addressed by the project. 

Another benefit of cycling utopia, construction of elevated decks would be considerably cheaper than building new roads and tunnels.

Otherwise, I wonder whether the cycling route is too long? Whether there are some facilities on the sides of this pretty long route for people? I hope, these questions could be addressed in the real project. 

Bryghusprojektet project in Denmark

The main principle of modern urban design should be connect the whole city, overcome current problems to reactive everywhere of the city. Therefore, this time I will talk about an awesome project, situated in Denmark- Bryghusprojektet.

This project was design by OMA in 2011. The proposal 27,000 square meter project will be the mix use building with commercial, residential, retails, architecture centre, car parking, urban park, and 

playground. Following link is the animation of the project from Youtube.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojo6y6Ppvgw (animation of the project)

I think the main purpose of Bryghusprojek should be connect beautiful waterfront with city. In order to transform previous under used waterfront to a brand new city icon, Bryghusprojektet project was approved and developed. Before operating the design, proposal site was isolated with city centre by traffic highway. There is no public passage or pedestrian street for local residents and tourists to get waterfront from the city centre. Therefore, previous urban designers and architects  preferred to building the bridges to connect waterfront with city. However, should we just design bridges to solve current issue, but cause some potential problems? Should we design the only function project but occupy already crowded public space?

Right now, OMA proposal design have addressed mentioned queries. The mix use building is just located over the busiest Christians Brygge, therefore, it addressed connection problem. At the same time, as a mix use building, it contain different functions' blocks, put different use blocks together could save public area. Also, lower ground of building is interchange and pedestrian street offered for people to pass street, in case traffic accidents happen. And then, people could reach waterfront easily.

All in all, I think this project has reflected the key principles of modern urban design- accessibility, and liveable.

Should we over develop Rhodes?

Recently, the State government and local council are still abusing Rhodes. Though there are numerous residential/commercial/retail function buildings appear at here these years, related government and organisations still plan to develop the small suburb to increase population density and earn more profit. But should we really need over develop Rhodes?

Rhodes is just a small suburb which is located on the southern bank of the Parramatta River. Before becoming residential/commercial/ retail area, it was a heavy industry usage area. Under this situation, there is a potential harm for people who living here. Since, after deciding to build new multi-function community, the organisation planned to adopt direct thermal desorption (DTD) to remediate the soil. A professor from the USA believed that DTD is a very dangerous method. Under no circumstance, residents still could live here, they must mover out as soon as possible. 

If a suburb is growing and appearing lots of modern buildings, local infrastructure and facilities should be created and offered at the same time. However, when I visited Rhode last weekend, I find it is so hard for residents to catch train to Sydney CBD. There is only one train line pass Rhodes every day (Epping line). I think there are many people living here, but working at the city. During peaking time, how could they catch this unique route to go to workplace on time? What's worse, there are no direct bus route from Rhodes to city. Imperceptibly, people has more pressure about travel by public transport system.

Compared with Chatswood or Burwood, this modern residential suburb does not have enough and various stores for residents. It is reported that two major races living at here are Chinese and Korean. However, asian restaurants or stores cannot be found at here. People have to travel to other suburbs to purchase or taste asian foods. It is not convenient for asians in my opinion.

Even though it is not feasible, I believe that local government has to stop overdeveloping Rhodes with reasons mentioned above.

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Open Space in Valparaiso

In order to analyse whether the city is suitable for people to live in or not, we need not only think about natural environment, quality of buildings, and also we should think about how many green spaces in the city.

It is report that Valparaiso has increasing population trend, that means more and more people are living at this small city. Without any doubt that population density should be large as well.

However, from figure ground below, people cannot find enough green spaces to relax. Only some green spaces are situated at narrow plain area.

There are some benefits of green space for Valparaiso:

1. Improve urban environment. As a underdeveloped city with a large number of people, Valparaiso may not have health and clean environment. More green spaces could help Valparaiso to build a much cleaner city. 
2. Reduce heat buildup. Valparaiso is belong to Mediterranean Climate, during summer higher temperature may cause fire; therefore, green space could reduce on-site heat to prevent accidents happening. 
3. Offer leisure spaces for families. More green space (open space) can let Valparaiso people to have a picnic during weekends, take a break, and talk with people. 

All in all, I believe the government should plan to create more green spaces. In my opinion, the urban designers and planners could demolish some old but without historic values buildings to build green spaces. Also, central waterfront is a good choice for green space, since at there, people could enjoy the sea and plants at the same time. 

Trolleybus in Valparaiso

As mentioned at last post, escalators are city icon for Valparaiso traffic system. Today, I will talk about another city character, which is trolleybus. Actually, this system was very popular and normal around the world since 1900; Currently, only few countries still operate trolleybus. Valparaiso is the country which operate longest route of trolleybus in the world. 

Trolleybus is the electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using trolley poles. Valparaiso began to operate this system since 1952, it is the second oldest trolleybus in Latin America. After 1994, trolleybus route at Valparaiso became the only operational trolleybus route in Chile. In 2003, Chilean Government appointed this system as national monument to reflect its value. Besides, trolleybus has helped Valparaiso gain its designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 

The advantages of the trolleybus are:

1. Trolleybus system is more environmentally friendly, compared with buses or cars in the city, it release less greenhouse gas in Valparaiso. Therefore, the system is suitable for sustainability. 
2. Because of trolleybus system started operating since 1952, I believe that trolleybus has long-lived working period . 
3. Also, it has become the landmark of Valparaiso. As a tourist point, people could not only catch the trolleybus to visit city centre, also feel and understand real valparaiso life. 

There are some disadvantages about trolley:

1. The speed of the trolleybus is so slow, if somebody in hurry, he or she cannot get on the trolleybus to reach the destination in time. This slow-speed trolleybus is just suitable for tourist or leisure hour. 
2. Two wires and poles require the unchanged route for trolleybus, therefore, this trolleybus is just located at specified locality.
3. Besides, wires and pole occupy urban space. In Valparaiso, trolleybus is mainly operated at city centre. Maybe it has broken the overall urban design and plan, urban designers cannot redesign the city centre avoid breaking current trolleybus line. 

Compared advantages with disadvantages, I believe that trolleybuses are good for tourist purpose, local government should keep them appear. However, the government can redesign and remodel a new  small area for trolleybus route, maybe a short line just for tourists. 

Escalators in Valparaiso, Chile

unesco 2003

Transport to a city, same like breakfast to a person. That means transport system is very significant for a city. Most of cities around the world have some common transport system, such as public bus, metro lines, light rails. However, as the city icon of Valparaiso, escalators play the important role for Valparaiso. 

unesco 2003

Before introducing these escalators, I should talk about the background of why Valparaiso need escalators. Valparaiso is city with more high level hillsides than plain. With increasing population trend, narrow plain area cannot offer enough extra space for new born people. Also, last post has already mentioned that after the earthquake in 1730, people decided to move on the hills to avoid harms from earthquake. However, the slope of hills is very steep, people cannot get their homes from hill foot easily. At the same time, not many cars appear. Therefore, local government planned to build some public transport system for residents from Hills. After that, the escalators formed in Valparaiso in order to help people get home from city centre beyond steep and dangerous stairways.  

Valparaiso used to have 30 escalators during previous time. By contrast, 15 keep remain. The ownership of escalators should be separated by public owned and private owned. During present day, escalators are not only for local people transport from the hill foot to their houses, also the tourist point for visitors to feel the real Valparaiso.

chilevalparaiso 2014

Concepcion Elevator is the oldest escalator in Valparaiso, which was inaugurated in 1883. Generally. escalators have two wooden or metal cars, moving simultaneously in opposite directions. They are mounted on a platform to which are attached the wheels.

In my opinion, escalators are very useful in Valparaiso, it can overcome the problems from hills for people. However, local government has to maintain these systems regularly and upgrade the speed of escalators to become more efficient for people. 

unesco 2003