WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER
Park Place is an ongoing project series that seeks to reimagine and visualize ways in which overlooked and underutilized public spaces (small parks, plazas, parklets, etc.) can be activated with relatively low-cost, high-impact solutions to bring an increased sense of vitality, color, and community to those places. With so many spaces in our neighborhoods, towns, and cities going unused or having fallen into disrepair —how can we start viewing them as opportunities for community building and reclaim them for the common good?
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PARK PLACE
Urban Placemaking
WORLDWIDE
BEFORE
AFTER
PROPOSED INTERVENTION: Icky Park
LOCATION: Lincoln Park/Ranch Triangle, Chicago
Focusing on overlooked spaces nearby, Common Place Projects chose a small park to illustrate the opportunities for and impact of public space revitalization. Icky Park sits on a single city lot surrounded by homes and backs up to the elevated train tracks.
Common Place Projects has designed three levels of activation meant to enhance the park experience through color, texture, and 3D elements in order to create a more usable and enjoyable gathering space for the neighborhood. The first level of activation provides color through custom ground murals and brick painting. The second level of activation provides texture through landscaping and strategic plantings. The third level of activation creates a gathering space through the construction of an interactive sculpture, stage, and fabric canopy. The interactive sculpture acts as a visual barrier to the train tracks as well as a backdrop for live stage performances and a ‘canvas’ for video projection and community art. The perforated fabric canopy helps define the space and create a sense of intimacy. It will also be activated by the wind and create a dance between light and shadow on the surfaces of the park below.
Custom murals designed for the existing brickwork. Large-scale pavement mural to define the elevated platform. New coat of colorful paint for the existing furniture and light fixtures.
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Adds:
Color
Playful & Happy visuals
Lively energy
Vitality to the space
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Perforated fabric stretched across the existing trees to create a colorful canopy. The canopy creates a more intimate feeling for the space and animates the wind.
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Adds:
Intimacy
Coziness
Color
Light & Shadow play
Designated area for performances, projected movies, and custom murals. The interactive sculpture rotates to provide either a white backdrop for projection, a canvas for custom art, or a stage set.
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Adds:
Focal point
Performance space
Visual screen for train tracks
Interactive element
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