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The Island

PUBLIC PLAZA

The most successful public spaces create a sense of place. These shared spaces transcend the prosaic demands of multiple uses and activities to become something more. To be sure, a public space has to function well, but equally the different everyday activities must be orchestrated to encourage interaction between users, to offer surprise and delight, and ultimately to create a sense of community.

The Island presents a strategy for making such a place out of the expected litany of contemporary street amenities. Here, identity signage, shade trees, seating, bicycle parking and storm water management systems are not discrete elements, but instead are integrated components of a cohesive urban space. The components are related by a formal language; a series of shapes relates the different uses to one another and imparts an overall clarity to the space of the plaza. The components are also integrated through an overlap of function. In this sense, each component does double-duty: sculptural lighting elements illuminate the plaza while also acting as signage; paving surfaces define different zones within the space while also allowing storm run-off to be absorbed into the ground water system; curving stepped benches provide seating, define planters and create a theater-like space.

Proposal for Public Plaza at Sunset Junction
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
1,500 Sq Ft