SquareDesign booklet

location researchsquare-study for Vredenburg Utrechtwritten by Sybren Stroo

This booklet contains a part of the method I use that supports the end result, which is a new design for the public space on the Vredenburgsquare in Utrecht. In advance to making a de-sign I attempt to find new methods and procedures to design for the public space.

I’m elucidating different ways of square design that are focussing on various elements sur-rounding and defining the public space itself. Farther afield there will be a comparison be-tween different square designs with cross-cuts, maps and plans.

This is a satellite-view of the Vredenburgsquare, which is the canvas of my design project.

to be constructed(appartments & retail)

to be reconstructed(”Music Palace”)

to be reconstructed(retail)

Central Trainstation 350m

major busstation

Neude square 90m

Dom tower 110m

retail

retail

retail

retail

vredenburgplein

drie

harin

gstr

aat

zakk

endr

ager

stee

g

lange elisabethstraat

achter clarenbug

elements in direct environment: retail and commercial functionsDouglas, ThePhoneHouse, iciParisXL, GSM-shop, Dixons, DeRodeWinkel, PerrySport, Esprit, CoolCat, Sacha, Steps, InWear, Peek&Cloppenburg

food & non-foodBakerstreet, MannekePis,RegularCafé, FishKiosk, FlowerKiosk

functions on the squareMarket on vredenburg atwednesday 10:00 - 17:00 hr,friday10:00 - 18:00 hr,saturday 08:00 - 17:00 hr

actortypes around the squareshoppingcrowd, cultural tour-ist, passer-by

This schematic image shows the urban context of the square.There is a small index above where the general activities and functions are listed.

The next few pages contain the urban contexts of different locations that are relevant to the square design process. Each time accompanied with a satellite-view image, a cross-section and a plan, all in the appropriate scale.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

usually retail with bill-boards on the façades, and a small amount of various lunchrooms

functions surrounding the square

routing over the square

program on the square

experience using the square




Times Square, New York

various functions are pos-sible, because it depends on the function and loca-tion of the sqaure itself_





it depends on the function of the elements on the square, but they tend to attract and distract_

program on the square are the magnets, likely to be commercial but can also be cultural_

by adding public (art) ele-ments to the square it be-comes a reconition point of orientation and gathering_

City Theater square, Rotterdam

similar to emphasis on façades but more atten-tion to activity and social interaction on the square_





adding a platform is like zoning the square with a physical border within which the public strolls_

elevation helps the area to becomes another plateau on which public mingles with few commerce_

the elevation makes the public to disconnect from the rest of the area and abide on the platform_

City Lounge, St. Gallen






making the square more dominant towards the fa-çades makes people tend to use it more intensively_

the square could be an artproject by itself or there could be various of (non)commercial functions_

usually the square, in this case, is open and free to use how ever one wants to, public tends to stay_

Vredenburgsquare, Utrecht

usually retail with bill-boards on the façades, and a small amount of various lunchrooms_





square is usually empty (except for markets) but public tends to walk along the windows of the shops_

generally there is no or few program planned in the design, there are mar-kets on regular basis_

the façades are usually occupied by commerce and carry billboards and marketing accesory_


usually retail with billboards on the façades, and a small amount of various lunchroomssquare is usually empty (except for markets) but public tends to walk along the windows of the shopsgenerally there is no or few program planned in the design, there are markets on regular basisthe façades are usually occupied by commerce and carry billboards and marketing accesory_






making the square more dominant towards the façades makes people tend to use it more intensively_



various functions are possible, because it depends on the function and location of the sqaure itself_

various functions are possible, because it depends on the function and location of the sqaure itself_

similar to emphasis on façades but more attention to activity and social interaction on the square_

by adding public (art) elements to the square it becomes a reconition point of orientation and gathering_




example

façade

square

different square circumstances emphasis on façades emphasis on square emphasis on elevation/relegation emphasis on elements on square

usually retail with bill-boards on the façades, and a small amount of various lunchrooms_

square is usually empty (except for markets) but public tends to walk along the windows of the shops_

generally there is no or few program planned in the design, there are mar-kets on regular basis_

the façades are usually occupied by commerce and carry billboards and marketing accesory_


making the square more dominant towards the fa-çades makes people tend to use it more intensively_



similar to emphasis on façades but more atten-tion to activity and social interaction on the square_







by adding public (art) ele-ments to the square it be-comes a reconition point of orientation and gathering_





Beneath there is a overall view of the different square circumstances, combined with small elaborations according to the aspects on the left side of the page.

The questionmark on this square shows the blankness of the plan of Vredenburgsquar so far. In the next part of my research I will use scale modelling to find new ways to design for the square in Utrecht. This search for innovative method and equal design status is born in my research proposal.

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Documents

SquareDesign booklet