Archiprix International 2001
The Cooper Union, The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture - New York, United States
Lars R. van Es
Tutors: J. Hejduk, S. Sculley, S. Anderson, R. Ganchrow
Urban pauses or mental spaces exist on a human scale as part of the pedestrian realm at street level. They create a different layer of public spaces in the city by means of adding or replacing. The pauses manifest themselves as fragments, scattered through Manhattan as suggestive spaces that side-step reality in their state of being physical yet also non-physical. With their dual character, pauses are gestures of instability in the assumed certainty of modern urban life. It can be read as a critique of a programmed and time-efficient environment, where unstable urban qualities are deleted in favour of consumption and ownership. A pause or delay has a different function: it moves the urban space out of its practical-efficient situation into a non-logical position of another practicality. It is a space for doubt, an uncertainty that links space of thought to physical space. The project is an attempt to define a different quality of public space in an urban environment. These extra spaces, as hinges, thus possess a dual character and are a thin and fragmented layer woven into the urban environment. They create breathing spaces for the mind, acting as agents to transform the city. Depth of air is closely linked to traditional Japanese culture and its language of suggestive signs, stepping stones in their perception of space. The reading of space - the air in-between - is in constant change, a ceaseless process of becoming, and depends entirely upon the rhythm and state of mind of the visitor.