BRIEF
One of the entrances, the one closer to the train station, on Hills Road, is our project. It has many issues that need to be fixed or things to be improved. In the site survey the citizens had some important advices and opinions that will help us create something that this entrance needs.
The entrance is hard to notice, the sign with the botanic garden too. There are no attractions to make people want to go inside the garden, also some members said it needs a shelter, because are none in that area, and would really be useful one around the entrance. The traffic and the high buildings are dominating the site and it needs somehow the entrance of the Botanic Garden to stand out, so people can notice it and attract them.
In order to achieve its purpose the entrance has to be very complex so it will accomplish all the needs of the citizens and also be in a good harmony with the entire site and be pleasant to the eye and exciting in the same time.
FEEDBACK
"Concept is bold and energetic and imaginative
Excellent presentation
The scale of the project is very ambitious and an exciting one giving identity and arrival to the site
The use of the underground traffic diversion is again a successful strategy. " Cambridge School of Art
The use of the underground traffic diversion is again a successful strategy. " Cambridge School of Art
DESIGN STATEMENT
The design needed to tackle some major issues with the existing site which were shelter issues, signage, and the overall design not standing out or attracting any visitors due to the lack of connection between the garden and the road.
Our aim was to create an entrance which would be noticeable to possible visitors coming up from the station road; we wanted to make a clear beacon for people to notice. This would also have to represent the garden so people would automatically understand what the entrance was for. The intent of this design is to take advantage of the sites large space, bring in a new and uplifting design and create easier access to pedestrians due to the unsafe busy road.
We propose to re-structure the roadside entirely by dropping the road level into a underground roundabout. There are several reasons behind this decision which we feel are necessary for the design. It would make the ground level for pedestrians a lot safer as they will have the ability to cross roads safely without the fast paced traffic from the road. Furthermore, it will give the ground level a lot more space for a design that will really stand out. Also, we plan to follow through the design throughout this level which will be explained. The design we have created is an architectural ‘tree’ in which the trunk or base of the tree would be at a higher level to the ground floor. The interior of this ‘trunk’ would serve as the ticket office and a place of shelter and closure. To access this higher ground we propose to build bridges leading from the street pavement to the trunk, rather than stairs, which would make the design more universal. These bridges would be designed and decorated to look like the roots of the tree coming from the ground to come together at a mid-point. There will also be decorative roots, which are not going to be used as bridges, but extra roots to intertwine with the overall design sculpture.
Underneath the base, we propose to make a shelter for pedestrians by using thinner roots to create a more intimate space. We will do this by using seating and small LED lights which will gently illuminate the area giving it a ‘enchanted forest’ feel to it. We then plan to extend this ‘roots’ idea into the underground round-about. As roots in the earth are quite light in colour, we intend to incorporate the roots with practical lighting. We decided to use Fibre optic lighting tubes throughout the underground space which would also be intertwined and twisted, as a source of lighting to illuminate the area.
Making the walls and ceiling a dark brown in colour, we think it would be a good idea to incorporate the road users within this simulating experience, even if they are not planning on visiting the garden. It will raise awareness and become a recognisable symbol which people can associate with the Botanic Garden. The main tree itself which will hold the ticket office will be made up of two, intertwined and twisted types of wood. One lighter in colour and the other darker, this in turn will make it much easier to see the twisted shape. We wanted it to be quite organic in both appearance and material to reflect upon the organic materials in the garden. We feel that this design both stands out from the station road but is not an eye-sore, as this would irritate the public rather than invite them. The connecting bridges gives a sense of journey through different environments and experiences, which is one of the goals we were set for this project; to make the visitors feel as if they are part of the experience. The benefits of this design plan target each of the issues that were presented with the existing site; the Hills Road street traffic has been separated from the road traffic, allowing more movement for both parties and also solving some safety issues. The sightline from the station road which currently is non-existent would be given a new lease of life through a grand architectural statement which would catch the eye of all tourists coming up from the road. Also, the events that take place surrounding the war memorial would not be interfered as we have still allowed enough street room for these activities to occur, un-phased.
Lastly, we strongly believe this design proposal is the best intervention on the Hills Road, Botanic Garden Entrance. It not only covers the existing problems with the site, but it is a new and uplifting design which has not been seen on this scale before, especially not in the city of Cambridge. This is not only the design that attracts customers, but keeps them coming back."
The Design Statement above has been written by my group member Charlotte Cook.
