“Field of Light” by Bruce Munro could be seen in the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK. It was inspired by Australian wild flowers and their sudden appearance bursting from the desert landscape. I really like the idea of biomimicry that is on display here, however do not think that the light would be enough to illuminate an entire park. Also the construction could be unfeasible at permanent grand scale. Nonetheless is its a very beautiful way of creating soft ambient light.

This is the interior of the Zmianatematu cafe which was designed by architects xm3 and can be found in Łódź, Poland. This type of natural aesthetic mixed with the man made could be a nice direction to take our designs into. This interior is made up of a number of wooden ribs which come together to create a cave like stalactite formation.This type of design would be relatively simple to achieve with the assistance of CAD. The biomimicry displayed here could be suitable to include in our own designs showing an awareness of the context within which the benches,lights, and sign age will be placed.

Hanging chairs by Raw Studio offer a type of of aesthetically pleasing seating which move away from the old hammock and deliver a high a level of durability through the use of marine rope and FSC timber. The use of a hanging chair could be a good way of a having a minimal footprint on the park using the already existing tree branches as a structural support. They offer different types of seating configurations for people wanting to sit alone or together. They could also aid in reducing chair theft.

The High Line Park

The high line park was originally an elevated rail way for heavy freight trains in Manhattan, New York. Its pur-pose was to lift dangerous freight trains from the ground after years of accidents due to them running through Manhattan’s streets. The line connected directly with a number of factories and warehouses, allowing trains to roll into buildings. This was operational up until the 1980’s, but was not needed anymore due to increased use of trucks for transportation. In 2004 the high line was announced to become a park following pushes by the community “friends of the high line” after it had nearly been demolished under Mayor Guillani in the same year. In 2009 the park officially opened its southern section, known as section 1, with other parts of the park still being constructed. On June 7, 2011 the second section of the park was opened, with the final section 3 yet to be completed.

Today the park operates as a place of relaxation and escaping the concrete jungle of the city to be in an el-evated green space. It offers a range of seating with scenic views amongst an array of fauna, much of which was found to be inhabiting the line before it was converted into a park. One can also enjoy cultural activities, such as viewing pieces of art or live performance.

Features to Consider:

A lot of the original rail has been kept and has been integrated into the parks design, maintaining its history and heritage. It is also great to see a range of seating for different occasions and groups of people, accom-modating a wide variety of people, something which needs to be considered in our own project. The lighting is also quite ambient and does not impose its self, allowing the visitors to enjoy the surrounding environment. It is also good to see an example where the lighting has been integrated inside the furnishings, only making it a feature when needed and otherwise staying unobtrusive. Although it would be hard to get lost in this park due to its straight nature, the signage that is available reads clearly and easily, making a visitors location quickly understood with entrances and features easily identifiable.

Relaxation and Leisure

Heritage and Culture

Nature

Natural Forms