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How to get to city hall : a civic space re-considered

University of British Columbia

Vancouver's present day city hall sits at 453 west 12th avenue in Vancouver. This thesis is a design exploration of the city hall site and the associated concept of 'civic space' as this relates to the design of public space in a contemporary urban setting. The methods of investigating the design problems posed by the site consist of 1) a literature review, which examines the work of designers and academics interested in civic space, and 2) a set of precedent studies. The precedent studies look at a broad range of other civic spaces and pubic facilities. These 2 elements form the theoretical framework for the design problem. The specific design exploration begins with a design framework derived from the literature review, the precedent studies, and site analysis. The framework emphasizes the relationship between civic space and civic life, the need for more physical and perceptual access to both city hall and local government, and the importance of improving the sense of ceremony and symbolism evident at the City Hall site. From the design framework the thesis study moves to graphic design explorations and looks at study options that were generated. A site program for City Hall is explored and finally a detailed site design including a master plan and detailed design drawings are presented. The design drawings generated incorporate the concepts highlighted in the design framework and provide a graphic exploration of the ways in which the civic space at Vancouver City Hall could be expanded and improved.

Text

2009-12-23

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/17293

Landscape Architecture

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace