Jingyi (Casey) Pan
Past Future
Urban Farm, Rooftop Revival, Community Integration
This project embarks on a journey to challenge our linear perception of history and spatial understanding. Delving deep into historical maps from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the project aims to infuse the present building environment with fragments of the past. By interweaving the grid-divided blocks with an alternate circulation connection, an elevated rooftop system that serves as a profound embodiment of the convergence of history and the present is created. This would be a sanctuary for both the public and the community, offering a refreshing escape from the grid-driven, automobile-dominated streets below.
In the vast expanse of the urban grid, the roads we traverse daily are more than mere transportation routes; they form the physical boundary that limits our understanding of the city. We drive along these roads, absorbing the city's essence in a linear fashion, never pausing to look beyond the facades of buildings or explore the hidden spaces within each block. We unknowingly accept these empty spots as default voids in our mental maps. We trained ourselves to selectively unsee parts of our direct surroundings. This overlooking is not confined to space alone; it permeates our sense of time as well. Los Angeles often leaves us with the impression of abrupt environmental shifts and a dearth of historical elements.
Five most memorable areas from the history of forming the current Chinatown were selected from the old maps to weave a new circulation. Just like the overlapped layers on the maps can show different colors, the new elevated circulation is given a distinct pattern in each zone. The new rooftop system proposed by this project consists of a public route above a community route. The public spaces depicted in the old maps compose the two new routes, carefully scaled down to enhance a sense of compression verses released to allow for meandering exploration. Entrances rise from neighboring empty lots and parking areas, granting easy access to the site. Once supplying most of the vegetable needs of the city LA, Chinatown now finds itself in a role reversed. The project introduces an inversed city garden market. Here, the public can rent plots of land to plant vegetables and fruits, fostering weekend enjoyment and providing a space for children to learn about planting. Meanwhile, freshly harvested fruits and vegetables can be served to the elderly residents of the neighborhood, catering to their habits of buying fresh ingredients from the market daily. Furthermore, a flatter community route, accessible only from second-floor households, serves as a separate civic space for the residents. This interconnected pathway breathes a laid-back backyard life under the eaves, where the elderly can gather, chat, relax, drink tea, and care for one another. Scattered market pavilions serve as the sole connection between the public and community routes. These vibrant spaces enable the public to sell fresh produce to the neighborhood while allowing the elderly to forge new connections with the younger generation.
The project challenges the confines of the grid, breathing new life into our understanding of the urban environment. By infusing the present with fragments of the past, we create an elevated network that encourages exploration, interaction, and a profound sense of community. This visionary endeavor seeks to redefine the relationship between history and space, bridging the gap between bygone eras and the bustling present. The hustle and bustle modern avenues and the new lively rooftop streets above bring people two different ways to experience the neighborhood.
Historical Map Overlapping
Rooftop Collage
Rooftop Pattern Layout
Model Detail Photo
Tile Chunk