Westinghouse Blossom Complex. Project description
The design proposal for “Westinghouse Blossom Complex” (WBC) in the City of Newark was governed mainly by three fundamental premises.
In the first place, we worked with the historical images –the old Westinghouse factory and the revitalized train station-, the sensitive images of the surroundings –the materials and colors employed in adjoining buildings, the character of the street, the contrast between the lack of trees in the streets and the strong presence of Branch Brook Park –in the life of the citizens as an identity element; all of these elements as susceptible metaphors when designing.
In the second place, we worked on the urban presence of the new proposal, generating the WBC as a connecting element which taps into the transition between two urban sectors. The mixture of uses (residential, commercial, working, leisure and the possibility of housing a parking lot) was used to revitalize the area and renew its personality. WBC acquires a symbolic and literal character of entrance door to Newark for the visitors arriving from New York.
In the third place, we worked with the reuse of port containers. The proportions and modularities of the boxes allowed not only flexible work when it comes to design. Also, with simple modifications, complex and at the same time flexible spaces with multiple possibilities were generated.
With all these elements, a design proposal was conceived which captures the current needs for housing and working flexibility, and the need for architecture which revalues the devalued urban centers and the vacant areas with a character of high level sustainability. |
