....And now made in the USA
"Made in Tokyo" by Atelier Bow-wow talks about how the architecture in Tokyo, Japan is built more recently within the last 40 years. Due to the lack of space random programming is stacked and mixed into buildings. This strategy could work well when implemented correctly.
Here in America we do this but at a more organized level. Retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment combine to create the perfect retail park. One Example that comes to mind is Hampton Station in Greenville. This space is an urban court has businesses such as a fantastic taco restaurant, a local brewery, ax throwing, pottery classes, and art studios. These spaces all share an outdoor park-like area and are located right next to residential neighborhoods and downtown Greenville. This type of programming is becoming more and more common across the country. It takes the same concept in Tokyo except it groups spaces that would be cohesive. Who wouldn't want to eat some tacos' after pottery class and throw an ax after drinking a couple brews.
Hampton Station differs from the example Bow-wow uses in Tokyo, but the concept of pushing diverse programing is the same. The difference to me is cohesiveness. Programs need to match each other based on how they would be used. This is the challenge of the designer but when its done well, it becomes a desired space.
I'm not sure your stance, but I definitely encourage this diverse program in smaller spaces, ie less sprawling. It makes walkability much easier and encourages small business. I think the beauty too is when cars are limited these spaces really become about the people and the shared experiences. I think the issue arises when you have these large cities with a bunch of problems because we built around the car, not the human, and no money to do a massive overhaul of the city programming. It's sad because I hate having to drive to a small business, park, then get back in my car and drive to the next small business 5-15 minutes away for shopping. Because of the emphasis we put on cars, I definitely want to shop less and usually turn to amazon or a few key stores. And I hate encouraging amazon.
ReplyDeleteRJ, thanks for bringing up tacos. Looking forward to your blogpost ranking White Duck’s finest.
ReplyDeleteHampton Station’s and other spaces like it around Greenville came from an earlier era of industry. It’s interesting to see them reimagined in contemporary times, but not without issue. It’s a delicate balance of what is really good to put in these old neighborhoods.
I think the brewery and Axe throwing is fairly tame, you should check Upper SC State fair to see what they offer.
ReplyDeletehttps://uppersouthcarolinastatefair.com/pageserver/entertainment