PARK(ing) Day 2017 – Mirror Mylar Forest-Field
PARK(ing) Day 2017 – Mirror Mylar Forest-Field: Pedestrian Safety Along the Polk Corridor
For Park(ing) day 2017, INTERSTICE Architects created an interactive Park(ing) Day installation on Polk Street at Hemlock Alley. Visitors experienced the wind-activated Mirrored Mylar Forest to explore questions of pedestrian safety and share their experiences of being a San Francisco pedestrian. Which spaces are prioritized for pedestrians? Where is there room for improvement?
Recording individual experiences as a pedestrian, cyclist or driver, the public was asked to register their information directly onto the installation surface. An enlarged a map of the Polk Street Corridor [built from data collected from the California Highway Patrol & highlighting pedestrian-related traffic incidents] created the “ground” for discussion. This interactive pedestrian Park(ing) map evolved throughout the day as a palimpsest that visitors could walk through – orienting themselves within the parking space, the neighborhood, and the city streets.
The installation was inspired by the Polk Streetscape Improvements recently underway and INTERSTICE’s collaboration as part of an initiative to enrich The Lower Polk Alleyways District. The new Lower Polk Alleyways Vision Plan (LPADVP) recently adopted by the Lower Polk Neighbors, proposes a future vision for the 12 blocks of alleyways located within the boundaries of the Lower Polk Neighborhood. INTERSTICE Architects guided this community-driven process which has resulted in a unique community-initiated set of strategies and guidelines designed to understand these alleyways, not as singular back-streets or isolated funding opportunities, but instead to consider them as a whole – as a District.
PARK(ing) Day 2015 at INTERSTICE
On Friday, September 18th, the parking spot outside of the INTERSTICE office on Sutter Street in San Francisco was dominated by the presence of inflatable dancing tube men, or “Air Dancers” in celebration of Parking Day.
These Air Dancers were quite simply, the most hilarious, exuberant objects conceivable and brought joy, laughter, and awe to those who encountered them. INTERSTICE laid out a large area of turf and bright yellow chairs between the Air Dancers for passersby to share in some laughs and respite along the busy street.
IA has established a tradition of participating in the PARK(ing) Day festivities, 2015 being our 9th year celebrating the event. Sharing in PARK(ing) Day’s call to action for more urban public spaces, this year’s installation demonstrates the joy that can come from such environments. Check out our previous post for a history of IA’s Park(ing) Day celebrations.
INTERSTICE Architects PARK(ing) Day 2015 – This Friday, September 18th!
YOU ARE INVITED!
Please join INTERSTICE Architects in celebrating PARK(ing) Day 2015 this Friday, September 18th. As a hybridized architecture and landscape architecture firm, much of our work is steeped in the creation and design of public spaces and how they improve the urban condition; and we are proud yet again to share in PARK(ing) Day’s call attention to the need for more urban open space. Now in our 9th year participating in the festivities, we’d like to reflect on IA’s past PARK(ing) Day contributions.
Our PARK(ing)Day network page: http://my.parkingday.org/profile/INTERSTICEArchitects
Parking Day 2013
Parking Day 2012
Parking Day 2011
Parking Day 2010
Parking Day 2009
Parking Day 2008
Parking Day 2007
Parking Day 2006
INTERSTICE Designs interactive furnishings for the San Francisco Street Food Festival 2015
This year the SFSFF is at Forest City’s Pier 70 on the SF waterfront. Now in our sixth year of partnership with La Cocina, INTERSTICE Architects designed and led the volunteer construction effort to reanimate thousands of shipping palettes and recycled plywood to create banquettes, serpentine benches, bars and entire islands for stage seating, eating, socializing, dining and drinking at this year’s fabulous three day event hosting the festival’s growing popularity and fan base.
Personally and professionally, INTERSTICE Architects create from an immersed point of view with a deep commitment to the ephemeral urban experience. We strive to explore the potential of communities through their appropriation of urban space, and enhancing the connection between San Francisco’s food culture with the greater community through design by using unconventional materials to create inventive forms. This festival and its important contribution to the Non Profit La Cocina – an inspiring woman centered entrepreneurial kitchen incubator is a perfect venue for our dual disciplinary focus.
La Cocina is a groundbreaking food business incubator that has serving the Bay Area since 2005. Their mission is to cultivate low income food entrepreneurs as they formalize and grow their business by providing affordable kitchen space, industry specific technical assistance and access to market opportunities.
Come support and celebrate La Cocina’s fantastic efforts by joining us in enjoying all of the food at the San Francisco Street Food Festival! And relax on the islands of giant street scale furnishings that we developed for the ephemeral event. – before they all go back to being shipping pallets again next week!
Pier 70, near the corner of 22nd Street and Illinois Street, in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco’s bayside waterfront.
Preparation underway for the SF Street Food Festival
