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The corridor between W. 27th St. and W. 26th St. east of 6th Ave. used to be a large flea market until it was purchased by the Capitol Bldg. as a bonus plaza, i.e., a privately-owned public space.
Capitol is a high-rise residential rental building in Chelsea Heights. The developer knew of the landscape architectural work of Thomas Balsley Associates, New York City, and asked the firm in 1999 to begin the design work. It only took a year, including soliciting and receiving public approvals.
The designer?EUR??,,????'???s first challenge was to convince the New York City Department of Planning that a ?EUR??,,????'??through-plaza?EUR??,,????'?? was the way to go, i.e., not a blocked-off plaza with one entrance, but open on the north and south ends. Through-blocks in New York City sometimes are equated as ?EUR??,,????'??havens for undesirables.?EUR??,,????'?? However, an analysis of Chelsea inhabitants that would be using the plaza was conducted. Chelsea is populated by a creative class of designers, dot-com types and supported by a number of tech industries whose employees average only 30 years old.
In addition, Madison Avenue is only a few blocks away, and there was really no plaza area for this demographic.
?EUR??,,????'??I?EUR??,,????'???ve earned their trust over the years,?EUR??,,????'?? explains Thomas Balsley, FASLA, speaking about the planning commission. ?EUR??,,????'??I brought examples of my work on similar projects to them. A combination of that portfolio and my assessment of the neighborhood convinced them to give us some leeway to allow us to experiment and give this a try.
?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???re driven by how well space is used and the diverse constituencies that we seem to attract with our design. All of that is a kind of a collective body of evidence that suggests we have our finger on the pulse and respond in a very powerful way to the space and the accommodations a true neighborhood space.?EUR??,,????'??
Thomas Balsley explains his urban design space theory further: ?EUR??,,????'??If you understand these spaces the way I do, you want continual activity?EUR??,,????'??+or it will become defined by a narrow constituency, like the homeless. At midpoint in the plaza there?EUR??,,????'???s an entrance to the residential building. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s not the main entrance, but we wanted residents to use that door to come and go to the subway because it creates a sense of safety.
The building owners would not have normally created a second door, but we convinced them.?EUR??,,????'?? He considers this an ?EUR??,,????'??important psychological component.?EUR??,,????'??
?EUR??,,????'??You must design a space that says ?EUR??,,????'??Come on in and enjoy the space,?EUR??,,????'?? explains Mr. Balsley, who specializes in urban planning. He doesn?EUR??,,????'???t want what he dubs ?EUR??,,????'??parketecture,?EUR??,,????'?? when a park is overtaken by walls. He notes that Madison Sq. Park, just down the street, is ?EUR??,,????'??basically benches lined up in a row, which does not promote sorely needed social interaction.?EUR??,,????'??
He envisions an urban plaza as a space where residents, business people and workers continually flow in and out of, taking lunch, reading, having meetings, couples snuggling on the swivel stools, students with their lap tops, mothers pushing babies in strollers?EUR??,,????'??+the entire gamut of urban life.
Mr. Balsley?EUR??,,????'???s plan was simplicity itself: a passage manipulated by opposing curves (battered seat walls) but, most importantly, with a ?EUR??,,????'??clear sight line through the entire space.?EUR??,,????'?? This is extremely important for urban open space. ?EUR??,,????'??People don?EUR??,,????'???t feel comfortable walking through a space without seeing a clear line of vision,?EUR??,,????'?? he states. ?EUR??,,????'??People don?EUR??,,????'???t want surprises,?EUR??,,????'?? he adds. One pictures hooligans jumping out from around a corner or hidden area. These are very real design considerations for the urban landscape architect.
He elaborates on the design: two garden rooms, one raised, with a water feature (on the southeast corner), the other garden (northwest corner) at-grade with picnic tables and perimeter seating. ?EUR??,,????'??Both have a sense of enclosure and sight lines to the passage and street?EUR??,,????'??+not hidden away in some corner where people feel apprehensive.?EUR??,,????'?? The enclosures for both gardens are curing precast concrete battered walls.
Opposite the northwest garden are retail stores and a row of bar tables and stools under the cover of honeylocust trees.
The community wanted an outdoor caf????(C), which is now accommodated on the southwest side, across from the terraced garden. ?EUR??,,????'??The caf????(C) is very successful and brings a certain level of activity at that end to further insure the space would be successful, as opposed to leasing to a bank, which would have killed the space,?EUR??,,????'?? asserts Mr. Balsley.
There was an 8?EUR??,,????'??? x 100?EUR??,,????'??? strip of land destined to be a driveway. Mr. Balsley convinced the owner to use it as a strip of retail storefronts. ?EUR??,,????'??As a designer, I feel responsible to the uses of the adjoining spaces, that they are used properly. Instead of a narrow dead space, there is now animation on the northern side.
Though sensing his intention, I ask Mr. Balsley why he opted for a 98-foot long, bright red corrugated metal wall on the southeast corner. ?EUR??,,????'??This plaza is to the east of 6th Ave, an uptown avenue with lots of traffic. We try to make these spaces visible to the public, to plant in their minds that it is there. Maybe tomorrow they will go over there to have lunch. We wanted the wall a striking color and illuminated at night so traffic on 6th Ave. or any pedestrian hitting the intersection would see the wall and be drawn to it. That was how the wall was born. The form it took was a different creative process. Fence post with painted corrugated metal?EUR??,,????'??+you get a lot of mileage for a few bucks.?EUR??,,????'??
And as for the holes cut into the metal wall and the peek-a-boo bamboo? ?EUR??,,????'??What can we do to keep the wall from being oppressive??EUR??,,????'?? was the question he asked himself. ?EUR??,,????'??We had the bamboo behind, so why not let the bamboo come through??EUR??,,????'??
The city planners expressed the desire for a water feature. The narrowness of the plaza (50?EUR??,,????'??? x 200?EUR??,,????'???) called for an atypical solution?EUR??,,????'??+an oversized, elliptical (2'x1') stainless steel spout draining into a 1'x4' perforated basin.
The bamboo?EUR??,,????'???s soft and wavy quality is an interesting counter to the rigid wall, plus it doesn?EUR??,,????'???t create shade. You don?EUR??,,????'???t want to be blocking what little sunlight the tall surrounding buildings allow.
?EUR??,,????'??LAs have a tendency to go crazy with the circle template?EUR??,,????'??+it?EUR??,,????'???s the wrong thing to do in a public space,?EUR??,,????'?? asserts Mr. Balsley. ?EUR??,,????'??We need sun. Even in the winter on a sunny day, people will go into a plaza. We didn?EUR??,,????'???t want to plant all these shade trees. We wanted to get as much sun as possible into the area. I?EUR??,,????'???d love to get on a campaign to tell LAs to stop planting lots of shade tress in urban spaces.?EUR??,,????'??
The bar table seating at the northeast corner of the plaza have shade from the honey locust trees, but otherwise no canopy.
An urban plaza needs bright lighting, physical and psychological components that make people feel safer. ?EUR??,,????'??We wanted it bright, and all through the night,?EUR??,,????'?? explains Mr. Balsley. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s not used car lot level, but bright enough to see all the elements and invites you in. It?EUR??,,????'???s not about surprises. People want to know what they?EUR??,,????'???re getting into before stepping in.?EUR??,,????'?? To that end, the spacing of the pole lighting (Poulsen Satellit Maxi) is close and the foot candle requirement at least doubled. Lighting for the terrace area has Hubbell scan lighting attached to the metal wall. Poulsen Orbiter provides the uplighting on the terraces and the battered walls incorporate recessed Bega wall lights with stainless steel trim and borosilicate glass spread lenses.
Thomas Balsley combines his love of landscape architect with his interests in sculpture and site amenity design. His large sculptures are featured at landscape design projects in the Far East. He also designs furniture specific to his urban landscapes, a ?EUR??,,????'??muscular line that speaks to the urban condition.?EUR??,,????'?? Mr. Balsley continues: ?EUR??,,????'??The way we look at space, we look at that in mind. We don?EUR??,,????'???t just go to a catalogue and pick out a bench. I?EUR??,,????'???m focused on the multiple ways people use a space, which has a lot to do with furniture. This inspires me to custom design furniture that attracts people. We?EUR??,,????'???ve done ?EUR??,,????'??sun bather star gazer?EUR??,,????'??? chairs and huge double width lounges; always exploring ways to entertain folks in N.Y.?EUR??,,????'??
For Capitol Plaza, his NYNY swivel barstools were installed on the northeast corner of the plaza. They are manufactured in heavy, perforated stainless steel by landscapeforms.
?EUR??,,????'??Through-block space needs some late night protection,?EUR??,,????'?? acknowledges the landscape architect. ?EUR??,,????'??At midnight, when there is no other use, we?EUR??,,????'???ve devised a way to close the space without fences, which the planning commission approved. ?EUR??,,????'??We designed a cart with aluminum wire panels, 3.5 ft high (as high as the slim bollards) and we drop the panels between the bollards. Even though they are only 3.5 feet high, we don?EUR??,,????'???t have people going into the area. Our experience is that a simple deterrent works. We don?EUR??,,????'???t need a 10 foot fence.?EUR??,,????'?? The steel bollards support the low railings at both ends at night, but the panels are removed from sight in the day, allowing unobstructed access.
The firm has used bollards for this dual purpose on half a dozen projects, including the park named after Mr. Balsley on W. 57th?EUR??,,????'??+the former Sheffield Plaza transformed by his firm from what has been described as ?EUR??,,????'??a barren, lifeless plaza into the community?EUR??,,????'???s most cherished common ground.?EUR??,,????'??
Mr. Balsley believes that the small urban spaces across the country, whether public ally or privately owned, have not lived up to their potential?EUR??,,????'??+the power to touch people?EUR??,,????'???s daily lives. ?EUR??,,????'??Capitol Plaza clearly and emphatically answers the question, ?EUR??,,????'??How can our profession make a difference in the city??EUR??,,????'????EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??With each small gesture like this, we collectively make city life so compelling that we help stem suburban sprawl and the destruction of our natural environment. This space is not a shallow gesture of form and color. Beneath its visual appeal lies a careful analysis of neighborhood dynamics and a deep understanding of the design principles that determine the success of small urban spaces.?EUR??,,????'??
Raleigh, North Carolina
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
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