Proposal // Chicago Architecture Biennial 2021 // Hald & Ravnborg + Studio Fie Paarup
The proposal Agora is emerged as part of our understanding of the fragmented urban typology of North Lawndale, Chicago. The district is like many other American cities laid out in a tight grid. The urban structure works when all the prerequisites are in place, but due to rising crime, there has been a demolition of buildings for a number of years, which has left the district without coherence, urban spaces and any obvious identity.
The intention is to create an urban space where the citizens can meet and create a place with a strong local identity through citizen involvement. Based on the idea of an agora and with reference to the small enclosed squares in Copenhagen, an enclosing structure is created built of wood with a soft interior in suspended textile. The structure provides an opportunity to step out of everyday rigid urban structure and into a dreamy world where you can focus on new ideas, meet new people or take a break.
With this proposal we hope to create a meeting place in the district that can become a gathering point for the citizens. It must be a place that can form a framework for local activities and become a marker in the district. Through a functional and beautiful structure, the place can be used for a lot of different activities during and after the biennial..
