Freeway ParkLawrence Halprin

Student: Ornela Gjoni

Neighbourhood park

SeattleOpened in 1976 Built over highway

Costruction system:Site cast concrete

To utilize and reconnect the landscape

Halprin stated: The trick is to perceive the freeway as part of the cityscape and tame it, rather than complain about it.”

4, irregular, linked plazas

Emphasis on circulation through the park’s length

A stimulating transitional space between the residential neighborhood and the downtown.

THE CONCEPT2different scale impressions.

vehicular perception

pedestrian perception

The frame of the park: heavy form

Scale of the configuration of the park elements in the interior of the park is smaller in scale

Cascading waterfalls

To mask the noise of the surrounding traffic

Material palette:

Concrete, broadleaf evergreen plantings, site furnishings.

ELEM

ENTS

•Zig zag concrete pathways

•Movable seating

•Cascading waterfalls

OTHER ELEMENTS

19 concrete benches 3 drinking fountains 19 trash containers

Plant selection•Plants were selected for their variety of textures and colors throughout the four seasons.

•195 evergreen trees, 279 deciduous trees and 1,980 shrubs

•The plantings, particularly dense along the park’s edges, provide the visitor with protection from wind, noise and pollution.

•Bradford pear, •Deodar, •Douglas fir,• Littleleaf linden, •English oak, •Red oak, •Magnolia •Maple.

• The height of the walls led the eye up towards the sky and nearby skyscrapers

• The feeling of enclosure heightens spatial awareness

?

Fallen into disuse: became darker and difficult to navigate

Solution (Revitalization plan)

• Edges need to be enhanced• Streeet lamps• Outdoor cafes• Art exhibits

References• Alison B. Hirsch , The Fate of Lawrence Halprin's Public

Spaces: Three Case Studies (master thesis), University of Pennsylvania, 2005, pg.69-103, 114-210.

• http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Freeway_Park.html• http://tclf.org/landscapes/freeway-park• http://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=312