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INSTANT DOWNTOWN SOUTH WEST FACADE BY NIGHT FARGO, USA 2010 an urban condensation strategy for Fargo Programm: mixed use, offices, apartments, student housing, retail, civic space, urban entertainment Surface: 50000 m2 Client: Kilbourne Group Website: http://www.kilbournegroup.com/ There are a couple important ingredients to create a sustainable and vibrant downtown in Fargo. It needs to be well programmed, have a significant amount of inhabitants, quality housing, a diverse range of civic space and commercial activities. It also needs good pedestrian connections towards the river, the civic center and the library. All of this must be conveniently accessible by car. In order to vitalize the city center we have chosen a strategy of urban condensation: Instant Downtown. We propose a fully programmed dense urban block which gives Fargo's downtown an identifiable, mature skyline. At the same time we consider the scale and function of the historical buildings with a shopping layer on Broadway. In addition, we boost the number of downtown inhabitants, and create a one of kind elevated urban activity park. Separating the shopping plaza and the urban activity deck we find 500 (public and private) parking spaces on a continuous ramp fully integrated into the block. No more parking on street level, no more ugly street front parking garages. Whilst Broadway and the mall are more orientated towards shopping and retail, the roof of the parking ramp doubles as an urban activity deck which consists out of five sloping levels. The deck is programmed with playgrounds, sandboxes, greenery, an ice rink and a basketball court. From this level nine towers and blocks between five and seventeen stories high are accessed, combining a mix of offices, apartments and student housing. This guarantees round the clock activity on the urban deck. Windows in a wind protecting wall around the deck frame beautiful views towards the surrounding area. Currently most downtown blocks in Fargo are 50% parking. Asphalt is the norm. We propose a design which fully integrates parking into the urban program and creates space for street orientated activity. An elevated continuous parking ramp is winding up the block and makes parking an experience in itself. The triangular courtyards created by the parking scheme form the basis of the layout of the shopping mall and the urban activity deck and define space for escalators that connect these layers. Studio Marco Vermeulen | Maaskade 85 3071 NE Rotterdam | +31(0)102250030 | [email protected] | www.marcovermeulen.nl
