St. James Park

an integration…

Goal

“Connect the community of St. James Park with its immense and important histories by

continuing it with their own histories, through the means of multimedia archiving systems

that allow them to tell their histories via text, video or audio. These provided histories will be integrated with that of the 'established' histories of the park and displayed amongst

the park's elements themselves.”

Investigation

What stories or history does the park have to “tell” today?

- PEOPLE have stories- PLACES have stories

Both are SITE SPECIFIC

Site specific explication in real-time produces knowledge.

Integration

How do we integrate into the space, without complete disruption of its current dynamic?

Work with the PRESENT physical infrastructure–- Small -

benches, light posts, trashcans, trees, boundaries- Large -

VTA stations, fountain, monuments, playground, heritage trees, paths, urban landscape

Possibilities to execute explication

People in places.Physical presence.

mobile devices

Social networks

Online archived “knowledge”

Gears of the System

People – an urban park is a place for people. Without the people, what would this place be?

Location – historically charged, downtown, transportation hub, surrounded by important buildings.

Statues / Monuments – these elements confront the historical quality of the park.

Infrastructure housing technology – the ability to contain information with technology / archived

Virtual World – Internet presence/ via “social network”

ST. JAMES PARK

people

infrastructure Online presence

politics

VTA

monumentstrees

“Master Plan”

City of San Jose

benches

lamps

electricity

Historical buildings

National Register of Historic Places

California Historical District

yelp

Gowalla

foursquare

Twitter

integration

pathways

Urban landscape

“hub”

archival

First Church of Christ Science

Post Office

Court HouseTrinity Episcopal Church

Unitarian Church

Scottish Rite Temple

Saint Claire Club Elks Lodge

McKinleyKennedyNagleefountain

commuters Business owners

lawyershomeless

Visitors/touristsCourt attendees

Post office users

Church go-ers

Process

.1. Establish key spots to place “stations” that encourage real-time feedback in these contexts :

- TEXT (similar to a “tweet”)

- VLOG (video blog)

- AUDIO (hotline , broadcasted via web).2. Feedback will be circulated via Internet

- website will host incoming “knowledge”- continually updated / archived day-to-day- update “live” & “lighted” features in park

Process cont…

.3. Gathered knowledge combined with previous knowledge will be archived together.

.4. The knowledge will be articulated to the public through an archived & interactive website, and translated through public display.

.5. Stations will serve as the “gatherers” as well as an interactive feature. Brings “personal connection” to another level by actually leaving a “piece” behind.

Process cont…

.6. Web site provides 24 hour access.

.7. Awaken the park at night with “knowledge displaying” benches, audio, and projection.- a safe “night in the park” could be a way to change perspectives of the park- lights bring comfort on an “urban night”- illuminated benches, audio whispers, ticker-tape text, historical projections

St. James at night?

Illuminatedbenches,

displayingvideo and textsgathered from the stations in

a ticker-tape fashion as a live

feedback

Imagine……

Projection on a historic building-Church of ChristScience? empty,available, agenda?

The elm trees whisperyou recollections gathered at the stations,likely audio collections.

INSPIRATION …

Interaction with & within community: feedback stations

SITE SPECIFIC

Challenged by environment

Interactive “button”

feature

Shona Kitchen :DATANATURE

INSPIRATION

Mongrel :TextFM

Text interpretation

INSPIRATION

Kate Procrass :MUNDANE JOURNEY’S

“mundane” inspirationsfuel a directional tour guided by the artist via her hotline

Public art?

Archives personal interpretation of space, through a “poetic” experience

Online archive reflects aesthetics

of a journal.

Call hotline415-364-7465

Proto – testing

1st St. VTA station

THESE LOCATIONS

EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY TO

INTEGRATE INTO A SPACE

THAT ALREADY HAS ELECTRICAL

HOOKUPS.

EXECUTE A “MANUAL” STATION AT 2 LOCATIONS

Fountain