Making Flippy Floppy

or an exploration of flexible architecture

A contemporary People’s Palace should be inherently tied to nature. It should also encourage human socialization and a potential for self-expression, in the way that theater and performance areas do. The placement of the four performance spaces in my proposal acknowledge the seasons and the changing sun to provide the space with different structures that have the potential of showcasing various types of entertainment.

Port Authority has always been for me that one area of New York that has always been a little darker in the map of my mind’s eye. Throughout the years I’ve returned several times, but the one thing that captivates me about this building is the way it plays with my perception of space. Every time I step inside of it seems as if the floors themselves have shifted and rearranged themselves in new patterns, the hectic movement of the people rushing to catch their rides delineating and giving life to the architecture’s confusing but dynamic circulation. This building, and the area it is located, feel completely disconnected from nature, and to an extent, life and organic elements. This is further enhanced, in an almost ironic manner, by the calculated movements of the crowds in the space.

The only signs of living creatures in the space besides rats and pigeons, the almost robotic pace of New Yorkers and other travelers suggest that this is not a space to linger, but rather a mere threshold amid the possibility of other permanent places. This feeling of being completely surrounded, almost swallowed, by the mega-structure and the people trying to navigate its perplexing corridors evaporates once you step out onto the roof. A basically deserted area, it possesses the eerie calm and empty nature of vast parking lots. The surrounding buildings make the area somehow protected, and as you walk through the site the few unbuilt spaces facing its corners provide opportunities for views of the city and the river beyond. The one constant that remains is the lack of greenery and nature, and this is something that I want to address in my proposal.