prairie fires
arch374 - architectural design + the city, spring 2018champaign, il
prof. claire gaspin
this long and narrow site in champaign, il is currently a pocket prairie, an urban green space. this design for an indie bookstore incorporates the prairie as both a precedent and inspiration. prairies are excellent at revitalization; wildfires burn off the plants above ground while keeping the roots intact, allowing for prairie species to flourish.
the division of spaces in this urban bookstore reflects this process. the level at grade with chestnut street and the level at grade with market street represent the roots of prairie plants, functioning as more permanent spaces. in contrast, the second floor symbolizes the leaves and stems of prairie plants. these portions of plants are burned off in prairie fires and are ephemeral. to reflect this, the space is more flexible and is ideal for collaboration. the circulation changes from linear to curved here and polygonal furniture allows for more people to work on projects. the triangular and pentagonal tables are modular and can be combined to serve any function.
