The area I have been looking at is the Ohio Statehouse. The grounds are situated in the middle of downtown Columbus and is surrounded by 20+ story buildings.The area is undergoing a renaissance of new developement that will bring in more people. On the days that I was there the temperatures were hovering in the upper 90's so the grounds as well as the surrounding areas were pretty much empty except for the people waiting on buses or the occasional business person having to walk from one building to another. On a more friendly day the grounds would have seen more activity as many people elect to get their lunch to go and sit on the lawn or benches. There are not many areas directly in the downtown proper that have large grass areas and mature trees so this serves as the oasis in the desert, so to speak.
The layout of the grounds encourages pedestrian movement. There is a perimeter walkway encircling the site as well as multiple walkways that cross through the site allowing someone access from all sides. The site encompasses 2 acres of land.
The rotunda of the Statehouse is 120' from the floor to the skylight creating an imposing figure . While now dwarfed by surrounding buildings the statehouse is still able to stand out among the much larger competition. When looking down from the much taller buildings you see an area that bustles with activity (during less hot humid mid western summers).
During the 1960's due to the lack of parking a garage was built under the west lawn. Vehicle access is from the northeast and southeast corners of the site with pedestrian access to ground level at the northwest and southwest corners. There are also three pedestrian tunnels to buildings located across from the site.
Traffic Flow shown in red
Pedestrian Flow Shown in blue
Underground Pedestrian tunnels shown in green
Front lawn area looking away from capital building towards intersection of Broad and High Streets.
Looking east on High Street. The capital building is towards the left.
What I found to be positives of the site:
The layout of the grounds encourages pedestrian movement. There is a perimeter walkway encircling the site as well as multiple walkways that cross through the site allowing someone access from all sides. The site encompasses 2 acres of land.
The rotunda of the Statehouse is 120' from the floor to the skylight creating an imposing figure . While now dwarfed by surrounding buildings the statehouse is still able to stand out among the much larger competition. When looking down from the much taller buildings you see an area that bustles with activity (during less hot humid mid western summers).
During the 1960's due to the lack of parking a garage was built under the west lawn. Vehicle access is from the northeast and southeast corners of the site with pedestrian access to ground level at the northwest and southwest corners. There are also three pedestrian tunnels to buildings located across from the site.
Traffic Flow shown in redPedestrian Flow Shown in blue
Underground Pedestrian tunnels shown in green
Front lawn area looking away from capital building towards intersection of Broad and High Streets.
Looking east on High Street. The capital building is towards the left.
What I found to be positives of the site:
- Large open spaces that encourage people to gather.
- Easy accessibility to all spaces.
- Large mature trees that provide shade and visual barriers to surrounding buildings, which create a park in an area surrounded by asphalt
- Easy access from all surrounding buildings or areas.
- New development around site to provide housing near area.
- Plenty of parking lots surround the site
What I found to be negatives of the site:
- Surrounded by asphalt.
- The area is basically deserted during evenings and weekends unless there is a special activity going on nearby.
- Although used by some, ignored by others. Most people never stop to "smell the roses"
- Traffic flow discourages passing motorists to stop and look around.
- Plenty of parking lots surround the site.
Basically a site that provides park like settings that not many take advantage of.
6 comments:
Tim, nice sketches. I had one question about the parking garage addition that was completed in the 60's. Is it actually located under the state house?
Also, you talked about the underground pedestrian tunnels. Do workers use the tunnel as a main way to travel? That sounds really interesting. I wasn't able to enlarge the pedestrian diagram to see the tunnels. Could you tell me how to enlarge the diagram so I can see it better. Thanks
The garage itself does not go under the building, only under the front lawn towards High Street.
The tunnels are used by workers and go into 3 dfferent buildings. One is the Riffe Center located at South High and East State, then the Huntington building to the north, and the final one goes to the State office tower located on Broad Street between High and Third.
I will try to relod the image so that it reads better.
Tim, having lived for 7 or so years in Columbus, I can relate to the idea that the civic lawn of the courthouse is underused. I worked downtown only blocks away, drove by it every day, and with some rare exceptions, never went into the space.
On the two occasions that I went there I observed that it really is a series of small spaces broken up in scale by plantings, and various subtle topographic changes. It's not intended to provide a place of concealment, but there definitely is an ability to get away from the crowd, while still being in it.
The parking garage is an odd place. It is used during the day, and when there are events at either the Palace Theater or the Ohio Theater. The parking garage, pops up at the edges of the space, and really in no way is visible or connected with the space above.
I haven't decided weather thats an opportunity lost, or weather it's a good thing that they didn't try to reveal / acknowledge its presence in any way.
Tim,
You kicked of a good discussion already, which speaks for your choice of site and the way you presented it. Before I add to this some presentation comments:
As Stacey noticed the plan diagrams are to low-res to be readable. Please insert larger files. I don't really understand what you wanted to show with the reworked photos. If you had wanted to point out that the park is formally and fuctionally isolated from the other street edge, a plan highlighting just that would have supported that notion.
Steven's comment on the topography and the different levels of publicness it suggests is interesting, especially when looking at Angelo's site. Let's keep that in mind for our discussion in Boston.
Would you say the the park is contextual relative to the statehouse, but not to the city? And is part of the problem (underused site) that both park and state house are isolated from the city (programmaticly and formally)?
I added the photos to show the contrast between the natural park setting versus the hardness of its surrounding area.
I don't know that the site is isolated from the surrounding area in a formal way. Where the real problem lies is that most of the people that I have talked to about the area is that most everyone knows it exists, but seldom take the time to enjoy the space.
Working on better resolution drawings.
Tim,
Great sketches. They really give us a good feel for the space and the setting. I agree with your comments concerning the negative aspects of the site. With vehicular traffic surrounding the site, it makes the site an island. This may account for the lack of activity in the evenings.
Angelo
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