Canary Wharf and BrindleyPlace - Research Proposal Example

Canary Wharf and BrindleyPlace Introduction Urban redevelopment design attempts to incorporate aspects such as landscape architecture and urban planning. Urban planning would require dealing with a number of issues faced by modern architecture such as preserving urban city centers, climatic considerations and utilization of landscape. Canary Wharf and Brindleyplace are both examples of urban redevelopment, which aimed at urbanizing the region and utilizing the public spaces appropriately. Canary Wharf and Brindleyplace have both commonalities and differences in its urban development design based on spatial planning, scale of development and value of sub areas. The basis of development of these two cities lies in the attempt to transform a low-income area into a new urban centre. The architectural influences on these designs are not prominent and most of the architectural works are based on modern architectural styles similar to American metropolis with skyscrapers and extensive use of steel and glass structures with nautical architectural influences. (Young). Differentiating Canary Wharf and Brindleyplace Canary Wharf may be differentiated from Brindleyplace in regard to the criticisms received about the model. Both the developments were initially directed towards improving the value and expansion of economic outcome. Canary Wharf, now considered a shopping destination has long been criticized for failing social regeneration in its surroundings while Brindleyplace has been considered as the ultimate model of urban renaissance. (Yang). The main difference in the architectural styles of the two cities is the fact that Canary Wharf has some of the tallest buildings of UK, while Brindleyplace is well known for the low rise architectural style, the tallest building being fifty five meters tall. Both Canary Wharf and Brindleyplace are located in the poorest regions of London, surrounded by areas of low income. We also see that Brindleyplace has retained some buildings and churches of the traditional architectural style, while Canary Wharf has not retained too many of the sort. Another difference that may be pointed out is the implementation of water features in Brindleyplace, connected with bridges. The architectural aspect has played a rather important role in transforming these regions. It is with the urban design that the areas have seen such rapid changes, enabling them to become urban city centers. The social developments of these areas are dependant on the architectural outlay. The urban design implementation was a huge step towards bringing a drastic change to the areas, making them economically sustainable. Architecture of Canary Wharf When seen in the light of architecture, we notice that the two cities have different background of spatial planning and development framework, although they have a similar spatial and functional location at the urban level. (Yang). Canary Wharf is located in the Isle of Dogs, which is the site of the once busy West India Docks. The buildings of Canary Wharf are seen to be some of the tallest buildings of the United Kingdom, most of them being skyscrapers ranging from ten to fifty floors. The buildings are seen to be of modernized architectural style, mostly using concrete, steel and glass in its construction. The tallest building of the United Kingdom, One Canada Square is located in Canary Wharf is considered the symbol of the area’s regeneration. The building eight Canada Square, is a building with 45 floors, having used about 180,000 tons of concrete, 14,000 tons of steel and covers 45,000 square meters of its surface with glass. This particular style of architecture may be noted in buildings throughout Canary Wharf, with a number of modern cast-bronze sculptures standing sentinel around every corner. (Young). The Canary Wharf estate which was initially a historical steeped area has now come to rival London, having some of the most advanced and modernized architectural works of UK. The architectural style throughout the city is seen to be similar, all the traditional styles having vanished, leaving room only for functional architecture. The design of Canary Wharfs architecture appear similar to those of the woodcuts in the Rosarium Philosophorum . The estate covers an area of about 71 acres and is expanding its value with future projects coming up. The estate has also incorporated dining, shopping and recreational places, contributing to the lifestyle component of the urban planning. The architectural plan of the estate includes a number of public spaces such as parks, squares, walking areas and waterside walks to prevent the urban design from being too clustered or crowded in its planning. These spaces are used for recreation, exhibition and other public entertainment purposes. The master plan was evidently took into consideration the fact that architectural styles of the building, no matter how modernized, cannot and will not sufficiently provide the required appeal without the aesthetic factor involved with open spaces and beautification. An important part of the urban development design required to include transportation since the estate is located in an area which is isolated from the rest of the urban areas and is commonly considered as a fragmented urban transformation. The Canary Wharf tube, light railway lines and highways were implemented to serve this purpose, fulfilling the needs of the urban planning design. (Yang). The Jubilee Line Extension, Canary Wharf Station project was named as the Best Transport/ Infrastructure building at the World Architecture Awards in 2001. (fosterandpartners.com). This adds to the architectural specialties of the city. There is a part of the city that connects to old architectural influences and is located about twenty minutes away. Canary Wharf is seen to be in proximity to the village of Greenwich, which connects the estate to the historical heritage. In Greenwich of course, there are numerous buildings retaining the traditional architectural style since the buildings have not been rebuilt or altered. This aspect is the reason why Canary Wharf is described as London’s newest financial estate mixes high-tech with historical flavor. (Young). Architecture of Brindleyplace Brindleyplace is located in the proximity of other urban areas, in Birmingham. The urban development design in the case of Brindleyplace placed focus on the spatial framework which would increase the accessibility to the area. Brindleyplace was initially occupied by about 70,000 people of very low income, all living around the church with poor accommodation. Architectural works were mainly the churches and some important landmarks. Houses hardly had any architectural significance, the industries did not sufficiently provide for income and the place was taken up for urban redevelopment. An area of forty acres was allotted for public buildings. However, contrary to Canary Wharf, a holistic master plan and flexible strategy was implemented instead of the comprehensive planning. (Yang). This aspect of the urban design was appreciated by most developers and scholars. On analysis, we may find that the spatial planning and movement played an important role in the development of the master plan of Brindleyplace. Brindleyplace covers an area of 17 acres, axially developing in connection to the urban areas surrounding it. Unlike Canary Wharf, the design of Brindleyplace is more integrated globally since it does not have a natural boundary. The buildings of Brindleyplace when compared to the architectural styles of Canary Warf, are seen to be different. The buildings in Brindleyplace range from 5 to 15 floors and cannot be compared to the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. The place was designed by a number of architects, bringing in a wide range of architectural styles. All the buildings are seen to be low rise and many buildings are seen to use brickwork, unlike the buildings in Canary Wharf, where most buildings are glass and steel structures. Brindleyplace comprises an architectural delight of landmark buildings built around three attractive public squares – Brunswick, Central and Oozells Squares. (brindleyplace.com). The Presbyterian church dating from 1849 is seen to have been retained, located adjacent to 9 Brindleyplace, contributing to the historical architectural influence on the city. The church, which was the main landmark of the city and only structure of architectural importance, contributes to the variety of styles seen through the city. The church was designed by J.R Botham, the architectural style being evidently Italian, with no windows on external walls, the only light source being the skylight in the roof. The church certainly holds a unique style and adds to the value of the city. The master plan for the redevelopment included a festival market, international aquarium and about 600,000 square feet of office space. Buildings such as One Brindleyplace, two Brindleyplace and four Brindleyplace are seen to follow similar architectural styles with full height glazing, huge entrances and atriums. Three Brindleyplace is seen to have traditional architectural influences, which gives it the advantage of being a landmark. This striking red brick building, with stone columns forming the front colonnades, feature banding and window surrounds together with a clock tower, is now a recognized city centre landmark. (brincleyplace.com). Seven Brindleyplace is seen to have a metal framework with self supporting brickwork. It incorporates ashlar stone rustication and stone dressings, giving the building a look quite different from the usual steel and glass that is expected in a modernized structure. Five Brindleyplace is perhaps the first of the buildings that incorporated low energy urban design, reducing its energy consumption, also providing an open working environment. Six, eight and Ten Brindleyplace follow similar office style architectural design. The Ikon gallery which was a school building was constructed by popular Victorian architects Martin and Chamberlain, holding Victorian architectural styles, which was later rebuilt to meet the needs of a gallery. However, the school tower still remains, a significant remnant from the Victorian architectural style of the original building, also providing ventilation to all the three floors of the building. The Crescent theatre, symphony court, sea life centre and health club have all been designed with modernized designs, all of which are Brindleyplace’s attraction. The urban redevelopment design has incorporated a number of architectural styles, mixing new modernized buildings and structures with traditional architectural designs including brickwork, stone finish and open squares. Central Square, Oozells Square and Brunswick Square are the public squares and a café is seen in the middle of Central Square. The café is seen to take a footprint that is eye shaped. Further, a phosphor and bronze sculpture by Miles Davies is seen in the square, adding to architectural value. The National sea life centre, however, is interesting in the shape that the structure has derived. Although not complex, the architecture of the sea life centre is designed in the profile of a ray. The building houses a marine tank containing over 325,000 litres of water and incorporating a 360 degree acrylic viewing tunnel through which visitors can view over 60 spectacular species of freshwater and marine creatures. (brindleyplace.com). On studying the building of Brindleyplace, we see that most buildings are of modern architectural origin, some even focused on urban low energy designs. There are not many traces of any ancient architectural styles in the city, all of them modernized or rebuilt to meet the needs of commercial or retail space. Conclusion On analyzing and comparing the architectural styles implemented in Canary Wharf and Brindleyplace, we see that modernized structures, especially skyscrapers and tall buildings are most significant. Brindleyplace seems to have retained the architectural style of brickwork among its buildings and most are seen to be low rise buildings, a significant difference in the architectural styles of the two cities. Canary Wharf has more modernized glass and steel structures than Brindleyplace and lesser traditional architectural influence. The church in Brindleyplace of Italian style certainly adds to the diverse architectural styles, less diverse in Canary Wharf. There are no significant influences of historical architecture, thereby enabling us to conclude that historical architecture has not strongly influenced the urban redevelopment design, and that the architecture is based on functionalism and aims at maximizing the value of the area rather than placing importance on architectural styles or influences. However, importance has been given to the placing of statues or other works in squares, enhancing the overall look. The bronze cast structures add to the beauty. It also ensures that the place is more than just buildings and is appealing to visitors, even aesthetic. Reference brindleyplace.com. Brindleyplace, the buildings. Retrieved March 28, 2010 from http://www.brindleyplace.com/history-2/the-buildings/ fosterandpartners.com. (2001). JLE Canary Wharf awarded World Architecture Award. Retrieved April 26, 2010 from http://www.fosterandpartners.com/News/048/Default.aspx Yang, T. Impacts of large scale development, does Space make a difference? Retrieved March 28, 2010 from http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/4077/1/4077.pdf Young, L. Canary wharf Takes Flight. London’s newest financial estate mixes high-tech with historical flavor. Retrieved March 28, 2010 from http://www.executivetraveler.net/article.php?article=22 Demetri Porphyrios, Classical Architecture It is no surprise that the book Classical Architecture by Demetri Porphyrios, the Greek architect and author, is beautiful and compelling, giving readers a clear understanding of the continual influence of classical architecture on present day western buildings. The book finds its roots in Greece and Rome, the two cities of strong architectural value. Readers will find that the book is more than just fascinating with the colorful illustrations, drawing and photographs but continues to amaze them with the detailed study of the strong influence that is more subtly implied in modern architecture. The book talks of the influences of ancient Greek and Roman architectural styles and techniques in neomodern and postmodern architecture, giving the readers and insight into the construction techniques and practices. Porphyrios probes into the subject of architectural influences further, relating to a number of aspects so as to demonstrate the profound influence. He covers topics such as imitation, tectonics of construction, traditional practices, ornaments and arrangement, logical construction and originality in architectural work. The topics are discussed in separate chapters, enabling readers to grasp each individual aspect thoroughly. The book holds great value and is useful in understanding the ways that the modern buildings are connected to or rather derive from the architectural styles dating back to centuries. He makes his point evident, clear and supports the discussion of the influence of Greek and Roman architecture with drawings and photographs, showing clearly the construction details and use of traditional techniques in the building process. Well written and precise, the book will provide a good study to learn about the techniques and methods that derive from traditional practices and architecture. Public places, Urban spaces. “Public Places, Urban spaces” by Matthew Cormona, published in 2003 is a guide to the complex dimension of urban design and focuses on reaching the two groups of readers, those who are seeking to explore urban design for detailed study and those who are not familiar with the topic. The book covers topics, theories and research on urban design in steps, beginning with the urban design context, moving on to study the dimensions in detail and then discussing implementation techniques for urban design. The operation of urban design planning is explained clearly, subdivided into six dimensions, the social, visual, functional, temporal, morphological and perceptual dimensions, each vital to understanding the subject in depth. The implementation process is divided into development, control and communication processes for better understanding the practical aspects. Readers will benefit from this book in the way that it gradually takes you deeper into the subject, beginning with almost the basics, making it easy to follow and understand. The book has a continuing and inquisitive approach, revealing that urban design process requires to be built on experience that may be derived from practices that have proved to be successful or unsuccessful. The examples given in the book are helpful in learning of these practices. The book focuses on renewing, managing, planning and conserving the urban design process rather than trying to give a new solution or process of conquering the design process. This book is very useful to understand the theory, design approach and planning schemes and concept development for public spaces. The book is accessible and makes study easy with several examples. It certainly can be recommended to those who require studying the urban planning and design concept. Reference Cormona, M. et al. (2003). Public places, Urban spaces. The dimensions of Urban Design. Architectural Press. Porphyrios, D. (2007). Classical Architecture. Andreas Papadakis Publishers. Read More