Research:
New York City is a modernized metropolis with a rapid pace of evolution. The artificial landscapes of skyscrapers and organized traffic ways create a unique and elite atmosphere for the city of 8.7 million. Among the stone, brick, and concrete composition, lies patches of occasional greenery. Central Park is a great example of nature placed within the heart of a developed city. Besides nature, though a vital component of human well-being, there are more to consider for the population of today’s society. I want to focus on the idea of homesickness, presented through many affected people residing on the island of Manhattan. People who came here from near or far lands in pursue of their studies or future careers often share the concern of not finding peace and harmony in a city that takes a lot to get used to. From observation after talking with multiple people who suffers from homesickness, I’ve gathered that a few of their worries stems from the differences in the levels of competition between their home society and the society here, the loud, restless environment of the urban landscape, and the major shift in culture they witnessed once they arrived. Perhaps to start, I will have to find ways to incorporate different objects to create an environment that is able to ease their concerns.
Target Audience & Issue:
The targeted population are the people living on the island of Manhattan who are not native to New York City, in other words, foreigners. As I can relate, foreigners often suffer from the effects of homesickness, which can be a major issue to their mental and physical health. Many attempts at solving this issue has proved to be somewhat effective, such as cultural gatherings of certain ethnic communities, but from what I’ve observed, the problem still persists. Which is why I wanted to tackle the issue of finding a home in a place faraway from home. Being someone who was born in New York City but raised in China for nearly my entire life, I can fully relate to this issue. My hometown when compared to the busy atmosphere of Manhattan is rather peaceful and slow in the pace of living, and we are less urban as here, which is why I find it difficult to find peace within a city that never sleeps. We, as humans with unique backgrounds and stories so vast and diverse that one design cannot compensate for the amount of affected populations, but we can find common ground. Objects to be included within the design will be something that multiple types of people can relate to. For example, objects that possess properties of water such as fountains or ponds can allow people who live next to water to be at ease.
Moodboard:
Proposal:
My idea to tackle the issue of creating a “playground” that also presents the idea of a home away from home in a busy foreign metropolis is to create a park including elements that people generally find peace and harmony in. My design will present a ground of grass, with a winding path constructed out of cobblestone looping around a custom stone and wood aesthetic structure that resembles a fountain. Water will originate from the top of the “monument” and be guided through multiple passageways and slides until it eventually ends in a small gentle waterfall, generating the sound of crashing water, something almost all humans find to be calming to the soul. In order to make the city less of a concrete jungle, my space will be using as few metal and concrete as possible, resorting to almost a medieval color scheme of material choice.
-Recede into the ground – reduce street level noise
-accessible water source
