For centuries, urban planners have resorted to blocks, buildings, and streets as the basic components of urban design. The residual fallout of this approach is usually open spaces that are undesigned and unorganized. Consequently, the open space which is arguably the most crucial part of the urban environment frequently remains underdeveloped and therefore cannot accommodate diverse public activities.
This proposal for a project in Ethiopia provides the opportunity to potentially reorient urban design so it benefits the often-neglected public realm.
The strong architectural tradition of Lalibela and the culture of exterior space in Ethiopia establish the framework for the development of this project. The site selected for the intervention is adjacent to the railway station in the heart of Addis Ababa. The objective of the proposal is to connect the two sides of the site by creating a highly dense, mixed-use area that will offer possibilities for diverse lifestyles and yet remain sensitive to local cultural qualities.
The carving of negative space is deployed as a basic tool for developing the site. First, the patterns of the negative space in the surrounding areas are analyzed, yielding two distinct spatial types. By overlapping these two spatial systems, a new urban pattern is created that combines the characteristics of both parts of the site.Different types of voids are devised and then distributed according to the dimensions of their program as well as the relationships between them. Following the formation of negative space, positive substance is defined by filling in the remaining space, thus serving to further articulate the new urban structure.
Through this process, urban spaces are organized, designed, and distributed according to their respective programs. Since this proposal aims to provide more possibilities for public activities in the city, various events, activities, and moments of daily life are made possible by the creation of these negative spaces. The project not only responds to the Ethiopian way of life, it just as importantly suggests a new design methodology that can be utilized to raise the quality of urban life for all.
 

Design team: Dimitris Anagnostopoulos, Hui-Ju Lee