North Pavilion Orientation Hub / Incheon Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

Those interested in the current competition happening around the arch grounds may have noticed this interesting rendering from SOM's team narrative.

This is the description that goes with it.

click to enlarge

This is extremely exciting because it suggests a possible St. Louis version of an international trend mentioned previously on this blog. 

Most major cities these days have some sort of public urban planning gallery.  Sometimes they're run by architecture groups (Chicago) or local government (Singapore) or even tourism offices.  Obviously the body that runs it has a lot of say in what kind of perspective it offers.  It can be a celebration of the local history, a coordinating space for local planning, a tourist orientation hub, and a citizen education space.  Ideally, it should be used for all of those purposes and more. 

I'm glad this finally came up again because it gives me a chance to put up pictures from my trip to Songdo last year.

At the time, the gallery there was in a building called the Incheon Urban Planning Exhibition Hall.  Now it seems it has been renamed as the Smart City Center in the money pit known as Tomorrow City.  It's mostlly a showcase of opulence without substance, and the broken gadetry is endless.  I personally would never want to live in Songdo, but the project got enough international attention to merit a bit of a summary here.

Incheon is a large port city situated in the shadow of Seoul.  It is part of Seoul's metro, but is an independent city with a government equal to a stand-alone province.  Incheon has positioned itself to be the international face of Seoul.  Land was reclaimed from the sea and tidal flats to make three very interesting spaces collectively known as the Incheon Free Economic Zone or IFEZ.

When I visited the Incheon Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, its primary focus was on these three IFEZ areas recently reclaimed for development from their previous role as vital habitat for migratory birds. 

First was a large model of Yeongjong, the island containing Seoul's airport.

Incheon Airport has been consistently voted one of the best in the world.  The national government pays for it, Seoul creates the need for it, and Incheon collects the most benefits from it.  The aerotropolis plan is an obvious move.  The idea is for every pilot and flight attendent in Asia to have a condo on the island, and for every international business to have a small office and a conference room.  The population of the island would always be in a state of flux as half the residents are spread around Asia for their work.  The island would be an international space separate from, but part of South Korea.

Incheon attempted to start their own budget airline.  Tiger Airlines in Singapore is a very successful company, and Incheon Tiger Airlines would have been run by them but 51% controlled by the city of Incheon.  That plan didn't work out, and Incheon might be trying to start up another budget carrier of some sort like Jeju Air or something similar.

In the past, South Korea decided to shut down Chinatowns throughout the country except the one in Incheon.  As I understand it, the IFEZ plan would take things a step further and push the Chinese population to the far end of Yeongjong Island on the other side of the airport, away from everything.  That would keep the Chinese close to China... and largely out of Korea.  This is just my interpretation of the plans, and if any reader knows otherwise, please comment.

Across the room (in the exhibition hall) and across the water by subway from Yeongjong-do is Cheongna,

The most exciting part of this area is the proposal for a theme park called Robot Land, which can be seen at the bottom of the second image.  There aren't any visible rollarcoasters on their model, but there would be a  giant statue of Taekwon V (a famous Korean remake of a Japanese TV robot). 

Just south of Cheongna is New Songdo, the biggest part of the IFEZ plan.

The buildings are tall, but they look rather tiny next to the monster that will be Incheon Tower.  Every major international company is supposed to pick up and move their headquarters to Songdo in the future.  There will be a major foreign university and museums with world-class budgets.

All these models were displayed on the second floor, and there was an opening with a catwalk allowing visitors to look down at the larger model of Incheon on the first floor.

In the case of this particular urban planning gallery, the models and the space were used primarily to sell the IFEZ plan to locals and to tourists.  It opened in conjunction with a large expo and seemed more to be selling the Incheon brand than educating the public.  Upon walking in, my friend and I got saddled with a tour guide that wouldn't let us wander around alone.  I found the experience very uncomfortable.  She insisted on reading all the signs to us with an irritating dash of civic boosterism.

It is possible that the 'Orientation Hub' in the SOM plan for the arch grounds might end up as propaganda for their designs, but it wouldn't have to stay that way.  Yes, initially the orientation hub would be an obvious place to display the improvements to the grounds leading up to the Oct 2015 deadline.  Over time though, such an orientation space could begin to play a vital role in showcasing all the major things happening in the city.  Tourists could go there an learn the layout of the land.  Locals could go there and learn about the new issues of the day. 

If such a place existed somewhere in the St. Louis right now, it might be showcasing models of Lumiere II, the new Central Library, the SLAM expansion, the I-70 bridge, the Bottle District, Wash U's engineering buildings, the Zoo's new Sea Lion Sound, and all sorts of other stuff.  The five design teams in the arch competition would surely get their own exhibition there as well. 

Please check out the original post on this blog related to the Singapore City Gallery for a clearer understanding of the idea.  There are a number of comments following that post with interesting links as well.

MVVA Geothermal / Singapore's Common Services Tunnel

"The new buildings at the Jefferson National Memorial Arch complex will employ a highly energy efficient radiant floor system for heating and cooling. A network of piping will circulate liquid through the exposed concrete structure and through the earth and the river to take advantage of the natural tempering and heat-exchange effects of the earth and the river. During the cooling season, the liquid will be cooled by both the natural springs in the earth which are at a constant temperature of 51 degrees Fahrenheit, while during the heating season the natural insulating effects of the earth and the springs will keep the liquid above the freezing temperature, reducing the need for additional mechanical conditioning."

This paragraph is from the MVVA plan for the arch grounds, and it is accompanied by this image.

What is great about this idea is that it makes the arch grounds themselves work for the museum.  MVVA would use the river, the ponds, and cave temperatures to the advantage of the museum on a year-round basis.

What would be even more amazing would be if the arch grounds and the I-70 corridor could be set up for the benefit of every building in the proximity of the park.

This is the depressed section of the old I-70 alignment.

This is the common services tunnel for Singapore's Marina Bay.

In Singapore the summer never ends, and the need for air-conditioning never stops.  This means construction projects can continue year-round without any seasonal problems, there is no need for heating systems, and all architecture can be built expressly with cooling in mind:  void decks, heat sinks, shade, fans, etc. 

Since Japan beat them by shutting off their water in WWII, Singapore has dedicated itself to a policy of reducing reliance on imports. This includes drinking water and electricity. For a small island of 5,000,000 people, being nearly ecologically self-sufficient is impressive.  According to one source, air-conditioning makes up 70% of all electricity use in Singapore's commercial buildings.  This means that it is an easy target for a government obsessed with planning, saving money, and corporate competitiveness.

Marina Bay is a multi-faceted megaproject that doubled the size of Singapore's central business district.

The common services tunnel, along with a new subway line, and all sorts of other amenities were all put in before the buildings went up. 

The most interesting aspect of the common services tunnel is the district cooling plan.  There are two massive chilling facilities at the ends that supply cold water to all the buildings in the middle.  This is the first unit,

It's a large facility integrated into a pair of high-rise office towers maintained by trained professionals.  Because this exists, other buildings along the common services tunnel do not need to have their own systems, and the overall energy use is greatly reduced.

Developers are likely to save money on their investments.

Tenants are likely to save money on their monthly utility fees.

In conclusion,

Everyone I have talked to agrees that when I-70 is moved and no longer runs though downtown, the current interstate infrastructure has to go--the elevated sections especially.  The depressed lanes could be filled in, made into a large Michigan Avenue style parking garage, used as stormwater drainage for MSD, or...   Perhaps a St. Louis version of a common services tunnel could be created for the benefit of everyone downtown.  District cooling and district heating are proven methods for saving electricity in high density areas.  It makes sense to integrate these with a nearby river, an already existing trench, and a history of using caves for refrigeration.

This blog does not think the MVVA plan is the best for St. Louis, but the geothermal ideas for the arch grounds should remain part of the regional conversation.

Arch Water Taxi / Star Ferry

Before the international design competition around the Gateway Arch really got started, there were some images from the National Park Service that looked like this.

In the center, is a dotted line with a little boat.  Several of the alternatives proposed by the NPS included some sort of 'water taxi' across the Mississippi.  Now that the design teams have submitted their proposals.  We can see some more serious attempts to explain how this might work.

In the SOM plan, one boat could probably make a loop every five to ten minutes, but it is hard to say why anyone would be compelled to take such a ride.

The Weiss/Manfredi boat loop implies that the Mississippi is a still lake that they can make artful ovals on.  The SOM plan at least recognized that the river has a current.  The W/M boat loop is intended to be one accompanied by a tour guide narrating facts and dates. 

Most views of the plans are similar to that held by Alex Ihnen at UrbanSTL,

... I'm not convinced that a ferry service connecting the two riverbanks works well, crossing under the Eads and possibly the PSB and MacArthur would add some excitement and opportunity for education, more similar to a tour boat exploring the Golden Gate, or the architectural boat tours of Chicago.

In response, it should be pointed out that the arch grounds already have two boats offering tours up and down the river.  These are the Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher,

I don't believe St. Louis needs more tour boats, we just been better awareness of the ones we have.  What we do need is a better public transportation network, and boats should be a part of that. 

In the past, I tried to make a case for the Admiral becoming a floating museum space shared between the Alton River Museum and the Museum of Westward Expansion.  The Admiral could go up and down the river all day between Alton and downtown.  It'd take some time, but there would be plenty of exhibits to look at in the mean time. 

In addition to Alton there are a number of notable places in the St. Louis area that might be served by some sort of floating transit.

St. Charles and Chesterfield might be about the right distance for a successful ferry service, provided their respective waterfronts were attractive enough places to visit.  Kimmswick, Herculaneum, and St. Gen have great little riverfront street grids that should be visited.  It isn't unreasonable to hope these could connect to downtown somehow. 

Rivertowns should play to their strengths.  St. Louis has a lot of navigable water.  Plenty of cities around the world integrate boats into their transit system.  Some with lakes, some with canals, and some with rivers.  Bangkok has a great range of ferries and small boats for hire.  Venice is world famous for its gondolas.  Battery Park in NYC has quite a few connections.  How about Hong Kong? 

Hong Kong has two main areas.  There is Hong Kong Island, to the south, and Kowloon, the area opposite it across Victoria Harbour.  Each has its own character, and each is slowly growing towards the other as new real estate deals fill in the water to make new property.  There are several ways to cross Victoria Harbour, but taking an MTR train under it is the least scenic.

Taking the Star Ferry from one side to the other is something everyone must do when they visit Hong Kong.  

It's a short trip integrated into the larger public transit system.  Regular citizens take the ferry every day.  There are twelve boats running on a few different routes at regular intervals.

Taking the ferry costs about the same as a ride on the subway, and the interface is more or less the same.  You use these machines.

and you can get a token for a couple HK dollars.

If you're not a tourist, you'll use an octopus card.

Remember from last year's post on smart cards that the octopus card can be used almost anywhere:  McDonald's, 7-11, the subway, wherever.

It is just a chip, so it need not be a card.  It can be a keychain, a pen, or part of your cellphone.  You can load money onto it anywhere, and you can use everywhere.  It is the same as carrying cash, but faster to use.  It is not linked to your identity.  If you lose it, you only lose the money you loaded onto it.  There is no credit or connection to your bank account. 

By connecting the octopus cards to the Star Ferry and the MTR (subway), Hong Kong unites two different transportation companies under the same unifed payment system and user experience. 

Regular people walk to the pier, tap their card on the reader, walk through the turnstile, and hop on the boat without any real hassle.

The informal interior of the boats add a lot to the experience.  They fit a lot of people comfortably, the windows are open, and the seats are spaced with leg room between.  You can smell the saltwater and feel the wind.  The modestly lit interior does not obscure the view of the skyline at night.

The Star Ferry is a great example of what St. Louis boat transit could look like.  Metro has aleady talked about the eventual introduction of smart card technology, which would have the potential of making boats, trains, and buses more or less equal in the eyes of the user.

Putting a ferry station in by the arch is a great idea, but the boats have to actually go somewhere.  Connecting to Alton, Kimmswick, Lemay, or wherever makes far more sense than just crossing the river to East St. Louis.  The two ferry stations on SOM's map should be two stops on a transit line going up and down the river.  Imagine a transit map with several light rail lines, a few BRT lines, and two boat lines for our two big rivers.     Boats + Buses + Light Rail + the Arch = Gateway to St. Louis

SOM Bridge / Han River Park paths

The Han River Park is the primary bikeway in Seoul.  It is possible to bike from one end of the city to the other on either bank along this central east-west axis.  Most of the time, the paths look like this.

There is a special two-way path for bicycles and a pedestrian path for running, and all manner of other slow activities.  Children under the age of five that are just learning to ride bikes should also be on that path.  Rollerbladers can choose a path based on their skill level.  Most Korean skaters prefer speed skating, so they're about as fast as bike traffic. 

The pedestrian path meanders all over and occasionally widens into large plazas.

People that aren't on bikes can enjoy the larger spaces, seating, volleyball courts, fountains, and so forth.  The only thing they shouldn't be doing is walking on the bike path.  If you look carefully, there is one man in this picture who is trying to cause an accident.

Bicycles do not belong on sidewalks.  Pedestrians do not belong on bike paths.  In the Han River Park, the density of people means that accidents happen quite often.  Pedestrians are always getting hit by bikes.  This is especially true where the lack of facilities force the two traffic streams to merge.

 
The idea of segregating leisure traffic is one that requires a lot of public education, and a general consensus among designers.

Recently in St. Louis, the Dual Path in Forest Park become an issue of concern.  The 'wheels' path for bikes and rollerblades is constantly invaded by joggers unaware that the swampy gravel path adjacent belongs to them.  In response to a survey and a large donation, Forest Park Forever decided to work on their signs and to completely segregate the paths throughout the park. 

FPF took a lot of time and money to figure out the combined traffic problem, but their solution should be one we keep in mind with all of the bike projects in the region.


I personally am very excited about the future bike park in Old North.

The renderings for the Iron Horse Trestle are spectacular.

There will be a path for bikes and a path for pedestrians with plenty of seating and overlooks, but...

Perhaps some of the pedestrians will decide to walk on the bike path.

In parts of the Trestle, the pedestrian area will not exist, and people will apparently walk right in the middle of the path.

Remember that the St. Louis bike culture promoted by the powers that be is not the casual urban biking from point A to point B of the Copenhagen Cycle Chic varity, but of the head-over-the-handlebars, helmet-required, preparing for the big race, gotta-lose-ten-pounds sort of cycling.  

primed for a head injury

This guy is not going to hit his brakes for you.  He can't.  He will fly over his handlebars immediately.  A European might lean back, slow down, smile, and pass you.  This guy is going to scream at you and wave his arms until you jump out of his way.  Or... he will hit you. 

The Iron Horse Trestle is a fantastic project that I hope to ride on regularly.  I've been thinking about it off an on for years.  I am therefore super excited by the proposed retrofit of the MacArthur Bridge by SOM for the arch design competition. 

SOM proposes interesting bike infrastructure around Chouteau's Landing similar to the plan for Old North.  It could be transformative for the neighborhood.

I am excited, and I could be much more excited, but the more I look at their bridge rendering the more unsettled I am. 
 

There's a huge mix of activity here that is supposed to convey a sense of the bridge being actively used.  It looks as if the designers failed to talk to each other.  Is there a person rollerblading on gravel?  Is that woman powerwalking in the right place? 


It isn't like this is the only rendering in the competition with bikes about to crash into joggers, but it is the rendering that I'm most excited about.  That excitement has promoted a sense of concern and ownership.  I want to see this happen, but I want to see it designed properly.

If mixed traffic is a problem in Forest Park, then it would be a problem here.  There needs to be a plan to keep kids from getting run down by these sporty people out to lose weight.

the Great Rivers Greenway District's racing bias