An obliqued continus public space from motion: renovation of parking facilities based on the shared cars system

Abstract

The sharing economy is exploding around the world thanks to three main characteristics: community-based reuse of idle resources, the extension of sharing between acquaintances to strangers, and the transformation of production into decentralized, personalized customization. Shared cars, as a very important part of it, is creating a new open community for its users, and a space should be provided to fit both the basic need of a shared cars station and the social requirements of different citizens. Garages, as the original car stockings, can be renovated to accommodate public activities. The presence of garages is researched firstly to guide following interventions. The space is designed for cars from the very beginning, and it has grown into a prototype with a series of spaces been designed to fit the different condition of the road network and functions above. No matter how impressive the inside systems are, garages, which are decorated by their facade, have sieged the motion, a new character of the 21 century. The conflict should not be the reason for hiding it. With the help of shared cars system, we can make a new public interface between man and cars. These public spaces can make diverse activities happen while providing an experience of the motion. It can generate a series of urban renovations on garages. To get started, this new public space system should be discussed in detail. Three elements are considered vital: the entrance, the machine providing the shared cars service, and the platform for connecting. Three cases are studied as possible reference: the placa de Sants, the Ford Line and the Hamburg Station. The oblique surface is a great option for the public space underground. First presented by Claude Parent and Parl Virilio, the continues surface merge the boundary between horizontal layers, making the gravity as a new clue for the organization of different activies on a single platform. Towards a total habitable space, it can be easily connected to the original structure and multiple the public value. It stimulates motion and accepts the new urban texture, which is the reason why it is different from the vertical and horizontal ones. After a field research on the public garages inside the center of Barcelona, two types of garages (a classification based on the function above): the garages besides the apartments and the ones under public squares are considered most valuable in the diversity of the crowd and the service capacity of the shared cars stations. Specific public functions are organized on a series of ramps which are interconnected like the organization of the original garages. Service line are placed besides these spaces so people can experience the beauty of motion everywhere. Oblique surfaces can create a multiple of spaces and activities and that can make these spaces totally different from the old ones.