Activating the Void

Author(s)/Creator(s)

Karissa Kizer, Syracuse University

Document Type

Thesis Prep

Degree

B. ARCH

Date

2005

Keywords

Syracuse, Pedestrians, Infrastructure, Void

Language

English

Disciplines

Architecture

Description/Abstract

Syracuse, New York contains an abundance of voids created by transportation infrastructure. Interstate 81 runs north-south through the city, connecting with Interstate 690 and eventually to the New York State thruway. I-81 exists in the city as an overpass, a barrier which effectively slices the city in two. Each half of the city contains a major productive zone, though the area in between the two, the district surround the highway, exists as both a physical and programmatic void. Within this area, there are numerous specific voids, most in the form of parking facilities which can be used to explore the possibilities of reconnecting the fabric.

The intention is to activate the void with multiple programs that respond to the needs of the surrounding area so that the zone can function in relation to the surrounding fabric. There are two major components--a pedestrian pathway spanning the barrier of the interstate and an urban shopping complex, which will be combined into one continuous building element. Allowing pedestrian passage across the boundary created by the highway is the first step in restitching the area. The incorporation of various programs into this pathway, including a movie/drive-in theatre, retail shops, restaurants/cafes and a parking garage is intended to fill existing programmatic voids in the area. This will draw a population to the district and create an active zone within the city.

Additional Information

Syracuse University School of Architecture Thesis Prep

Recommended Citation

Kizer, Karissa, "Activating the Void" (2005). Architecture Thesis Prep. 4.
https://surface.syr.edu/architecture_tpreps/4

Source

submission