shortlist | Infrastructural Infill  

Bryan Maddock, New York (USA)

In the context of redensification, “Infrastructural Infill” considers the unused potential of urban infrastructure as a future possibility of developing new forms of usage and residential spaces. This is accomplished through multifunctional architectures that can be used symbiotically within the existing urban space. On the one hand, infrastructure defines the flow and basic structure as well as the attractiveness of neighbourhoods, but on the other hand it also offers unused space in which redensification could combine the desire for mobility with that of residential space. Using the example of New York City, especially the borough of Manhattan, these potentials are illustrated using a proactive strategy. The goal of the alternative model is to create a new typology of urban living by offering flexible spaces combining residences, work, transport and recreation, and addressing the needs of very different residents of the future within one holistic approach. Visionary architecture is used to create residential space for people of different income brackets, improving urban coexistence. This would counterbalance current trends towards gentrification and increase offers of affordable housing. In this sense, architecture works as a tool questioning existing driving forces in cities, with the potential of offering new solutions.