Graz
RUNNER UP SG005 – MAGNETIC URBAN FIELD
Stefan Gruber (D) architect/ Wien
Contributors:
Philipp Soeparno (A) student in architecture, Gilbert Berthold (A) architect
The project picks up the topic of traffic flow quite differently from “Yes we bridge” , suggesting an amalgam of movements with a maximum of compression and proximity. It addresses the “dilemma” of ordering and intensifying in an intriguing way: a clockwise spiral move counteracts the familiar solution of a separation of levels, creating a unifying field for cars, public transport, bicycles and pedestrians. A variety of inclinations and the “sprawl” of furniture specify the qualities of the surface and organize the flow of the different actors. Holes provide shortcuts and oblique perspectives. The clear idea to create a “theatre” of traffic can be seen as the primary condition for an attractive urbanity. This is a most valuable “message” for the urban planning strategy, offering an alternative response that includes the potential of the existing and extrapolates its qualities in a poetic way. If “Yes we bridge” works with the idea of absence, “Magnetic Field” addresses the surplus of presence (excerpt & paraphrase of the jury minutes).
