Floating Parks Hold Big Potential for Cities Near Water

Written by Bradley Bailyn from Okeanos Aquaskaping 

Pick any random city on planet earth, and take a look at it on Google Maps. Odds are, that city will be near the ocean, next to a lake, or have a river running through it. There are exceptions, of course. Las Vegas is out in the middle of the desert, and Atlanta doesn’t have much water around it.

 There’s a very sensible reason for this trend. Most cities began in a time before cars and planes, so people needed water to get around. Bodies of water are economically useful and beautiful to look at, but by and large most city folk don’t really interact with rivers all that much.

In fact, the city where I live, Pittsburgh, is a great example. Three rivers intersect pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the city. While the rivers offer a peaceful view in a busy city, the rivers can really be rather annoying because of the traffic bottlenecks they create.

 By and large, river and lake real estate is vastly underutilized. They provide a pretty view, sure, but you’ll almost never see a Pittsburgher splashing about in the Ohio River.

That’s why the floating park designs in Budapest and the French city ofBoudreaux are so brilliant. Each of these cities has created a barge to act a sort of floating park, complete with a lounging area and swimming pool. These barges provide locals a way to interact with the rivers that are simultaneously so familiar and so alien.

Most people won’t go swimming in city rivers because they’re perceived as dirty and they can be somewhat difficult to access. You’ll rarely see people swimming across city rivers, but those same people will happily take a dip in a swimming pool that’s floating on the river. Maybe it’s just a hygiene issue, but the filtered pools on these barges seem to make all the difference for locals who want to go for a swim. 

One of the best features about these barges is that architects can create massive parks without acquiring enormous stretches of land. In cities where vacant real estate is precious, moving to the water is one of the wisest and cheapest options available.

 Hopefully, this barge idea will spread to other cities and we will see more mobile floating parks spring up in major metropolises.

Slideshow: Alvar Aalto Studio - Helsinki, Finland - Designed by Alvar Aalto

Again, it is the introduction of natural light which captures the essence of Aalto as one of the most respected architects of the 20th century. Visiting his studio gave some insight into his design process and showed small elements that he explored in some of his larger projects to such fanfare.
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Slideshow: 10 Am Kupfergraben - Berlin, Germany - Designed by David Chipperfield

One of my favorite buildings in Berlin, this small gallery sits unassumingly across the river from Museum Island. It is beautifully proportioned and although contemporary, it fits wonderfully into its historic context. It will be great to see it hen Chipperfield's new museum opens directly across the river.
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Slideshow: Alvar Aalto House - Helsinki, Finland - designed by Alvar Aalto

A fantastic, modest modern house. Simple materials, natural light and a nice connection between the interior and exterior make this house stand out as a superb example of Aalto's architecture.
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Slideshow: Angkor Wat

One of the most amazing places I've visited, Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples are some of the best architectural relics in the world. The grandeur of these ancient buildings are a fitting way to usher in the new year.

Slideshow: Brandhorst Museum - Munich, Germany - by Sauerbruch Hutton Architekten

Sauerbruch Hutton Architekten has developed a reputation as the architects of color. However, this overshadows the fact that they make fantastic buildings. This museum has a simple form that comes alive with the materiality of the facade. The multicolored ceramic facade is beautiful to behold and is reminiscent of Joseph's amazing technicolor dream coat. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to make it into the museum, although I heard the lighting in the galleries is fantastic. Still the facade of this building really blew me away.
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Slideshow: Beyeler Foundation Art Museum - Basel, Switzerland - designed by Renzo Piano

Renzo Piano's creative genius is derived from his uncanny ability to adapt his style to fit the surrounding context. This building takes a step back from the high tech aesthetic of many Piano buildings, and sits comfortably in a suburban setting, overlooking a farm field and rolling hills in the near distance. The light is carefully controlled to naturally illuminate the galleries while the materials are simple, elegant, and complement the art and natural surroundings.
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Video: New Architectures - Nature and Phenomena, by Nona Yehia & Jefferson Ellinger

Nona Yehia and Jefferson Ellinger established the architectural firm, Ellinger/Yehia Design LLC in 2003 to investigate links between architecture, landscape and technology. In 2004, the firm opened an office in Jackson Hole, Wyoming to further explore these inter-relationships. Architects, artists, scientists and designers throughout the ages have been inspired by the beauty and elegance in nature; studying, imitating and attempting to recreate natural systems has shaped life as we know it. Today, the question is how natural phenomena can become instrumental in the design of new architectures that radically redefine our built environment.

Glowing Light Ball Bench - by Manfred Kielnhofer

"The “Glowing Light Ball Bench” created by Manfred Kielnhofer was present at the Light Art Biennial Austria. The bench which has a very simple design consists of three light balls and two wooden board perforates that lay over the light balls."

It's an interesting design although I would like to see if it works as well during the day. I would also worry about the wood planks standing up to changing weather. They seem pretty thin from the couple images that were shared with us. Still, a fun project. 

For more info:
RGB Light technic by TechnikDesign.com
More info: http://kielnhofer.at/blog/

Slideshow: Architecture of Berlin, Germany - Various Architects

This is a rather long slideshow featuring a series of photographs taken during my two years living and working in the city. Berlin boasts an incredible history and collection of architecture. The juxtaposition of historic buildings, contemporary architecture, and modern designs creates a unique urban fabric. Throw in the vast ranks of soviet era housing blocks and bombed out lots and ruins, and Berlin has a little bit of everything. A Le Corbusier housing block graces the eastern edge, next to the Olympic Stadium built by the Nazi regime. Daniel Libeskind offers the first in a seemingly endless line of jagged monstrosities, just a few blocks away from a John Hejduk IBA housing project. Eisenman, OMA, Hadid, Alsop, Foster, Rossi and other giants in the history of the 20th century have all offered up buildings to help rebuild this capital after the war.
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