Thesis Highlights

“Collapsing Narratives"

Eliott Moreau, 2022

“Collapsing Narratives: A Vision for the 21st Century Plaza”

The urban plaza is constructed with superimposed programs and activities. A space for social and material production, the plaza responds to its socioeconomic contexts to represent lifestyles of the city. Following its lineage, the public icon demonstrates themes of exchange, power, demonstration, and adaptability. What does the contemporary plaza represent in a globally connected society?

The 21st century, described by the information revolution, has dictated a new definition of interaction and scale. The plaza can respond to this dichotomy by resolving a space working at simultaneous scales to integrate the city as part of a global connected network of cultures and lifestyles. As a data hub of perspectives, the plaza must act as an open and transparent server for information and knowledge. Merging technocratic infrastructure or materially productive programs with civic functions will create a holistic environment where people may be free to learn, share, and express their visions of the city. Breaking the surface to extract underground infrastructures provides a new space for the plaza to aggregate its programs. Without a linear path or clear order, the scales and narratives of the city are forced to interact with one another creating a dynamic space.   

As a spatial and formal icon, the plaza manifests itself as an image of the city. Monuments and events are immediately identifiable, collaging the character of the city as a series of snapshots. The plaza of the 21st century will continue to perform as a visual icon, focusing on the narratives of its residents, projecting a lifestyle, and accurately producing the image of the city. Composing these narratives, this thesis proposes a design methodology to understand the contemporary plaza as a space for material and social production, generating more diverse perspectives and cultures in the city. 

WORK