SHADE
PLEASE !
JAKOMINIPLATZ — Graz (A)
Jakominiplatz could be described as the Sahel zone of Graz. If you cross the square on the frequently hot summer days, the air is stifling and everything shimmers with heat.
With our architectural office based in Jakoministrasse, we cross the square several times a day. The whole team is therefore eager to make a proposal to alleviate this sorry state. As planners, we are aware that this square, as an infrastructural hub of the city, is extremely complex and therefore not easy to convert. Therefore, our proposal should be as simple and easy to realize as possible and make a strong aesthetic and functional statement.
In the future, colorful sails could span Jakominiplatz to provide the square with shade, noticeably lowering temperatures and thus significantly reducing inner-city overheating. These “cushions” also serve as protection from the rain. The sails glow colorfully at night, enveloping the entire square in colorful, friendly light.
The existing lighting and catenary poles will be freed from the luminaries and provided with a new substructure as supports. In the ground area, the masts are now fitted with statically effective sheathing, which also serves as seating and/or as planters. This helps generate additional moisture and lower the temperature. We hope that our proposal gives rise to a debate about an inner-city location that is in urgent need of adaptation and a clear qualitative upgrade.
