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Access Type

Open Access

Document Type

thesis

Degree Program

Architecture

Degree Type

Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

Year Degree Awarded

2013

Month Degree Awarded

May

Keywords

Architecture, Art, Skateboarding, Revitalization, Urban-Design, Post-Industrial

Abstract

As an intervention strategy set amid a stark and neglected, yet highly energized urban setting of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this project seeks to relieve a stagnating urban condition through the introduction of contemporary and dynamic forms of expression. Skateboarding and street art can be seen as interpretative modes of action that reinvent objects, spaces, and conditions within the urban landscape, lending creative and engaging gestures to the everyday. As (sub) cultural expressions in their own right, these practices transcend their mere formal representations, and present unique identities, spaces, and modes of engagement within a society, initiating a creative mindset and DIY ethos among its respective practitioners. By putting these forms into action through programmatic functions of exhibition, practice, cultivation and production, this project aspires to channel the transformative qualities of these art forms into a design intervention that will animate a neglected urban space with new activities and opportunities as well as serving as a much needed public space of art, leisure, and excitement.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/4124125

First Advisor

Kathleen R. Lugosch

Second Advisor

Joseph Krupczynski

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