2012: Transforming the Bridge | 12330

Team: Hannah Aufschnaiter, Nina Spagl, Gerald Haselwanter

Location: Austria, Vienna

Overview: Boardwalk Empire takes the Cleveland of the past that is hiding, abandoned, in the lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge, and transforms it from the invisible and the inaccessible into the new heart of Cleveland’s recreational landscape. It develops the lower level as a multifunctional entertainment space connected to, and connecting, the bridge above, the Flats below, and the neighboring states of the East and the West Sides.

Rather than calling for major alterations, it keeps the original structure. A pedestrian boardwalk and bike path stretches the entire lenght. Along it five landscapes reflect the five sections of the bridge itself. They range from dining, party, recreational, and sports to a work landscape. Each is designed for both permanent and temporary functions through flexible use of the space. Features like entrances and exits both promote everyday use and allow for expanding spaces to accommodate larger events.

Boardwalk Empire is a powerful attractor, demanding a recognition utterly in contrast to its hidden location. Festooned with directional signs to venues of interest. Whether entered from above or from either end, Boardwalk Empire is a collage of public landscapes that creates the new urban culture of an Empire City on the Lake.