ENTER\\SHIFT
Juror summary: a landscape design for a verdant infill public plaza and park that can replace parking lots (relocated underground) around heavily used train stations.
The project Enter\\Shift is focused on revitalization of railway station areas as representative points of entry into the downtowns. The intervention entails principles that also can be implemented in other, selected downtowns on Long Island, whereas the design itself is intended to be site specific, reflecting the identity of downtown Babylon.
Principles of Intervention:
The present state of the selected sites includes dominant traffic infrastructure (vast parking lots) and the railroad as a barrier. There is no public space and sparse green can be found. The problems that rise from here are: non-attractiveness of the space, decreased feeling of safety, and environmental problems, such as non-permeable soil and disturbed microclimate. Intervention in these areas encompasses reorganization of parking lots (moving underground), which leaves the ground free for people and for public spaces. This space is used for establishing green structures that improve the environmental condition, and provide people with necessary contact with nature and room for socialization. The areas of intervention are mainly large centers with a high number of commuters.
Babylon Railway Station Plaza:
There are vast opportunities for revitalization of the rail station area in Babylon. It is well located in relation to main streets in the downtown (Deer Park Ave and West Main St), which proves its importance for accessibility to these streets. Another advantage is proximity of the Argyle Lake and Park, which makes place for a connection and integration into the existing green infrastructure.
The concept of this intervention is to bridge the gap between transportation (dominant railroad, cars, vast parking lots) by creating a space with human scale that brings life to the area surrounding the railway station, mark its importance as a point of entry and create a connection to the surroundings.
The new space is formed as an entry point that should tell a story about the suburb. Its wavy green structures and a water element symbolize the character of Babylon with its Argyle lake, park and the coast, and the visitor gets a notion of proximity of these natural elements as a first impression upon leaving the train.
Key themes: landscape improvements, infill development, strengthening the public/civic realm
Collaborators: Gordana Marjanovic