Reactivate the heart of the city

THE’PUBLIC SPACE’OF REDEVELOPED CITY CENTRE SHOPPING MALLS.

We are facing a gradual shrinking and degradation of public space. Market liberalism and the shrinking role of government around the world have exacerbated the problem. The private sector or individual developers are playing an increasingly important role in urban development, becoming the behind-the-scenes owners of many so-called “public Spaces”. However, the public nature of these Spaces is diminishing, failing to meet citizens’ expectations for open and inclusive Spaces.

The concept of place is rooted in the physical world of buildings, streets, Spaces and landscapes, as well as the infrastructure that supports and connects these elements. These places are not only the background of our lives, but also the stage where we experience, grow and interact. We live, study, work, meet different friends, and spend countless quality times in different places, which together shape who we are.

The Buchanan Gallery itself is relatively closed in its interaction with its surroundings. The connection to the street and public space is not strong enough, resulting in direct access to adjacent transportation facilities. Both inside the Buchanan Gallery and along Buchanan Street, retail features dominate and cultural features and public open Spaces are lacking. The commerciality of its public space is more prominent, resulting in its function and spatial form can not meet the increasingly diversified needs of the city and citizens’ expectations of public space.

As can be seen from the above picture, the new “public space” made up of streets and buildings is more dynamic than the existing commercial center of the city. The replanned public Spaces and streets more effectively connect the adjacent public transport facilities with the surrounding urban Spaces. The commercial area and the Royal Theatre are arranged around the square, which facilitates people’s path selection and improves walkability and friendliness. In addition, the mixed-use 20-storey building improves land utilization, helping to reduce the fragmentation of Glasgow’s urban functions. This design allows the space to better meet the needs of different users and breathes new life into the ‘heart’ of Glasgow.

On the basis of research and literature review, combined with targeted analysis and case studies, the innovative design and analysis of the Buchanan Gallery Business Center is carried out. This approach is based on the understanding of the design concept of “public space” and the application of relevant urban design strategies. The main approach is to enhance the accessibility and walkability of the entire space by adjusting the existing buildings and streets. The design approach can be guided by examining the interaction between adjacent urban streets and the space itself. Through the design interpretation of this area, the surrounding urban area can be introduced into the design site in the form of streets through new roads, and the addition of sidewalks can better bring people a good walking experience.