The Park: Ludicism in the Post-Autocentric Metropolis

Abstract

We are on the cusp of one of the fastest, deepest and most consequential disruptions of transport modes in history. With the advent of autonomous vehicle technology and ride sharing services, the modern phenomenon of private automobile ownership and dependence is set to decline, suggesting we are heading toward a post-autocentric age. This speculative architectural thesis seeks to interrogate the pervasive autocentric development patterns of metropolitan areas throughout the 20th and early 21st century, and the compartmentalisation of modern life that followed. How can we reclaim the relics of our 20th century autocentric development to create ludic, humanist spaces within the post-autocentric city? With the pervasive rhythm of autocentric development being the standard for metropolitan development throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, this post-autocentric age allows our cities to regain focus on the human scale and opens up vast tracts of misaligned car-space for reprogramming. The project vehicle: The Park is a speculative, phenomenological reaction against modernist, quantitative design and operates at the scale between architecture and urbanism. The 20th century urban design theory set forth in the thesis is tested through the reprogramming of a 20-storey car park in Auckland’s CBD into a three-dimensional manifestation of the ideal pedestrianised ludic city. The project seeks to address the mistakes made during 20th century autocentric urban planning by densifying the functions of a 21st century metropolis into a hedonistic social condenser. The project vehicle is explored through the narrative of a day in the life of three diverse fictional characters. Through these collective experiences, the inadequacies of autocentric development are made clear. The design is the sum of experiences within.