This graduation research studies the potentials of London derelicts and the interstitial spaces as the new driver of urban transformation. The study aims to reconnect the lost socio-spatial relationship of those spaces to the surrounding context. Here, leisure is utilized as the diagnostic tool to understand the overlooked spatial quality of those spaces. Leisure also acts as the catalyst to invite the public and generate diverse activities in the interstitial spaces of various scales.
The investigation focused on the interstitial spaces juxtaposed with the transportation networks, specifically, the canals, that are derelict and disconnected from urban productive systems. It started by finding the predominant elements of derelict interstitial spaces and resulted in three elements: #Flow, #Relics, #Vagueness.
The study then continued to the site-specific context at the chosen site location: Kensal Canalside, to understand the urban affordances and the intrinsic quality of the spaces where leisure took place.
In the design project, interstitial spaces are explored as an operational tool for design intervention. Furthermore, the interstitial spaces can be the ground of hybrid encounters focusing on the usage adaptability of the space. Usage adaptability refers to the user interpretation of the space that allows various scenarios to happen.
The main idea of the design is to provide spaces that promote spontaneous interactions between people and communities. Furthermore, as a design approach, reflective nostalgia can strengthen the relics and their long-established relationships within the larger social context. Therefore, by integrating all those aspects, the site will blend itself with the buildings as an open stage, where pedestrians and visitors can become the participants, not just passer-byers. As a result, the building plinth becomes part of the landscape where interstitial spaces guide users’ perceptions.