urban collage
001
Creating a
Walkable History of
The Yerba Buena Island School
Inspired by the unique history of The Yerba Buena Island School that catered for children of naval personnel in the 1940s, the piece seeks to examine the idea of exploration and play through the design of an interactive pathway. Shining a light on the core aesthetic of participatory and discovery for young children, the pathway serves to bridge the socio-historical context of the school by creating a tactile and visual experience that expresses nostalgia
Tracing the dynamics of ‘collective memory’ to remember the past
By strategically placing persons of both old and young glancing into the direction of the naval station, the collages portray an intellectual view that generates feelings of remembrance tied to the historical context of the site.
Textures and pictorial representation from the archives of the school are also used to highlight a walk down the memory lane with a suggestion of reality. Ultimately, the two-part axonometric collage serves to kindle curiosity through a sculptural space in which time and movement are suspended, and thus unraveling elements “that are known to the mind and not to the eye."
How can the existing memorial act as a space of literal memory?
Inspired by Frank Oppenheimer’s core aesthetic of participatory
and discovery for young children,
the pathway serves to bridge the socio-historical context of the Yerba Buena Island School for Children of Naval Personnel through creating unique tactile and visual experiences that establish a sense of nostalgia and juxtaposition.
This project also seeks to examine the idea of exploration and play through the design of an interactive pathway. The collages thereby simultaneously illustrate the “parts and the whole suspended in the dynamic moment of assembly".
002
Reflect I Resiliency
Reimagining the
Japan Town Peace Plaza
Located in the heart of San Francisco, Japantown is an urban nexus that celebrates the Japanese and Japanese-American communities. Framed by historic landmarks and local businesses on Post, Buchanan, and Sutter Streets, this small but robust district is a culturally and commercially vibrant space
However, Japantown’s history of uprooting and displacement has resulted in a fragmented cultural identity, making it difficult to preserve the neighborhood’s economically and ethnically diverse character. This is especially notable in the design of the Peace Plaza and Buchanan Mall, which are underutilized public spaces that have the potential to enrich Japantown’s cultural charm.
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How can we design a space that encourages
the creation of public memory?
This project drew inspiration from Japanese beliefs and symbolism to design a public center that invites reflection and celebrates the present-day community. By recognizing the community’s tumultuous past, we aspire to transcend the urban setting through material manifestations of memory. Through elements of play, sequence, and connection, this modern Japanese-style garden honors the spirit's past and supports lives present and future that use the space.
How can the existing memorial act as
a space of literal memory?
This proposal seeks to enhance the existing condition of the plaza to encourage contemplation and celebration of the Japanese-American past, present, and future. We anticipate our design enhancement will increase the amount of visitation and recognition of the space, increasing respect and appreciation for the Japantown community’s influence on modern San Franciscan culture.
Pragmatic elements such as the preservation of open space, addition of interactive and age-inclusive features, and incorporation of tasteful vegetation respond to the community’s needs while our architectural modifications promote themes of reflection and resiliency.
003
New Orleans: Historical Memory and Urban Design
How can a city’s past become a meaningful platform for its future? For our Global Urban Humanities research studio course, we investigated answers to this question for New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods by creating “paper monuments,” posters， or similar mediums, proposing a public monument to a particular person, event, or movement from the city’s rich history – examining specific historic sites such as North Claiborne Avenue.
An illustration of the iconic scene of an unfazed and resilient Ruby Bridges being escorted out of the school by federal marshals in the center of the poster surrounded by her story and how she contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. See Norman Rockwell’s painting, The Problem We All Live With, as reference.
![[LA154] - Ruby Bridges (Cherry WU+Maddie](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/74d2ef_0cf2ee0c9ff34aa1ae8cde4145a4eabf~mv2_d_3310_5054_s_4_2.png/v1/fill/w_475,h_725,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/%5BLA154%5D%20-%20Ruby%20Bridges%20(Cherry%20WU%2BMaddie.png)