The concept of what defines public space
and its environs has become a matter of nostalgia. One is conflicted within
as to what determines the physical and social constructs once in the public
realm. This is inherently connected to the fleeting intoxication of what
Walter Benjamin terms as the phantasmagoria of new and old impressions.
Simiel's argument that the bombardment
of the senses in public space creates a hyper reality is only enhanced by
the information age and its subsequent imagery. It is this noise, that of
advertisements and surplus information, that has created an urban environment
which hard to interpret. In this sense the intermodal station located in
Dearborn should not be an objectified form building. The station will serve
as a beacon in its own right. Within this simplicity of form the building
will define an instrument and infrastructure for understanding the space.
This is achieved by two structures, that of the roof and interior levels.
It is the interstitial spaces that become vital. With multiple levels of
circulation an ambiance is created in which varying moments of respite and
active engagement can occur. These two opposites can interact and diffuse
the hyper reality of public space.
