Tschumi's Layers

I have been looking at Le Parc De La Villette as a precedent study for my scheme.  The way I have distilled the landscape layers has some similarities with Barnard Tschumi's concept of superimposition of points, lines and surfaces:

The brief called for the imagining and design of an urban park for the 21^st Century:

For Tschumi, Parc de la Villette was not meant to be a picturesque park reminiscent of centuries past; it was more of an open expanse that was meant to be explored and discovered by those that visited the site.  A space for activity and interaction that would evoke a sense of freedom within a superimposed organization that would give the visitors points of reference.

Parc de la Villette is designed with three principles of organization which Tschumi classifies as points, lines, and surfaces.  The 135 acre site is organized spatially through a grid of 35 points, or what Tschumi calls follies (as above).  The series of follies give a dimensional and organizational quality to the park serving as points of reference.  The repetitive nature of each folly, even though each one is unique and different, allowing for the visitors to retain a sense of place through the large park.

Tschumi’s lines are essentially the main demarcated movement paths across the park.  Unlike the follies, the paths do not follow any organizational structure; rather they intersect and lead to various points of interest within the park and the surrounding urban area.
Of the 135 acres, 85 acres are dedicated to the green space, which are categorized as surfaces. 

 The 'sequences' within the park that define its prgrammes are like still from a movie - nice drawings too... pre-CAD!

Parc de la Villette focuses on the contrast between defined and undefined circulation. The defined circulation is essentially arbitrary, whilst the paths to the follies are undefined, but are also direct and have purpose. The follies themselves however, are ambiguous in function. In this park, the designed space acts a frame, in which spontaneous events can occur – thus reinventing the architecture every time it is reinterpreted. It is a hybrid of form and experience. I find this concept very interesting and relevant in term of 'organising' the space on my site.

The follies remined me of my art in context work... Richard Serra often describes his sculptural works as 'organising space':  " a structural element that creates a volume of space within the architectural space that is different in kind..." En masse the follies, allow the space to be redefined and reinterpreted.

The orgaisation of space is going  to be fundamental in the development of my masterplan. Dealing with scale , mass and gravity, like Serra - but across my site, like Tschumi.