The Interactive Transformable Plaza
Michael Jantzen
© 2013
www.michaeljantzen.com
http://archinect.com/michael-jantzen/projects
The Interactive Transformable Plaza is a conceptual design proposal for a public gathering place that can be manipulated by the visitors who encounter it. If one were to first see the plaza in its neutral stage, it would appear to simply be a large flat grey colored wooden platform, with nine yellow stanchions (topped with boat winches) mounted at both ends. If someone decided to crank any of the boat winches, a section of the platform in line with that boat winch would begin to fold up out of the platform.
Each of the boat winches (which are mounted at either end of the platform) can be used to lift one of the eighteen sections of the platform up and out of the flat plane into an A shaped section, which can be varied in width and height. These A shaped sections can be folded over and over again into many different combinations forming a wide variety of built environments, in and around which visitors can interact.
Each of the A sections are hinged at the top, and are pulled up out of the flat plaza by the boat winches that are connected to steel cables. The other end of the cables are attached to one end of each of the A shaped sections. The cables are pulled along a center track, which guides the A shaped sections back and forth into various heights and widths. For safety, sensors built into the plaza automatically stop any movement of the A shaped sections, if anyone steps onto the plaza platform.
This simple method of converting the flat plaza into a wide variety of built environments, begins to explore ways in which a truly new kind of interactive architecture can be created.
Status: Unbuilt
