CITYWALTZ

location: Meidlinger Hauptstrasse, Vienna (Austria) organiser: Stadt Wien
year: 2009
surface: 38.000 m2
program: urban planning

City Waltz looks at movement and motion to revitalize the Meidling pedestrian mall in Vienna, Austria. Like steps of the traditional waltz, nodes are keyed along the kilometer long commercial district as points of congregation, spatially, graphically and physically. The fluidity of each node directs pedestrian traffic through and around the mall, following the sequence of gestural vectors to each node. Points of congregation are highlighted by hovering disks of light tethered to the surrounding buildings.
The waltz metaphor reveals the street as theater, activating the people into a dance around the public space. At night, the disks of light generate a spotted perspective glowing above the sweeping benches. Motion in a constant state of dynamic and static flux presents itself in both the architecture and the users.

In order to break up the linear directionality of the pedestrian mall, nodes are utilized to generate cyclical circulation. The multitude of points and the trajectory of vectors are referential to dance steps, like that of the traditional Viennese Waltz.

After scrutinizing the existing site plan for the natural points of congregation, nodes were mapped onto the plan and connected with sweeping vectors. The vectors over entire site created a fluidity mimicking the grace of the waltz.

Three architectural elements are utilized to create the feeling of movement allowing for a simple and clear experience:

GROUND: The ground is displayed with pavers fashioned as sweeping vectors that travel from node to node. The white vectors are contrasted with the black pavement.

BENCHES: The benches are used as points of congregation and moments of pause. They are elongated and tapered to following the vector lines. Graphic representations of the dancing feet are printed on the benches.

LIGHTS: Hovering above the street are disks of lights tethered back to buildings with cables. The lights in perspective guide the user down the street, serving aerially as a lead to the next step in the sequence.