On June 5, the KPF President and Design Principal gave a talk about the value of central social spaces at the University’s College of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Hangzhou, China.
Jamie’s lecture explored how the prioritization of “centrality”—the creation of purposeful, shared spaces—can address evolving challenges in urban design. Organized around a series of case studies of KPF-designed projects, the lecture will showcase how architecture can be an instrument to reestablish social connection in the face of the isolating forces of specialization, remote work, and the growing digital sphere.
For example, the diverse student body of HKUST(GZ) is encouraged to mingle and socialize across academic disciplines as they move through the concentric pathways and parks of the KPF-designed campus. On the busy streets of Midtown Manhattan, One Vanderbilt’s public plaza allows the commuters of Grand Central Terminal to mix symbiotically with the tourists and office workers that might otherwise crowd their route. Alternatively, the monumental, shared spaces of Zayed International Airport Terminal A instill a powerful sense of place in the many travelers that use them through the incorporation of cultural motifs and forms. Overall, KPF’s portfolio of work emphasizes centrality not just as a physical condition, but as a strategic design principle to foster community, accessibility, and meaning in the built environment.
The event took place on June 5 online and at Zhejiang University’s Zi Jin Gang campus in Hangzhou. It was open to the public as well as all architecture and civil engineering students and professionals. Learn more here.
