Here in the City: Architecture of Lost Spaces
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Abstract
Can lost space be revitalized to promote the culture of the city? In every city lost space resides. These are slivers and awkward portions of space where no traditional use works. Often found in between buildings, and under overpasses these spaces occur as a result of passive actions. These urban spaces are essential to every street you walk past as they have an enormous power to set the tone of the urban conversation. This thesis looks to revitalize lost spaces and bring light into the urban void. This thesis looks to open up the dialect by targeting a forgotten space in the Lowertown neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Currently, the lost space serves as a concrete slab that used to carry many trains to the Union Depot station. Today the site only has one functioning train track, leaving a vast open space in the city next to the Mississippi River. Due to the loss in function the site has become desolate while the sidewalks around it are full of pedestrians. An urban renewal could open up the culture of the local neighborhood and provide identity.