Recycled Sidewalks: Is Green Design Always Good Design?
A recent New York initiative has me perplexed: at Queensboro Plaza, where three subway lines intersect with the Queensborro Bridge, the city has installed traffic medians made from concrete "shards" of old sidewalk. While the project, by landscape architect Tobiah Horton, is intriguing in concept, and certainly smart in its reuse of old construction material, I wonder where the line between "green design" and "good design" lies, and if in fact in some cases, aesthetics are lost to a green agenda.
Perhaps you disagree with me, and find the medians stunning, but to me they seem a bit post-apocalyptic, and instead of municipal beautification, have an alienating and brutal quality that viscerally counteracts any green value they may have in my mind. Some may argue they even bring a "graveyard chic" to the urban landscape. Regardless, the project is an interesting case study in sustainability, where green design is maybe not always good design, and good design is certainly subjective. Or, is the fact that it is green design automatically characterize it as smart, good design? Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
area resident commented:
They serve the purpose they were intended for. They STOP pedestrians from crossing the "Boulevard of Death". No one would even dare to try to hop over them. Vehicles that would hit them would break row after row until they stop, much the same as an inpact barrier, so they are not dangerous. The speed limit there is 30mph-hardly the "out the windshield" senerio someone presented. If you don't like the color, that's a few gallons of paint. Nice job, I think!!
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Linda Brennan commented:
SAFTEY FIRST PEOPLE - add some rubber baby buggie bumpers (recycled of course) and your in.
interiordesignr commented:
What about using those shards instead to use a exterior facing material for building? I would think scupltures of some sort made out of recycled rebar or something similar would be better looking than these.
Ellen Bogosian commented:
This isn't Green at all. In fact I find it offensive. Not to mention if a vehicle were to crash into it. It's completely unsafe and unpleasant to look at.
ion commented:
I would its good indeed if it wasn't used too profusely...using old materials is a good idea...but i think this particular material could have been better if integrated with plants or something else and not just itself
Kathleen commented:
Well there has been plenty of not-green bad design, at least this is recycled. I do kind of like it though. Maybe if a % of the pieces were painted, say in a reflective safety color, it would seem more fitting and improve the appearance/function?
Carolyn commented:
It seems like a good way to reuse the material but at the same time it looks like something that wasn't cleaned up at a construction site.
Angie commented:
can't the get those chunks into grinding machines and remodel them?
Susan Brooks commented:
interesting look... first things that spring to mind... dangerous, strange, cold.... but different... how about adding some cactuses...??? :)
iru commented:
if you flew out a window, would it really matter where you landed?
daftchookie commented:
are you serious? GREEN MY ASS! Why don't you just convert them into tombstones cos that's where they'll end up if your driving on the road.
No joke this could be so dangerous. what if someone had a car crash, passenger flew out the window and landed on one of these things??? seriously man... THINK!
Lisa commented:
I can't decide if I like these or not. If the intention was to deter j walking, mission accomplished. I like the idea of using old sidewalk--it's always good to reuse what we can--but maybe the design could have been tweaked more. It just looks harsh to me. I agree with a lot of the comments above. Maybe not in the middle of the city where it kind of seems out of place and safety could be an issue. I live in TN and make the drive to my parents' house in MI a few times a year--I could see this on a stretch of I-75 through the mountains and it would be a cooler installation but in NY, I'm not sure it fits.
Bernadette Flaim commented:
There may be a "method to their madness" on this one . . . keeps it becoming a dumping ground for those that don't know what it means to be "green!"
goodplan commented:
Green is always better! Designing takes skill and this looks just plain sloppy!
Alex Valich commented:
I like them for the fact that they are memory pieces of past sidewalk experiences. And yes I do find them attractive in an aesthetic sense as well. They form a very interesting texture.
Brian S commented:
Concrete is not green! It's a cool idea but bad location. Not sure who in there right mind approved of this? Bridge, traffic, cars & accidents, doesn't seem this is appropriate application.
NaturalHigh commented:
My first impression was that it looks terrible, but if they painted the pieces with 2 or three different neutral tones it might not look so bad...
RangeRider commented:
Hope nobody falls on them. Ouch.
wb3 commented:
I direct you all to www.bythewall.com -- they have been using recycled concrete in Portland, Oregon for decades in a more "civil" fashion --these walls take on the appearance of flag stone.
Used as planters in the same setting -- they could take off some of the jagged edge of nyc living. It just takes a little more time and skill -- look out Park Avenue.
birdy commented:
I like the idea of it deterring J-walking, but I'm just imagining all the garbage that may get stuck amongst all these shards...newspapers, take out cups from motorists, etc. As for plantlife, I can imagine some blades of grass and small flowers peeking out between the shards. That would make the "installation" more interesting, I think.
dogtrainer commented:
Honestly, I'd like to see some actual green in there. I think what we're really lacking is contrast. These medians really make the city look cold, dark, and dangerous. I love the idea, and I think it could be done well, but this has not been. What's wrong with a little plant life to soften things up?
rwg commented:
I agree with txtwhit and ntb 80. True green design should come in all forms, not just trees & flowers etc. They are using the materials they had on hand instead of throwing them in a landfill, detering pedestrians from crossing where they shouldn't, forcing drivers to keep there eyes on the road and probably saving NY taxpayers a lot of money. No doubt many inner cities could benefit from having more green design that incorporates green things, like flowers & trees. AIt's also time to think outside the box when it comes to green design considering how much of our landfill space is taken up by construction materials.
Love, Daniella commented:
While I commend the architects on using recycled materials, and their attempt to waste-not... this is just awful! As @rc260 said: ugly is ugly. These pieces are menacing, austere, and look just plain dangerous! If we are to succeed in the proliferation of green design, it has to be *well* designed.
ntb80 commented:
I like it. It is a creative use of materials and, like txtwhit commented, seems to also serve a valuable purpose for preventing people from crossing (certainly much better than Jersey barriers). The industrial/post apocaliptic aesthetic seems totally appropriate for the location. Perhaps the problem is people expect green and good design (for landscape) to be trees and flowers.
Antipodean commented:
I wonder if Australia will adopt this initiative as a part of their flooding clean up?
wb3 commented:
Too brutal in this city setting -- especially in multiple rows. In my home town of Portland Oregon a single row cast against a natural green background could be quite stunning . . .
Back to New York -- it talks of a jagged life of inequities -- bet you will never see this on Park Avenue.
Common.sense.1st commented:
Hmmmmm. Berlin, just about the time the US and Russians moved in after WWII.
Tanya commented:
Form follows function. Although not beautiful, I think it serves a purpose. Not all design, green or not, has been pleasing on the eye, but because this is recyclable material I commend the designers for the original use.
DunisStone commented:
The result reminds me of a stoneyard at a quarry and the cars look very out of place. But Wow, this seems to be an effective way of curbing J-walkers. It is reminiscent of broken glass used on the top of masonry walls.
Did the designer like Mad Max movies?
In all seriousness, it is a commendable and interesting concept for re-use of material land fill bound, but to me would be suited better in a more natural enviornment where the jagged forms would feel less obtrusive and out of place. I picture this treatment as a possible replacement for flagstone.
txtwhit commented:
Though not attractive, maybe they are an interesting solution to preventing pedestrians from crossing over multiple lanes of traffic as they often do despite safety issues and laws that suggest otherwise? A "green design" solution might have been less likely to address all of the issues that could have been considered for this project, though more attractive. I agree that widespread use of this could have been a mistake...but maybe a small installation here and there solves a problem and promotes discussion and debate? I certainly can't see anyone jogging across lanes surrounded by medians with pointed concrete...
rc260 commented:
ugly is ugly.
I always said I could be a great designer with someone else's money, But this is just a waste of money.
Kevin Kenney commented:
This looks ridic. Green dhoes not always = good if you ask me.
