Martin Urban Attractor

What’s an icon? Is it a picture of the reality, or a symbol of the city ambition? For us icon is an actual reflection of situation in the town. But it shouldn't make obstacles to progress and making better life environment, or represent a symbol of past regression, or, worse, symbol of past progress. Because of that, an icon must change itself with the town, acording to its health. If the town is on the increase, structure that should attract people is not needed, because this function provides town. The more is the town loosing functions, inhabitans, health, the more is needed structure attracting attention and also create conditions for rebirth of lapsed functions.
The town Martin is divided into two parts by rush highway. The zone of the intervention is situated between those two areas. The main aim to put an icon here, is to create a structure able to link the town.The intervention proposes to the visitor who can’t stop in the town, a sort of break along the road and have a global idea of what Martin is. Structure is based on the triangle grid which with folding, joining or detaching can create endless possibilities of shapes, sizes and functions.

Contrary to an ˝usual˝ icon, the use of a folding structure improve the idea of symbol. Indeed, a feeling of astonishment which follows the process of mutation giving by the structure. The watcher keeps in its mind the remember of the icon but almost a special experience. Second variation of idea of on triangle grid growing structure interpreting town situation is similar, but not triangle system, but else, that can be folded to 25% of original size. Visibility of icon is important factor of attractivity. We are able to modify visibility of structure by size and this way influence atractivity of Martin trough simple size-changing cube, sphere, or other form, for example tower.

An icon don't have to be just solitary object, but more structures with diverse functions and parameters influencing size. One of unit is antinoise wall growing and shrinking according to noise. From homogenous surface it will deform to structured, from reflective to absorbtive, from high to low, for better presentation of city environnement. Next unit can by so-called minefield, belt of structure that catch visitor's foot if he steps on the structure. This system doesn’t attract, but if somebody is going around, he is traped.

Project has more possible ways to work:

Origami structure

Triangular structure: Whole surface

Triangular structure: Bar construction

Structure is modified by people – the more people, the more power, more people can create an amphiteatre, one man can create bench, for example

Site for the structure next to the road, on large field in the middle of the town

Antinoise wall: Structure can be fold to 25% o origin size, it change acustic and visual properties

In common with growing of interest in the city, the traffic and noise are growing. But city is even thought hidding its environnement against this noise. We are trying to avoid this fact with structure able to change, and so influence the attractivity of Martin, if it needs our structure, it grows and also reverse if it doesn't. It will grow and shrink according to noise . From homogenous surface it will deform to structured, from reflective to absorbtive, from high to low, for better presentation of city environnement.

Minefield

Belt of our structure on the floor can block a way for walker. If he steps into our structure, it catches his foot, also the second foot if he doesn’t mind. This system doesn’t attract, but if somebody is going around, he is traped