During a semester-long workshop for the city of Zaragoza, Spain an interdisciplinary group of technologists, architects and planners worked on a plan for a reclaimed industrial site in the heart of the city.
Lighting Studies and Initial Urban Pixels Concept
How can we identify and differentiate the zone of the Milla Digital in the city? The urban display unit is an autonomous lighting device which can be applied to existing buildings, infrastructure and temporary structures. Placed in a line along a series of façades it traces the mile-long zone through the city which becomes visible at street level, from the transportation corridor and from the sky. This “light” footprint intervention can work synchronously or asynchronously to emphasize different moods or zones of the Mile even while the urban corridor is under construction. Each unit includes an on-board battery and solar charging unit and communicates wirelessly so that no additional wiring is required. A clamp-on mounting system minimizes the units’ impact on existing structures. Please refer to the diagram of the unit.
Educational and Cultural Center
The educational and cultural center is a blend of museum and fabrication lab that is intended to serve both neighborhood residents as well as visitors to the historic sites along the Digital Mile, especially those close to the center. This concept is both a physical place as well as a distributed network of urban furniture, information and wayfinding systems as well as a digital repository of resources.
The main hub of the center could be sited at El Portillo, a new civic place with parks, museum, sports, and community amenities that harnesses the natural landscape and digital media to celebrate and reveal the history and the future of Zaragoza. Located among vibrant neighborhoods and next to the Al Jaferia, it is a gateway to the Digital Mile from the center of Zaragoza. As a place for gatherings, exhibits and neighborhood parks, El Portillo is a city-wide resource for celebrations, learning and playing.