The Urban Intervention competition calling designers worldwide for ideas on how to best utilize the 9-acre space near the Seattle Center is well under way. Three finalists were recently chosen: "In-Closure" (France), "Park" (US), and "Seattle Jelly Bean" (US). Convoluted talk of "dematerialized urbanism," "inversion of passage pattern," and, well, jelly beans somewhat muddled our understanding of some of the design concepts, but "Park" was one that needed no interpreter and we could get behind. Simple, sustainable, and celebratory of the outdoors -- very Seattle. Although, if someone can help us wade through the discussion about "voids" and control of micro level climate, and explain the futuristic, almost UFO-design of the Seattle Jelly Bean, we could get on board.
Filed under: