Expertly Crafted Essay On Functional Space In Tanner And Jamison Landscapes

The notion of ‘space’ in art and architecture was a highly debated topic especially since space is a rather abstract and cannot be seen by naked eye alone. However, every place has space for it interacts with every works of art whether it is sculpture, painting, or landscape. Space is a void that revolves around the objects; it cannot be seen yet it can greatly affect the resulting image of the work. Functional space in Tanner and Jamison landscapes mimics the minimalist style. Minimalist style emerged in the first half of the 20th century, its design characterized by limited ornamentation, a rejection of highly decorative and non-functional designs. Even in this post-modern era, traces of Minimalist influences can be seen on various landscape designs such as Tanner and Jamison Park.
Before the construction commenced, the initial landscape of the Tanner Springs Park was a wetland at the heart of the Pearl District located in Downtown Portland, Oregon. The location was landlocked situated quite far away from the Willamette River in the north-eastern section. The Tanner Wetlands is composed of combined aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. Tall grasses, shrubs, and a small swamp form the initial landscape. The government of Portland decided to commission a reformed landscape befitting the actual terrain of the Tanner Creek. Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl won the bidding and organized the persons in charge of the plan to renovate the place. Architect Gerhard Hauber and Engineer Stefan Bruckmann spearheaded the project to construct a stylish, relaxed, and modern park on the 1 acre landscape. The project was completed in 2010 and its stylish ambience made it a finalist in ULI Open Space Award in 2012 in addition to the Honorary Award the park earned in 2007.
What make this piece truly remarkable are the minimalist influence and the excellent manipulation of space, turning the unusable area into a functional space where people can relax and interact with nature amidst the crowded city settlement. The current structure of the park is surrounded by flat stone pavement sidewalks aligned straight forming the distinct rectangular design when viewed from above. Within its enclosure, the park has a curved art wall made of corrugated red steel erected on the left side, arranged in repetitive patterns of waves complete with crests and troughs. The waves are formed by the slanted position of the metal bars cut into different sizes and arranged alternately in order to create a straight line running on the center of the wavelengths, making the structure look more solid and thick on aerial perspective. An addition of stairs on the north and southern sides of the park allows the people to interact with nature. Patches of greeneries were planted and shaped in circular irregular patterns; branching from all sides were concrete walks to allow the entry of people outside. On the other hand, the small spring enclosed by the art wall remained albeit altered by constructing floating pontoons on top of the spring; these floating pontoons are made up of square stone pavements arranged according to the patterns of the waves of the art wall. The arrangement of the square blocks and its shape contributed to the geometric look of the steps. The concept of functional space on the landscape design of the Tanner Springs makes it a stylish and interactive design simply because all parts of the design are unified and functions as a whole: to create a small natural refuge where people can rest, play, and appreciate the beautiful landscape art and the vibrant cosmopolitan ambience of the lively city. Functional spaces on the Tanner Springs Landscape design create a harmonious play of artistry and natural environment that suits the lifestyles of the people in the area. As a whole, the landscape design of Tanner Springs has balanced symmetrical designs consisting of natural and geometrical elements, a place offering a splash of nature’s blessing on the past-paced urban lifestyle.
On the other hand, aside from the Tanner Springs in Oregon, another landscape also utilized the concept of functional space in order to create a natural watery refuge on the heart of the heart of the city. The Jamison Square in Portland, Oregon also shares the same style with the Tanner Springs. Within the 1 acre park, the Jamison Square combines the utilization of temporary design. Unlike the Tanner Springs with its stationary water source, the Jamison Square was a rather utilitarian landscape focused in creating recreational spaces. Water plays an important role in making the design work both as a natural man-made aquatic landscape as well as a place for social interaction. The fountain springs the water from the source, flowing from the rows of alternately arranged pontoons on top of one another. Just like the Tanner Springs, these pontoons are also erected on the top of the water; however, the main difference is their arrangement. While the Tanner pontoons are flat and neatly arranged, the pontoons of the Jamison Park are placed slanted on top of each other creating a geometric stone steps that allows people to descend from higher elevation up to the lower part of the park that serves as a basin storing the accumulated water on it to create a temporary spring that can be drained in summer months or whenever needed. The drainage can be manipulated which means it can be closed and opened to allow water and remove it from the surface. Aside from creating the temporary watery environment, the flat surface below the pontoons can be used as a stage for concerts and other society events.
The pontoons which also served as the medium for letting the water flood the lower ground also serves as a functional space wherein visitors can sit and admire the splashing mini waterfalls of the park. In addition, tall trees and a modest grass covered lawn covers the area of the Jamison Square. The empty spaces between the trees contain separate wooden benches, another aspect that allows the passers-by to sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery isolated from the rest. The grassy lawn scattered within the park’s vicinity also serves as a functional space for other people who preferred to lie down on the grass and enjoy a quiet and tranquil time for meditating and reading. The movements of design within the park are linear as emphasized by the pontoons arranged following a curved path allowing the flow of people entering the path to follow the same line as well. No sacred landscapes are present in the park; structures are located outside the park’s vicinity. The entire organization of the design balances the harmonious interplay between living and non-living designs such as trees, grasses and the geometric patterns of the stone pavements of the park. Due to the tranquil ambience, the passage of time is quite slow in this park thus, a very important place for those people seeking relaxation and peace of mind away from the troubles of the urban life. The plants also contribute to the tranquil ambience and the creation of functional spaces for the people since they serve as natural ornamentation that divides the park into separate alleys which distributes the flow of traffic into separate directions thereby reducing the tendency to overcrowd. As a conclusion, the functional spaces in both Tanner and Jamison landscapes contributes to the maintenance and preservation of the un-utilized urban spaces by creating avenues and patch of natural refuge befitting the fast-paced lifestyles of the people living in the community.