Rachel Filler
Valley of Tides
This thesis focuses on questioning the urban event master-planning of the Queens, New York neighborhood of Flushing Meadows while addressing the environmental and social complexities of the site. My proposal examines how the infrastructure of Flushing Meadows can be re-contextualized within a post–World’s Fair era, an era responding appropriately to the natural features of its setting. The proposal centers on the promotion of environmental and social justice through the following objectives:
1. Restore the landscape to its "native" marshland and establish a canal system for storm water management and recreational activities.
2. Increase site connectivity and usability through a series of upgraded paths and a bike rental system.
3. Provide a cultural focal point with public amenities and an environmental and social research component.
The design proposal seeks to create an architecture providing space in which to research these factors while educating the public through an open gallery outlining past and future projections. The site’s complicated history inspired me to design a center that exposes and celebrates the cultural and physical complexities of its location.
