Youcong Li

My thesis project is the design of a campus in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City that reimagines public and private spaces. Chelsea has always been an artistic area, dating back to the mid-19th century when the Chelsea Hotel hosted artists, intellectuals, and writers, marking its cultural significance in the city. Tourism and the desirablilty of the neighborhood drove up commercial values, bringing in investments in high-tier businesses, retail, luxury residences, and commercial skyscrapers, all of which increased property values and rent prices. The inevitable gentrification process has brought tremendous anxiety and stress to local residents who are economically disadvantaged. Many have reported a loss of sense of belonging to the neighborhood that they have lived in for decades. Based on the spatial exploration, my campus design includes structures and facilities that vary in height, location, density, and privacy based on their individual public and private uses.