Bright Eyes In the City

The expansion of cities is a global phenomenon that is happening at a high speed. Cities are growing in different layers and now we see that urban life is going on through these layers which are formed both on the ground and underground. But the lack of proper connection between these two layers is one of the most pervasive challenges which has a negative effect on the quality of life in cities.

For example, Metro stations and underpasses are spaces that form an important part of daily life. However, these spaces have lost their connection with the upper layers because of being underground. Their connection to the upper space is summarized in stairs and elevators which transfer people. It seems that the need to make a better connection between different layers is crucial to have a desirable space underground and on the ground.

In this project, our main question is “How can we connect these layers?”.

To answer the challenge, we decided to make a visual connection between the ground and underground level by using the “Periscope Concept”. A vertical shaft with two mirrors located at 45° from the horizontal would help us transfer images and create a two-way visual connection between two height levels.

Bringing trees, blue sky, passers-by and cars moving and light to an underground space like a metro station, to a frame, makes a desirable space for passengers underground and helps them not to lose their connection to the ground level. It can also bring a frame of underground life like passengers and subway trains motion to the ground level. It can turn sidewalks of cities into more dynamic places.

Another application of the mentioned periscopes is in neighborhoods with a high density of buildings and narrow passages. Due to a high-density arrangement of the buildings, urban zones have little visual connection to the sky. Using periscopes in these places can bring a wide view of the city skyline into the passages exterior walls. For example, historical Bazaars and their surrounding neighborhoods are a good context for using this concept, because of their high-density urban texture.In addition to creating a pleasant atmosphere, using these periscopes in cities can play an important role in securing the passages by moving images from one level to another. For instance, applying periscopes in enclosed and dark public spaces such as underpasses which are located on a lower level of the surface can create a sense of security in pedestrians.

Periscopes are the eyes of citizens. let them observe different layers of their city. layers which could be underground, on the ground, and above the ground. These eyes connect variant spaces and expand the connections to make cities a better place to live.