May 9, 2018

“Designers must look beyond technology in their visions of the future.” 

BAM believes it is the job of designers today to probe visions of future urban landscapes for social purposes. How can we reclaim our urban spaces as a true fabric of the city? How can we recreate an urban realm that is not only about pop-up retail, rental bikes, and other quasi-commercial interests? How can we resuscitate the local culture that exists in the streets and allow it to grow into a larger, more flourishing culture of the new urban spaces?

To answer these questions delves deep into the current conditions of our streets and the people who occupy them. By interviewing, recording, measuring, counting cars, counting pedestrians, drawing, and modelling for over 5 years, BAM analyzed and reimagined the Guomao Intersection - a hyper-busy, continuously expanding traffic node at the center of Beijing’s Central Business District.