enter\\shift The project enter\\shift is focusing on revitalisation of railway station areas as representative points of entry into the downtowns.

n areas as representative points of entry into the downtowns. The 1

intervention entails principles (below) that can as well be implemented in other, selected downtowns on LI (map), whereas the design itself is
the downtown grey for green intended to be site specific, reflecting the identity of each downtown. The project is situated in downtown of Babylon.

Babylon downtown 1:6000

Long Island

Babylon Railway Station- project area

Other Railway Stations where the
revitalisation principles can be applied

Principles of Intervention
PRESENT STATE- a. Dominant traffic infrastructure- vast parking lots & railroad as barrier
b. No public space
RESIDENTIAL AREA
c. No greening

PROBLEMS- a. Existing space is not attractive for people RAILWAY STATION
b. Disbalanced microclimate PROJECT AREA
c. Impermeable soil
present - grey

TREET
ARGYLE PARK

RCIAL S
COMME
T
STREE
BABYLON ARTS ERCIAL
COUNCIL COMM

MAYOR’S OFFICE
new - green

public space public space

Legend

Connections to existing built area and points of interest in it

underground parking

Connection to existing green area

INTERVENTION- a. Reorganise parking lots and free the ground floor level for people
b. Create public space
c. Create permeable green areas
Babylon Railway Station Plaza 2

CONCEPT- To bridge the gap between transportation

A
RESIDENTIAL AREAS
B
RESIDENTIAL AREAS
(dominant railroad, cars, vast parking lots) by creating a
space with human scale that brings life to the area
surrounding the railway station, mark its importance as
railroad as barrier
a point of entry and create a connection to the
reconnection of space
surroundings- Argyle lake and park, Mayor’s Office, one
of the commercial streets (Deer Park Ave), as well as to
Babylon Arts Council in West Main Street through the
new alternative path inside the urban blocks. The plaza
is also connected to residential areas in the north.
The new space created in Babylon downtown thus in-
tegrates the existing elements, supports the local
PARK PARK character and initiatives and adds new functions to
COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL support the commuters’ everyday life.
STREET STREET

MAYOR’S OFFICE BABYLON ARTS COUNCIL

Green surfaces in wider view-
Present state - PROBLEM VISION before and after
No permeable ground Remove the parking and turn into permeable soil
No greening/low biodiversity index Create an open public space
No outdoor public space Considering accessibility to the site establish new car and
Parking dominates pedestrian connections
Low human comfort Enhance visual quality by opening viewpoints
Low visual quality
PROPOSAL
Present state - OPPORTUNITIES Parking is moved under the ground in order to create public
Close to downtown/ commercial street space
Opportunity of a connection to the lake Due to the affluence of people, the nearby commerce, schools,
Social concentration point due to the transportation services and the connection to transportation system there is
School could benefit from a public space a need for a plaza, also supported by the fact that this is a
Entry point to the city (image of the city) key entry point to downtown of Babylon
Buildings with flat roofs opportunity for a green roof Thus the plaza enhances aesthetic qualities and integrates a
wider scale of a green corridor that connects to the lake

C Form
The wavy shapes that define Long Island’s coastline in
Babylon area are the inspiration for the site design CIVIC CENTRE

SERVICES

The lines have a role in structuring the site, at the same time adjusting themselves to the main spots
identified during the analysis and to the new areas created
New buildings are fitted the pattern and placed on the edges, close to existing built space, acting as a
transition area between the old built structures of the downtown and the new open room
Their functions support the commuters’ everyday life, as well as the local community activities
Aerial View of Plaza
and a water element symbolise the character of Babylon with its Argyle lake, park and the coast, and the visitor
gets a notion of proximity of these natural elements as a first impression upon leaving the train.
Railroad Avenue is redirected in
order to maximise green space
of Argyle park and connect it
to the green space of Plaza;
path extends along the lake-
shore with piers for birdwatch-
ing and relaxation
The new space is formed as an entry point that should tell a story about the suburb. Its wavy green structures r
3
E\\S
p
d
m a
Plaza is the cohesive element in the
urban pattern, connecting points of in-
terest in the downtown: p- Argyle Park,
m- Mayor’s office, a- Arts Council of
Babylon, d- downtown commercial
street, r- residential areas.
Two storey multifamily housing in
park setting linked to water, with
underground parking

Civic centre housing administration

services, car sharing office, public un-
derground parking, public orchard with
apple and pear trees, and a roof-
Rooftop of High School is used top agriculture garden of educational
as outdoor space for students, character
for sports and urban agriculture
with educational purposes

New walking route through the Square in front of ticket office with
urban blocks connecting the Pla- information tower
za with Babylon Arts Council
along public green areas, start- New rooftop for railway station with
ing with Youth Centre solar panels for electricity production

Common underground parking

for the urban block with usable
rooftop Existing wooden building refurbished
into a small museum of Babylon’s
New infill building for creation wooden architecture
of a more densely built main Light wooden construction housing
street, enhancing the character units for rental on top of existing
of downtown buildings, with own rooftop garden

The plaza is situated south and north of the railroad, integrating the ground level space under the
railroad. The major part of the new space is green, as an extension of Argyle Park which continues all
the way to the ticket office. There is a square in front of the office, and new buildings were added be-
tween the square and the existing buildings. The functions that the new buildings have are services for
the commuters- a gym, a small supermarket and a grocery store, together with a restaurant and café.
The new housing is low rise, while in the main downtown street
(Deer Park Ave) there are proposed new housing units on top
of the existing buildings, in order to shorten the distance be-
tween home and work, home and transportation, as well as
to enhance the sense of the old town by building more densely.
Plan 1:800 4
Parking
offices

car access skate park

c b
ess
acc
Parking bus
bike repair shop
Civic Centre bicycle parking

public rooftop bus stop

gardens
museum

gravel
rs
ticket office g pilla
alon
ivy a
orchard

gym

restaurant

café esplanade
bicycle parking
parasite housing
lime stone store
granite grocery
café

esplanade
shrubs
cut
grass

gravel lime stone

parasite housing
s cut playground
acces meadow
car grass
ice skating/
basketball
bus access

perennials Youth Centre

parasite
parasite housing
tall grass
c housing
a

s rooftop gardens
acces
limited

Babylon High School b

book shop

0 40 80 100 rooftop outdoor

space
0 2000 4000 Parking

Section
a - a

character nature recreation park playground relaxation urban downtown

of space
Perspective view 5
Square

Sections 1:800
b - b

ticket office museum restaurant café Youth Centre

c - c

0 40

Civic Centre new plaza 0 2000

Perspective view
Basketball/ice-skating
court