Interstitial space in cities are often forgotten, lost between the stratifi- cation of historic urban fabric. These gaps are currently underutilized, often used as transient circulation routes for people passing through. Architectural intervention within this fragmented historic fabric is vital to creating destination within these underused routes and reconnecting these paths with their surroundings.
The Chace Center Stair is currently surrounded by vibrant student life, but remains widely underutilized. The experiential qualities within the current procession are nonexistent, providing an undifferentiated and monotonous experience to users. The reuse of this stairway seeks to inject life back into its surroundings and form new relationships between path and event.
By reinventing the social heart of RISD the circulation through this part of campus is transformed from a vector to a space: the stairs become woven into a network of new events. These interwoven spaces will be discovered and revealed and one’s perception of them will be heightened through the constant flux of activity.