A Case Study: Market Street on-site study evaluation
Charleston, SC
Laura SokolLAR 4304: Urban Open SpaceDecember 14, 2011
Introduction ThefirstthingIwastoldrepeatedlywhenIbegantostudyMarketStreetwasthatitisatouristtrap.Squeezingthroughthecrowdsofgawkersandpassingbythenon-stopchatterofrestaurantemployeesenticingyoutocomeinforasliceofpie,Iwasconvincedthisstatementwastrue.Thelocationwasthenumberonefactorbeingsituatedonthesamestreetasthecruiseshipterminal.ThetouristsfromtheshipspracticallyspilledofftheboatrightontoMarketStreet.Thehistoricalelementsandcharmwereprobablyanothermajorfactorcontributingtotheattractionofprimarilytourists. Forsuchawell-preserved,insomeplacesrebuiltmarket,therelationshipontheinsideofthemarketdidnotconnecttotheoutdoorspace.Nothinginvitedonetospendsometimeoutdoorsunlessofcoursetherewasatablerightoutsidethefoodhall.Therelationshipofthestreetandparallelingsidewalkslackedinconnection.TheoverallstretchofMarketStreetseemedtobedivided. Theseobservationsdoallsoundverycriticalbuttherewereafewpositivecritiquesaswell.Theobjectofthisstudyistounderstandwhythingsdidn’tworkordid.Basedoffofsiteanduseranalysisandobservationsthisstudywillhighlightthequalitiesandcriteriathatareandshouldbepartofthisopenspace.
History
PhotoCredit:SouthCarolinaHistoricalSociety
Thehallofthemarketwasconstructedbetween1803-1830.Themarkethousedmeat,vegetableandfishvendorswhowouldrentthestallsfor$1.00-2.00aday.Markethall,picturedtotheright,wasconstructedin1841fortheuseofmeetings,socialfunctionsandadditionalmarketspacebelow.ItthenhousedtheDaughtersoftheConfederacyMuseumwhichisstillpresenttoday.Sincethe1970s,themarkethashouseduniquevendorssellinglocalcraftsandnovelties.Someoftheproductsforsaleincludelocallycraftedsweetgrassbaskets,clothing,artwork,jewelry,localsouvenirs,perfumes,food,andothergiftitems.
Context
StudySiteLimitsMarketStreetislocatedontheeasternedgeofthepeninsula.ItintersectsthemajorstreetsofKingandMeeting.Attheendpointofthestreetontotheriveristheterminalforcruiseshipswhichmakesthestreetaprominentattractionfortourists.
MarketStreetislocatedontheeasternedgeofthepeninsula.ItintersectsthemajorstreetsofKingandMeeting.Attheendpointofthestreetontotheriveristheterminalforcruiseshipswhichmakesthestreetaprominentattractionfortourists.
Themajorattractionformarketstreetisprimarilythemarketitself,hencethestreetname.Whennotintheareaofthemarket,thestreetseemstoloseit’ssenseofmagicsinceeverythingissotargettowardsthehistoricmarket.ThestreetheadingtowardsthedirectionofKingSt.wasneverheavilycongestedwithfoottrafficunlikethemarketarea.Unlessatastreetcornerofoneofthemajorstreets,KingandMeeting,foot-trafficwasalwaysmovingwithnoareastostopandlookaround.Thestreetpastthemarketinthedirectionoftheriverhadmorerestaurantsandshopsthatbroughtpeopleinoffofthestreetsbutthelackoftreesandpoorqualityofthewalkwaysdidn’tquiteconvincesomeonetowanttostopandtakearest.
Zoomed-inContext
Street Divisions
TopLeftPhoto:MarketStreettowardsKingStTopRightPhoto:MarketStreettowardstheriverBottomRight:MarketSt.inlocationofthemarket.
Sincethemarketcomprisesamajorityofthestreet.Idecidedtofocusspecificallyonthisareabystudyingtherelationshipfromtheinsideofthemarkettotheoutdoors.Thediagramabovedisplaysaninventoryofthesite.Itexaminesareasforseating,walkways,buildingtypes,streetsideparkingandlocationofoutdoorvendors.
Themarketissurroundedbyaone-waystreetwithtwo-wayintersectionsbetweeneachmarketbuilding.Whenmovingfromonebuildingtothenextonemustcrossthevehicularintersection.Traffichereisn’theavybutdriversandpedestriansarenotveryconsiderateofeachother,theyjustmoveastheyplease.Thereisonlyonsection(circledonthediagram)thatisstrictlypedestriantraffic.Peoplejustusethespacetocrossorstopandlookatmaps.Thecorneredgesofthisareahavevendorsthatmakethespaceatightsqueezeespeciallyintheareasthatarenotdesignatedforpedestrians.ThisistheonlysectionwhereIsawbenches.Thepeoplewhosatdownwereeitherelderlyorfriendsofthevendorssotheycouldsittheirandtalk. Theredboxesoutlinethethruwaysthroughthemarketandtheirlackofarelationshiptotheoutdoorwalkway.Theexitsfromthemarketpracticallydropyououtonthestreet.Thereisnoofferofseating,orentrywayintothebuilding.
Movement
Theoutsideofthemarketlacksinappearanceandconnection.Asseeninthetopleftphotoawidewalkwayisseparatedfromtheroadbybollards.Thisspacewasrarelyeverutilizedsincemostpeoplewouldwalkthroughthemarket.Therewasnothingtomakesomeonewanttousethespaceeventrashcanswereveryscarce.Thewindowsintothemarketwereanicevisualelementthatcouldenhanceafuturedesignofthisspace.Throughthewindowsaviewinsideofthebusymarketcanbeseen.Ontheoppositesideofthemarket,averynarrowcurbedgedthemarket.Thissideissolelyforparking.It’saveryawkwardspace.Whenoneexitsfromthemarkettotheoutdoorstheyaredirectedrightintothestreet.(asseeninthebottomphoto)
Access and Visual CohesionMovement
Site Uses
Besidesthefunctionofthemarket,thestreetisuseddifferentlyaccordingtothetimeofday.Whenthevendorsarepresentfrommorningtoearlyevening,crowdsusuallyformattheendsofthemarketbuildings.Peoplewillstopandrestonthewallsoroccupyoneofthethreebenches.Duringlunchhoursthefewtablesoutsideofthefoodhallareoccupied.Atnight,whenthemarketisclosed,thestreetlifeturnstotherestaurantsthatparallelthemarket.Youngadultswillsitonthestepsandhangout.
Site Uses
AftercritiquingMarketStreet,thepositiveaspectsseemedtoonlypertaintotheindoorenvironmentofthemarket.Theflowofmovementfromtheoneendtothenextworkedwellwiththearrangementofthevendorsbutitwassofocusedongettingpeoplefromentrancetoexitthatthedesigndidn’taccountforthesurroundingoutdoorenvironment.
Relating to the Urban Open System Marketstreetplaysaroleinit’shistoricappeal.Peopleareattractedtoitbecauseofthemarketshistoricappearance.Ifthestreetlooksinterestingthenthecitylooksinteresting.MuchofCharleston’sattractionappliestothehistoricdistrictandMarketStreetisanextensionofthis.ItcanbeaccessedfrommajorroadwayssuchasKingStreetandMeetingStreetwhicharepartofthehistoricdistrict. Theeconomicbenefitofthemarket is thatitdrawspeopletoalocationandpromoteseconomicstructurethroughcombinationoftradeandexchangethatdrivesthesocialcommunity.
FIT FORM FUNCTION of open space Overall,MarketStreetfitsintothecontextofthecitywithit’shistoricalsignificanceandidentitywhichtiesintothehistoricaldistrict.Theformofthespace,whenevaluatedthroughthequalitiesandcriteria,waslacking.Overall,thereseemedtobeahugedisconnectthroughoutthestreet,themarketandneighboringspaces.Thefunctionofthespacewasmoreofaneconomicalonewithbeingsuchamajorattractionfortouriststocomeandbuylocalproductsandnovelties.Thesocialaspectwaslacking,unlessyouweretheretointentionallybrowseandspendmoneytherewasnootherattraction.Themarketsettingdidencourageconversationfromthesellertotheconsumerwhichwasanicewayfortouriststointeractwithlocals.
MarketStreethaspotentialandopportunitytobecomeamuchbetterstreet.Thecityneedstostartbyimplementingmoreandbetteramenitiessuchasseatingandoutdoortrashcans.Ifapersonwantedtotakeabreakfromperusingthemarket,theywouldstepoutsideandhavenowheretositandrelax.Enhancementsofentrywaysandexitscouldalsomakethetransitionthroughoutthestreetamoreviableplace.
Bibliography
“History, Charleston City Market, Historic Downtown Charleston, SC.” Historic Charleston City Market, Charleston, SC. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://thecharlestoncitymarket.com/history.cfm>.
Whitelaw, Robert N. S, and Alice F. Levkoff. Charleston, Come Hell or High Water. Charleston, S.C: A.F. Levkoff and Patti F. Whitelaw, 1976. Print.