Ephemeral Architecture: A Catalyst for Urban Renewal

Abstract

This thesis considers ephemeral architecture as a tool to integrate former industrial structures with their surrounding urban context. Buildings and infrastructure are subject to fluctuations in use and occasionally of abandonment. Temporary urban design and ephemeral architecture introduce new spatial and programmatic ideas to places, and have the potential to infuse abandoned structures with new life.

Spanning the Ottawa River between the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau is an abandoned railway bridge. Since the time of its construction the infrastructure lost much of its original significance and has remained vacant for over 20 years.

The proposed design consists of a series of tensile structures within the Prince of Wales Bridge. The tensile structures compress and expand the existing geometry, creating areas for different activities. The site-specific intervention integrates the former industrial structure with the surrounding urban fabric and establishes a universal design methodology for the repurposing of former industrial structures.