弁天町駅 大阪市
BENTENCHO:
OSAKA NEW URBAN GATEWAY
Osaka, Japan
Spring 2020
Partner Pam Pan
Instructor Joan Busquets and Dingliang Yang
Academic, Des 4372, Harvard GSD
The project aims to redevelop Bentencho Station of the Chuo Line and JR Loop Line, along with its surrounding areas, to establish a gateway and new urban center for Osaka. Located equidistant from the city center and the 2025 Expo site, and directly linked to Osaka's northern and southern urban gateways via the JR Loop Line, the redevelopment aims to accommodate visitors during the 2025 Expo while providing office and institutional facilities for local residents.
Redevelopment of the station aims to address existing issues in the neighborhood. Currently, the area is divided into four sections by elevated railways and highways, creating difficulties for pedestrians and lacking a cohesive open space network. Additionally, the juxtaposition of super-blocks with 200-meter towers and high-density low-rise residential blocks has led to an imbalanced urban structure.
To tackle these challenges, the project employs multiple strategies derived from various case studies. Our goal is to activate urban spaces for pedestrians by implementing walkable paths, green spaces, small-scale retail, and large-scale commercial areas. We aim to transform transportation infrastructure from obstacles into opportunities, enhancing public spaces throughout the area.
Introduction 01
① Castle & Shrines
② Canals
③ Boulevards
④ Parks
⑤ Osaka Port
The open space synthesis drawing illustrates the overlapping open space systems that exist in the city of Osaka. By analyzing the open space patterns from historical, geographical, civic, and developmental perspectives, we categorize the open spaces in Osaka into five categories: castles & shrines, canals, boulevards, large parks, and Osaka ports. Each category has been shaped and influenced by natural and artificial water systems, religious and topographical factors, political and commercial needs, as well as previous world expositions. The goal is to identify the interconnectedness between these five systems to create a cohesive open space network that strengthens the east-west connection from the city center to the site of EXPO 2025.
From these typologies, we learned that the success of open spaces heavily depends on continuity and a systematic network. However, these characteristics are lacking in the Bentencho Station area. The open spaces around the station are fragmented, disconnected, and lack an interconnected network.
Urban Open Space 02
Ferry System
Railway System
The Bentencho area has a strategic location within the city's entire transportation system. In the railway system, it is the intersection of the Osaka Chūō Line and the Osaka JR Loop Line. The Loop Line covers a large portion of Osaka city. Bentencho Station is the ideal transfer point for passengers taking the Chūō Line to visit the EXPO area in 2025. On the other hand, whether people arrive by ferry or airplane, the Hanshin Expressway is the primary route into the city. The Bentencho area is the first location along this highway that offers a city landscape. This area has the potential to be developed into an urban gateway for Osaka city.
Highway System
Urban Potential 02
Existing Site Conditions
Urban Block Scale
Program Distribution
Urban Connections
Transportation not only brings efficiency to this area but also creates urban issues. The elevated Hanshin Expressway and National Route 43 fragment the area into four separate sections. The spaces under the expressways are used for bike parking, and there are very few sidewalks for pedestrians to use. People must cross the streets through underground tunnels that lack light and ventilation. The urban design of this area has been based on accommodating vehicles rather than prioritizing pedestrians.
Furthermore, the block structure and grid system show a lack of balance. A superblock of high-rises, including the Osaka Bay Tower on the northwest corner, contrasts sharply with the surrounding area, which is made up of numerous small blocks with low-rise residential buildings. The new proposal needs to create more connections between blocks and address the difference in block scales.
Urban Issues 03
By cutting two series of sections through the Chūō Line and JR Loop Line, we propose a redesign of this area using a sectional design approach. The connections we designed between the four corners include bridges and staircases. We focus not only on making passenger transfers more efficient but also on incorporating commercial and public services along the transfer routes.
The new urban complex, which includes office spaces and a hotel, will provide EXPO visitors with convenient accommodation, as Bentencho is located halfway between the EXPO site and the city center. The multilevel landscapes and public connections between the originally fragmented green spaces maximize the benefits of the existing urban system. This new gateway aims to activate local businesses and address the urban issues of the present.
Sectional Proposal 04
