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.