Minsong Kim - Funfair City

Tranfocality project 02 : Funk plan

FUNFAIR CITY ㅡ city planning program based on North Whales town - Rhyl.

Overview

Rhyl is a tuorism city, had a ocean beach funfair park which given a lot of happiness memories for people.

However, the town and the park declined in popularity since the 1960s and there had been very little investment in new rides or attractions in its final years. It closed for the final time on 2 September 2007. The roller coaster in this funfair park was the main point for people to enjoy this seaside town and see the cityview. However the roller coaster and park is destoryed now.

Through the research of Rhyl, we try to reemerge this funfair park in an innovation form - ‘Roller Bridge’. We hope use the design to solve this problem, creating an innovative infrastructure - the ‘roller bridge’ to back to the 80s

A physical bridge is a pathway that connects 2 points directly together. Therefore the function of bridges is to bridge gaps. There are geographical gaps in Rhyl, however the gaps of communication between communities, the gaps between local people and the decision makers of local authorities are in greater need to be 'Bridged'.

Essentially, we are trying to 'BRIDGE GAPS'. The roller bridge design is only a media that we use to communicate with Rhyl people, and in this way, we can 'connect' with the city as much as we can. The bridge is to collective representation of the voices we gathered from Rhyl people and communities.

To passerby, our roller bridges can be mini highways that ride their trip into a more fun and efficient trip. For tourists, especially from Liverpool and Manchester, they can be a much more efficient and cheaper way to enjoy a vacation, and they can also be new icons that propagandas the city.

However, most importantly, for local communities, the bridges alter the composition of social structures. They can, to some extend, diminish the gaps between rich and poor that are caused by regional disparity. And to local people, the act of collecting their voices and reflecting, advertising their voices through our design itself, is an act of bridging.