Fourteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

The history and transformation of the Sipyard, an experimental outdoor beer garden and live music venue located in Urbana, IL, raises questions about the role of creative expression in urban areas and its implications for public perception. Unsolicited wall art, or Graffiti, played a significant role in the original Sipyard’s success, but it also created problems with maintaining control over the space, eventually leading to its closure. The next transformation of the space. developed by the authors, centers around the owner’s dismay at the Sipyard deterioration, and his vision for an improved business model. Our initial scheme maintained an informal outdoor atmosphere while controlling the space through architectural modifications that included off-hour closure and no expression of public art. Members of the Urbana creative community perceived the Sipyard as a public space—their space. Therefore, the owner’s desire to control the privately owned property has sparked a public response. The paper explores the evolution of the Sipyard, the exploration of architectural solutions and feedback gathered directly from the Urbana community. It examines larger issues surrounding graffiti and its implications for public space and private business. The results reveal complex relationships between public perception and desires, demands from city administration, and the responsibility of business owners within urban communities. Based on the findings, an architectural and programmatic negotiation is proposed that attempts to resolve the factors that prompted the closure of the Sipyard while mitigating the potentially negative response from the public to the newly controlled environment.

Presenters

Bridget Benge
Student, M.Arch, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign , IL., United States

Jeffrey Poss
Professor Emeritus / Principal, Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign /Jeffery Poss Architect, PLLC, Illinois, United States