URBAN SPACE

– ROB KRIER
The term ‘urban space’ can be simply
described as external space in town. It is seen
as open, unobstructed space for movement in
the open air, with public, semi public and
private zones.

The ‘concept of urban space’ is to

designate all types of space between buildings
in towns and other localities as urban space
SQUARES
Producing by grouping of houses around an open space
this arrangement provided control of the inner space and facilitated a rready defense
against external aggression
the influence of this can be seen in a lot of holy places

STREETS
Is the product of spread is settlements once houses have been built on all available
spaces around its central square.
Distribution of land and gives access to individual plots

TYPOLOGY OF URBAN SPACE

The spatial forms of urban space derive from the three

basic geometric shapes: (square, circle and triangle).
These three shapes are affected by modulating factors
which are angling, segmentation, addition, merging,
overlapping and distortion.
INTERSECTION OF
STREETS AND SQUARES
4. Pleasing to human scale
Morphological Series of Urban Space

Gives various examples for a morphology of urban space within this chapter, there
being an almost inexhaustible range of possible forms exists that are mostly from our
historic town.
EROSION OF URBAN SPACE

The 20th century

The erosion of urban space is an ongoing process which has been with us for the last
fifty years in the guise of technological progress. This era has started with the invention
of new military technology. New weaponry neutralized the defensive systems of cities.
Consequently, city walls were demolished and allowed armies to simply walk through
the city. The need of protection had imposed a new discipline on every town: its
construction, rebuilding and expansion.

Architecture was a low priority. Functional, constructional and capital concerns were
being the most important issues of the day. Additionally, the influence of industrial
building on the urban planning is another catastrophe.

It leads to numerous misconceived developments which caused the impoverishment of

present-day architecture. For example: The movements towards a purely functional or
constructional orientation. The developing proposals of planners for new ideal cities
during the 20th Century and 19th Century industrial building has taken away the control
of the concept of urban space and architecture..
Imaginary scheme for Ville De Chaux
by Nicholos ledoux.
‘Destroyed the unity of the baroque
town’

spacial impression – overwhelming

No coherent sense of urban space.

PROPOSALS FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF
THE DEVASTATEDURBAN AREAS
-Station area
-The university area
-The Rotebuhiplatz
-Johannesstrasse/Feuersee
-The Osterreichische Platz
-The Wilhelmsplatz/The Leonhardsplatz
-The Charlottensplatz/The Schlossplatz
-The Staatsgalerie
-The Schlossgarten

Krier has suggested possible approaches to reconstruction

for various parts of Stuttgart. The former coherent urban
structure of Stuttgart was destroyed to a catastrophic
extent during the Second World War. The heart of the city
was broken up into a large number of small islands
battered by waves of heavy traffic. In Rob Krier’s schemes
for Stuttgart, he tried to win back downtown of the city for
pedestrians, without excluding the car in the process.
 In practical terms, this means using redevelopment to weld
together seamlessly the isolated areas at those critical points,
whose significance for the pedestrian’s spatial awareness was
eroded during the post war years because of costly civil
engineering programmes. Particular attention is paid in these
studies to restoring the continuity of spatial experience
within an urban context. Additionally, he designed streets
and squares for pedestrians, harmonised as closely as
possible with the existing structure and showing the utmost
consideration for the legacy of the past.
STATION AREA The Rotebuhiplatz
The Osterreichische Platz
The Wilhelmsplatz/The Leonhardsplatz
The Charlottensplatz/The Schlossplatz The Schlossgarten
CONCLUSION
The rush of rebui` and the priority which is given to the traffic and to the other
technologies rather than the people’s need resulted with scattered buildings with no
proper spatial planning. This has proved the thesis of author that the traditional
concept of urban space and its structure has been lost within modern cities.