Pop Up Jungle
Lawrence Liang, Greg Ives, Guy Raithby-Veall, Ray Yue, Wendy Hu, Nicole Liang

Pop up Jungle is a unique and completely adaptable solution to revitalise forgotten urban spaces

Sydney CBD has an abundance of ‘throwaway spaces’; often alleyways or thoroughfare which have the ingredients for a great public space like seating, planting and artistic/cultural elements, but were not designed to address the needs of users and thus often remain unutilised and neglected. Pop up Jungle is designed specifically using standard measurement scaffolding to reinvigorate these spaces, to provide intrigue and promote social interaction. Globe Street in The Rocks was selected as an example to demonstrate our concept.
We used a user focused design strategy; honing in on different key user groups and how they interacted with public space. Pop Up Jungle uses a series of 1.1 x 2.2 by 2.7 m high scaffolding modules to create a flexible and temporal solution that could be post fixed to any throwaway urban space. The steel structures form a key point of interest and a beacon for tourists and visitors, distinct from the design typography and materiality of adjacent urban area. The interweaving of planter boxes and green walls softens the space and provides privacy creating a hub of relaxation for residents or workers. The verticality provided by the scaffolding and platforms allows for alternative circulation route which functions as a unique play space for both students or young adults whilst also providing diversions into semi-private resting areas which can be enjoyed as a relaxation area for all users. The negative open spaces created by the scaffolding create areas for play, performances, or exhibition for a variety of users.