Prathers Alley Activation
Architecture Urban design Washington, District Of Columbia, United States Of America
30 Images
Want to download these images?
Make sure you confirm usage rights with the BowerKit owner / contact person.
|
1. 6000 px 4000 px 3 MB A3 print |
|
|
2. 3000 px 2000 px 1 MB Print - Low res only |
|
|
3. 999 px 798 px 161 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
4. 999 px 798 px 144 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
5. 999 px 798 px 127 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
6. 2400 px 2400 px 1 MB Print - Low res only |
|
|
7. 1500 px 2000 px 491 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
8. 6000 px 4000 px 3 MB A3 print |
|
|
9. 999 px 798 px 105 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
10. 6000 px 4000 px 2 MB A3 print |
|
|
11. 5485 px 3657 px 2 MB A3 print |
|
|
12. 5149 px 3433 px 2 MB A4 print |
|
|
13. 6000 px 4000 px 2 MB A3 print |
|
|
14. 6000 px 4000 px 2 MB A3 print |
|
|
15. 6000 px 4000 px 2 MB A3 print |
|
|
16. 6000 px 4000 px 2 MB A3 print |
|
|
17. 6000 px 4000 px 3 MB A3 print |
|
|
18. 4929 px 3286 px 2 MB A4 print |
|
|
19. 3024 px 4032 px 3 MB A4 print |
|
|
20. 1800 px 1800 px 654 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
21. 3000 px 4500 px 3 MB A4 print |
|
|
22. 999 px 798 px 234 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
23. 4032 px 3024 px 4 MB A4 print |
|
|
24. 4032 px 3024 px 4 MB A4 print |
|
|
25. 3024 px 3176 px 3 MB Print - Low res only |
|
|
26. 999 px 798 px 173 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
27. 999 px 798 px 341 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
28. 999 px 798 px 145 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
29. 999 px 798 px 120 KB Print - Low res only |
|
|
30. 999 px 798 px 337 KB Print - Low res only |
Description
HOW CAN REAL HISTORY BE BROUGHT TO REAL LIFE?
PROJECT THE PAST TO MAKE NEW PLACE
This project to reimagine Prather's Alley, located in Mount Vernon Triangle, reclaims historically underutilized alley infrastructure to inspire culture, commerce, and connectivity. The project was multidisciplinary and multipronged. After a series of community surveys and design workshops, the proposed improvements included three interventions: public art, a mobile market, and traffic calming. The team then worked to pair portions of the project scope with potential grant opportunities. Design Development, fabrication, and installation was implemented as funding was secured for each component. The public art component is supported by the DC Office of Planning Streets for People Grant, a program aimed at reviving the city's urban commons following the Covid-19 pandemic. The project hightlights the alley as a place of graet historical significance. The alley and its adjoining buildings were once central to life for Mount Vernon Triangle's African-American community. To celebrate the living history of Prather's Alley, visual installations have been added to reintegrate and reactivate the space as an important civic asset. The vinyl mural installation adorning the walls of 455 Eye Apartments & Lyrirc 400K Apartments pay homage to the former Northern Liberty Market, a cultural anchor of its time.
Built in 1874, the market was one block north of the alley. In 1893, a hall was constructed above the market, sturcturally supported by the installation of large iron trusses. Throughout the 20th centruy, this hall was the center of various recreational and cultural activities, including bowling and movie screenings. Today, images of the old , trussed hall serve as the inspiration for the vinyl graphics that line both sides of the alley. A perspective of the trussed arches aligns with key vantage pointts in the alley, projecting a view of the space that once was. The murals are host to a roatating photography installation, whoes inaugrual curation highlights the intersection of history and daily life in Mount Vernon Triangle. By documenting the people, places and moments that collectively define the neighborhood, the project honors the community's storied history while celebrating its continued evolution.
The mural is further deployed throughout the neighborhood on the CID's Wayfinding graphics.
A family of mobile market stalls brings activity and commerce to the alley. Capitalizing on a popular weekly framer's market nearby, three of the stall types work together to support food preparation and instruction. The wash stall has a kitchen sink with an integrated filtration pump and water heater. The Cook stall has a power hookup for hot plate and a flip-up mirror for cooking demonstrations. The Sell stall has a pull-out storage bench and display screen for the sale of locally-made goods. Designed to be stored in a shipping container in the alley, the stalls unfold to add work surfaces and shading devices. All stalls are powder-coated steel frame, birch plywood, and stainless steel countertops. The final intervention, which was made possible with the support of the federal Transportation Alternatives Program, was to convert the alley to one-way traffic and delineate a pedestrian corridor. Prather's Alley was already a popular cut-through for pedestrians, bikes, and cars. The new plan allows people, cars, and delivery trucks to safely occupy the alley together.
The inclusion of diverse voices has been vital to reinvigorating Prather’s Alley. Engagement to understand the needs and desires of the Mount Vernon Triangle community with respect to the alley’s reimagination started in 2018. Subsequently, a series of events – survey, focus group design workshop, and site visits – engaged the community in the project as it developed. At the focus group, community members used paper models of the alley to diagram potential activation form and program. This feedback was coalesced into three schemes, which were posted for a community vote in the alley.
The Winner- Market Stalls!
Details
| Completion date | 2022 |
Project team
| EL Studio PLLC | ||
| Dodge Chrome | ||
| Precision Capital General work |