Echo Tracks reimagines the Bowery as a living archive where memory, movement, and community meet. Rooted in the elevated railroad that once ran along this street, the project turns its “tracks” into a spatial and social framework that gathers, carries, and recirculates the materials and stories left on the Bowery.
Inside the reimagined space, the tracks act as a physical system that transports found objects into moments of collective making. They also serve as a conceptual thread that links the erased past with the present street. Paired with a digital interface, Echo Tracks invites visitors to trace surfaces, exchange materials, and contribute to an evolving record of the Bowery’s living memory.
2. Concept Collage: Tracks and Upcycling
I began by documenting discarded objects and worn textures along the Bowery, then distilled these photographs into simple icons that represent recurring material types—posters, metal fragments, wood pieces, fabric scraps. Mapping their locations alongside pedestrian density revealed where traces accumulate, where materials circulate, and how movement shapes the street’s visible and invisible layers.
These findings extend the logic of the Echo Tracks interior, where the “tracks” collect and carry found materials as a bridge between erased histories and present use. The floorplan, section, and interaction isometrics show how the system gathers street residues and guides users through moments of tracing, exchange, and reflection—frameworks that directly inform the UI and toolkit.
The idea derived from the temporal variation of the buildings on the Bowery— for example, some of the upper floors were demolished. The wooden frame is depicting a conceptual traces of time, similar to the sequence of light and shadow throughout the time. While the form might extend further to the exterior or interior, the structure itself might be flexible and interactive.
The space incorporates voids in the fluid interior partitions, sidewalk, and rooftop for adaptable furniture placement, along with skylights that highlight the Public Discourse and Dropoff area below. The spatial design is to enhance the functionality and flexibility of the space in order to enhance the community interaction, and the transformation of past and present by creating the materiality contrast. In the future development, the furniture consideration will incorporate lightweight, handles and modular design which can be easily rearranged or removed.
The project name can be seen as a platform that amplifies the voices and stories of the community, fostering engagement and dialogue. The echo also symbolizes the temporal resonance and transformation of space, materials, and community interactions into something new and vibrant.
UPCYCLE AND REPAIR, where community members can bring in their old or damaged furniture for guidance on how to transform old or unused items into functional and creative furniture. The program will also collaborate with local artists to gain creative perspective on turning old items into arts.
Lounge DISCOURSE, where voices and stories are heard and shared, and a sense of belonging is protected. It refers to dynamic and inclusive conversations, exchanges, and interactions that take place among Bowery local community and visitors. Flexibility—- find their own meanings
ARCHIVAL EXHIBITION, where upcycled furniture is showcased as part of an exhibit to inspire visitors and encourage material donations and exchange for upcycling.
Section: Physical Model
Final Review at Pratt Institute, Dec 2023