Private Lobby Cafe
Context/forces:
-
many people in NYC live in large buildings: apartments, condos, co-ops with hundreds of people
-
there are often not enough Third Place-s available, esp where you don't have to buy something to "pay" for your seat
-
many people of all ages would like more opportunities for semi-random-social-encounters
-
elderly people in particular get lonely, and are less mobile, and are thus more likely to spend hours in their apartment building lobby
-
if only elderly people congregate in the lobby (Get There First), then others feel less able/willing to use the space, and also feel like the building seems more "full of old people". (Sad but true.)
-
buildings often spend lots of money keeping their lobby looking modern, yet lobbies get little use
Solution:
Design residential building lobbies to look more like a cafe.
Lots of movable chairs (wood, not stackable).
Include tables? Or does this create maintenance hassle as people make a mess and don't clean up?
Use a more casual atmosphere? (Art posters on walls.)
Music? (yikes, who controls?)
- heh, shared server with WiFi hub, any can load/add/rate, then control via their own laptop
Edited: | Tweet this! | Search Twitter for discussion
BackLinks: StreetCafe | UrbanPatternLanguage
No twinpages!