GRADIENT ACCESS
Wayfinding lines guide movement, seamlessly woven into every surface.
Guided by the idea that arrival is continuous, our design re-imagines the CEPSUM arrival experience as a seamless, sensory-guided journey. Accessibility is not added on, it is embedded into the ground itself through continuous systems, guided paths, and integrated points of rest that orient, support, and welcome every user.
The proposal connects multiple entry points, the street, metro, and parking, into one unified system of descent and ascent, visible in the terraced exterior and carried fluidly indoors. Ramps are carved into the landscape and interior floor, eliminating the need for secondary or separated paths. These ramps serve all bodies, offering gentle slopes for those with mobility limitations while establishing a clear and intuitive flow of movement.
Navigation is guided by a floor-integrated line system, both visually distinct and tactile underfoot. These contrasting floor bands and material shifts function as sensory guides, helping visually impaired users orient themselves while signaling pause zones and directional changes for everyone. Materials such as cork, vinyl, and rubber are selected for their comfort, grip, and acoustic softness, minimizing environmental stress and supporting varied sensory needs.
Along the path, seating nooks are subtly embedded in walls and terraces, offering rest points without disrupting flow. Handrails, textured surfaces, and soft floor patterns invite interaction and touch, ensuring that way finding is felt as well as seen.
This approach transforms arrival into an inclusive ritual of movement, free from abrupt thresholds or isolating signage. It meets the challenge of invisible accessibility by making access the default spatial experience, not an adaptation. Through form, materiality, and sensory design, the space welcomes everybody, not by labeling it accessible, but by embodying inclusion at every step.
(From competitor's text)
The ramps built into the staircases are considered very dangerous. The wider circulation is interesting, but the use of a single elevator does not solve completely the circulation problem. Nonetheless, the proposal shows that it has been well thought through.
(From jury report)
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