Liacouras Walk South at Temple University opened to the public this month! Serving as critical connective tissue on Temple University’s campus, the project completes the internal north/south pedestrian corridor. In the site’s new iteration, Land Collective aligned the main circulation path – “The Cut” – directly through the center of the site, establishing complementary social spaces on either side. Individuals and groups can choose where they feel most comfortable to facilitate dialogue and belonging. Temple’s Liacouras Walk South is both pass through and place – a vibrant landscape to gather, hang out, and connect.
On the east side, the plaza is defined by a sculptural fountain with jets that form the terminus to the walk from the north. Two cascades on this chevron-shaped waterscape embrace the tables and chairs at which students, faculty, and community gather. The fountain patterning, inspired by the ruffled feathers of Temple’s mascot, the Owls, creates movement and frothing as water spills out onto the wings, while minimizing splash with the varied textures and heights of pavers.
In other news, if you’ve taken a look around our website recently, you may have noticed the addition of a new menu item titled ‘Athenaeum.’ As the name suggests, the page acts as a repository of Land Collective’s research and dialogue that synthesizes the human sciences, environmental sciences, art, and technology in order to inform our mission-driven work. Take a look for the full range of our explorations, and be sure to check back as our library is regularly updated.