DENSIDADE NO CORAÇÃO DA CITY! Projeto desenvolvido no mestrado da AA_Architectural Association, Londres (2009). Trata-se de um estudo para adensar uma região com grande volume de infraestrutura instalada e que possui predominância de edificações de habitação social, com térreo sem atividade comercial, entre as estações Euston e St Pancras.

1. A PROPOSAL FOR EUSTON STATION SITE
1_ANALYSIS (ABOUT DENSITY)
2_SPECULATION (ABOUT AN URBAN SLOT)
3_PROPOSAL (ABOUT FEASIBILITY)
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

2. DENSITY
WHAT FOR?
AN ANALYSIS ABOUT EUSTON’S DENSITY
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

3. DENSITY 1/2
EUSTON SEOUL
TOKYO ATHENS
WHAT IF WE ENHANCE EUSTON DENSITY AT
SEOUL’S LEVEL?
WHAT IF WE ENHANCE EUSTON DENSITY AT
TOKYO’S LEVEL?
WHAT IF WE ENHANCE EUSTON DENSITY AT
ATHENS’S LEVEL?
DO WE NEED TO ENHANCE IT?
CITY CENTRE
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

4. EUSTON LONDON_NORTH FINCHLEY
LOS ANGELES_ORANGE COUNTY
DENSITY 2/2SUBURBS AS WE CAN SEE, EUSTON DENSITY IS MUCH MORE SIMILAR WITH
SUBURBS AROUND THE WORLD THAN CITY CENTRES.
suburb
noun
an outlying district of a city, esp. a residential one.
ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French suburbe or Latin
suburbium, from sub- ‘near to’ + urbs, urb- ‘city.’
CAN WE FIND CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE SUBURBS?
CAN WE BOOST CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE SUBURBS?
ARE THE LOW DENSITY SUBURBS VIABLE IN TERMS OF URBAN
INFRA-STRUCTURE?
RIO_BARRA DA TIJUCA
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

5. IS EUSTON SITE A LUXURY?
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

6. WHEN VOID BECOME A STOCK.
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

7. HOW MANY SCHOOLS CAN THE
CITY HALL BUILD, HOW MANY
PEOPLECANTHECITYHALLHELP
WITHTHEEXPECTEDTAXESREV-
ENUES FROM EUSTON SITE IF WE
KNOCK DOWN THE WHOLE ARE
AND REBUILD IT?
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

8. A DAY AT EUSTON SITE [TUESDAY,
OCTOBER 15TH]
7:00 BREAKFAST.
8:00 PEOPLE GOING TO WORK,
SCHOOL, UNEMPLOYMENT QUEUE.
9:00-17:00 NO ONE IN THE STREETS.
18:00 COMING BACK FROM WORK,
SCHOOL,UNEMPLOYMENT QUEUE.
20:00 NO ONE IN THE STREETS.
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

9. THE GROUND FLOORS ARE DEAD. PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE.
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

10. THE STREETS ARE EMPTY. THE COURTYARDS ARE EMPTY.
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

11. BUT, THERE IS QUALITY IN THE EUSTON URBAN
FABRIC. THE SCALE OF THE BUILDINGS, THEIR
HISTORY, MATERIALITY... SO, IS IT POSSIBLE
TO KEEP THAT QUALITY ENHANCING THE DENSITY?
?+ =
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

12. THE URBAN SLOTWAYS TO ENHANCE THE DENSITY
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

13. We have been talking about density, diversity,
memory (heritage), connections, but all those wor-
ries are strictly linked to a major concept:
CENTRALITY
We have tried to reach Regent Park from the big
school (located in the middle of euston site) by
feet and it took almost 30 minutes in a urban laby-
rinth without signs. The nearby park seems to be
distant, almost untoucheable by local residents
and outsiders. And vice-versa.
While the north-south connection is straight, easy
and generous (as the strip shows us), the east-
west is not for urban amateurs.
Using the present infra-strutucture, such as bridge
and streets, we will redesign it towards a more
friendly and easy paths, setting up parks, light-
ining and signs. We aim to establish an east-west
green line connection which will provide a comple-
mentary flow of people.
After the green line, we are able to talk about di-
versity. The common place “i want a place for all”
means, at least here, “i want make money”. The
site superb location allows us to speculate in terms
of international diversity of people, architecture,
uses and obviously, images. And, for sure, en-
hance the density.
Barcelona has 400 dwellers/hec. Euston site an av-
erage of 40 dewllers/hec. A luxury site as we have
mentioned. Considering the pressure from develop-
ers and for future tax revenues, we have to build
here. But where? First option: inside the court-
yards. But which of them? What kind of uses are to
be settled?
We are dealing with a site where its image belongs
to the past, like a frozen image. Not only the image
but also the spatiality. To set up an intervention
here means to preserve this condition and create a
new one that would support DIVERSITY and DENSITY.
A step further towards a frozen image of the fu-
ture. Or a timeless architecture.
THE URBAN SLOT
A single urban piece, redeveloped in its structure
(voids, buildings, uses), is able to hold and en-
hance all qualities aimed?
new centrality/square
new buildings
old buildings/heritage
N
S
new green line
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

14. SPECULATION IN AN URBAN $TRIP
HOW ARCHITECTURE BECOME FEASIBLE
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL

15. EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
1_HOW CAN CAMDEN COUNCIL INCREASE TAX REV-
ENUES WITHOUT INCREASING THE PRESENT TAXES?
2_HOW CAN CAMDEN COUNCIL PROVIDE 1,000
HOUSING UNITS WITHOUT DEMOLISHING OR EVEN
BUYING A SINGLE PRIVATE BUILDING?
3_HOW CAN CAMDEN COUNCIL CREATE A NEW CUL-
TURAL CLUSTER WITHOUT PUBLIC INVESTMENT?
4_HOW CAN CAMDEN COUNCIL DEVELOP A NEW CEN-
TRALITY WHICH SUPPORTS AND BOOSTS ALL THE
IMPORTANTS ACTIVITIES AROUND, BENEFITS THE
RESIDENTS AND PRESERVE THE HERITAGE? EUSTON STATION
ST PANCRAS
STATION
KINGS CROSS
DEVELOPMENT
REGENT’S PARK
UCL
ST PANCRAS
OLD CHURCH
ST PANCRAS
HOSPITAL
BRITISH
LIBRARY
SUPER-LAB
PRIMARY
SCHOOL
NURSERY
SCHOOL
CARTWRIGHT
GARDENS
BRUNSWICK
CENTRE
IN OTHER WORDS, HOW CAN CAMDEN COUNCIL PERSUE DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA?

16. 1_CREATE AND IMPROVE EAST-WEST
CONNECTIONS
IF WE COMPARE THE FLOWS WITHIN EU-
STON SITE, IT IS EASIER TO GO THROUGH
NORTH-SOUTH THAN EAST-WEST. IN TERMS
OF TRANSPORT AND SIDE WALKS, ONLY EU-
STON ROAD PROVIDE PROPER FACILITIES.
A NEW LINK BETWEEN KINGS CROSS DEVEL-
OPMENT AND REGENT’S PARK COULD BAL-
ANCE THIS DISPROPORTIONALITY.
THE PLACE WHERE THE NORTH-SOUTH AND
EST-WEST CONNECTIONS JOIN, LIES THE
PRIMARY SCHOOL, OCCUPYING AN ENTIRE
BLOCK.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE SCHOOL’S
SITE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE
A KIND OF PUBLIC SPACE THAT DOES
NOT EXIST HERE. A PLACE FOR GATH-
ERING, FOR CULTURAL ACTIVITIES,
FOR STREET MARKETS AND SO ON.
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
EUSTON ROAD
EAST-WEST CONNECTION
CHALSTON/OSSULSTON ST.
NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTION
MARCHMONT ST.
NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTION
EVERSHOLT ST.
NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTION
!!
KINGS CROSS
DEVELOPMENT
REGENT’S PARK
HAMPSTEAD ROAD
NORTH-SOUTH CONNECTION

17. EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
2_REDUCE THE POLLUTION - AIR AND
NOISE - IN EUSTON ROAD
IF WE USE OUR SITE AS A ROUNDABOUT FOR
WEST-EAST CONNECTION, SUPPRESSING ONE
DIRECTIONS OF EUSTON ROAD, WE ARE ABLE TO
REDUCE 50% OF AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION IN
FRONT OF OUR SITE.
ALSO, WE ENLARGE THE SIDEWALKS - AND CRE-
ATE POCKET GREEN SQUARES - IN WAY TO IN-
VITE PEOLPLE TO CROSS EUSTON ROAD THROUGH
THIS PLACE.
WE ARE ADDING 2.1KM INTO THE WEST-EAST
CONNECTION USING THE PRESENT INFRASTRUC-
TURE THAT EASILY SUPPORTS THE NEW TRAFFIC
PROPOSAL.
60% OF THE NEW WEST-EAST CONNECTION’S
BOUNDARIES ARE STATIONS, SHOPS, BRIT-
ISH LIBRARY (BACK), SUPER LAB (BACK) AND
SQUARES.
THE NEW FLOWS OF CARS AND BUSES WILL
CREATE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY
ALONG THE NEW VIA AND A NEW ENVI-
RONMENT IN EUSTON ROAD.
[THIS PROPOSAL SHOULD BE FIRSTLY
TESTED DURING THE WEEKENDS ONLY,
WITHOUT URBAN INTERVENTIONS]
WEST-EAST CONNECTION
EAST-WEST CONNECTION
PEDESTRIAN AREAS

18. PRIMARY
SCHOOL
7,000SQM
NURSERY
SCHOOL
1,500SQM
COURTYARD
4,650SQM COURTYARD
1,700SQM
BACKYARD
1,880SQM
COURTYARD
2,000SQM
COURTYARD
2,000SQM
SQUARE
1,100SQM
SQUARE
1,400SQM
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
3_MAP AND USE THE LARGEST PUBLIC
LANDS AND FACILITIES
COINCIDENTLY, THE MAJOR PUBLIC AREAS AND
FACILITIES ARE LOCATED IN ONE SIGLE STRIP
IN THE MIDDLE OF TWO MAJOR TRAIN STATIONS
AND A SERIE OF IMPORTANT BUILDINGS.
IN THIS WAY, THOSE AREAS COULD BE RECON-
FIGURED IN TERMS OF VOIDS AND BUILDINGS
TO ACCOMMODATE NEW USES, SUCH AS HOUS-
ING, SHOPS, CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND A NEW
EXCITE PUBLIC URBAN GARDEN.
LIKE A SLOT, THIS SEQUENCE OF NEW USES
STARTING FROM EUSTON ROAD TOWARDS
NORTH, WILL STABLISH A NEW VIBRANT AND
DYNAMIC CENTRALITY JUST IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE SITE, EASILY REACH BY FOOT OR PUBLIC
TRASPORT.
PUBLIC FACILITIES
PUBLIC/SEMI-PUBLIC VOIDS

19. EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
HOUSING120,000sqm
1200 UNITS
[80SQM+CIRC.]
£144,000,000
[£1,200/SQM]
SCHOOLS10,000sqm
[PLUS SQUARE]
£8,000,000
[£800/SQM]
SHOPS12,000sqm
£12,000,000
[£1,000/SQM]
PUBLIC GARDEN95,000sqm
£14,250,000
[£150/SQM]
CULTURAL
CLUSTER45,000sqm
£90,000,000
[£2,000/SQM]
COURTYARD AS AN ACCESS
FOR THE NEW BUILDING
AND A PLACE FOR MULTIPLE
ACTIVITIES.
BUILDING INSIDE THE
COURTYARD
VERTICALISE PRIMARY AND
NURSERY SCHOOL
COURTYARD AS JUST A
HALL FOR THE NEW BUILD-
ING.
FREE AREA

20. EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
THE MAIN IDEA
SUBTRACTIONS

21. EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
SUPER LAB BRITISH LIBRARY
EUSTONROAD

22. 4_THE NEW USES AND ITS SPACES
1_THE CULTURAL CLUSTER:
A BUILDING CONTAINING A THEATRE (2500 SEATS), THREE
CINEMAS (150 SEATS EACH ONE), MUSEUM, OFFICES (RE-
LATED ACTIVITIES SUCH AS CLASS ROOMS, CULTURAL BUSI-
NESS, ETC) AND RESTAURANT.
2_EUSTON PARK:
THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE STRIP WILL BE COVERED WITH
GRASS. AN UNIQUE SPACE OF GATHERING IN BETWEEN ST
PANCREAS AND EUSTON STATION. THE COTINUOUS GREEN
LAYER WILL SHARP THE PROTECT BUILDING, CHANGE ITS
MEANING FROM BUILDING TO OBJECTS. WE CAN STABLISH A
PARALLEL WITH THE JAPANESE GARDEN’S IMAGE - STONES
LAID OVER THE SAND.
3_EUSTON ROAD:
INCREASE THE WIDTH OF SIDEWALKS AND CONNECT CART-
WRIGHT GARDENS TO THE NEW PUBLIC GARDEN. A NEW
POCKET SQUARE IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL TO PROVIDE A BET-
TER AMBIENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO INTEND TO CROSS EUSTON
ROAD.
4_SCHOOL+NURSERY+POCKET PARK:
A NEW BUILDING WILL PUT TOGHETER THE EDUCATIONAL AC-
TIVITIES OF THE SITE. BOTH USES WILL BE ISOLATED FROM
EACH OTHER, AND THE SMALL SQUARE WILL BE ATTACHED AS
AN EXTENSION OF THE SCHOOLS.
5_HOUSING STRIP:
THE BUILDING WITH 30M WIDE AND 600M LONG WILL HOUSE
1200 FLATS WITH AN AVERAGE OF 60-110SQM IN 07 STO-
REYS. THE ACCESS WILL BE THROUGHT THE MAIN COURT-
YARDS - STAIRS AND ELEVATORS, WHERE IS ALSO LOCATED
THE WHOLE INFRA-STRUCTURE (SHAFTS FOR ELETRICITY,
PLUMBING, STEEL STRUCTURE, ETC). AT THE TOP, A PRI-
VATE GARDEN FOR THE DWELLERS.
1
2
4
3
TOP FLOOR
EUSTON STATION
SUPER LAB
+
BRITISH LIBRARY
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
4
3
5
6
7

23. 6_COMMERCIAL BUILDING:
SUPERSTORE OR SHOPS OR OFFICES AND A PUBLIC SQUARE
ON TOP FLOOR, WITH CAFES AND KIOSKS. [ALSO PART OF
THE CULTURAL CLUSTER]
7_PLAZA MAYOR:
THE MAIN GATHERING PLACE, WHERE THE THEATRE OPEN ITS
GATES FOR PUBLIC OUTSIDE EVENTS. THE STREET MARKET
WILL ALSO TAKE PLACE HERE, ON SATUDARDAYS. THE SQUARE
WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MEDIA EVENTS SUCH AS CINEMA,
SHOWS AND ARTS. [ALSO PART OF THE CULTURAL CLUSTER]
1
2
4
6
GROUND FLOOR
EUSTON STATION
SUPER LAB
+
BRITISH LIBRARY
5
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
2
7
3
3
4
HOUSING
SHOPS
SCHOOLS
CULTURAL
CENTRE

24. EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
EUSTON PARK AS A RADICAL OPPOSIT IMAGE OF THE PRESENT CONTEXT
“MAN IS A CREATURE WHOSE EXISTENCE IS DEPENDENT ON
DIFFERENCES, HIS MIND IS STIMULATED BY THE DIFFER-
ENCE BETWEEN PRESENT IMPRESSIONS AND THOSE WHICH
HAVE PRECEDED”
THE METROPOLIS AND MENTAL LIFE
GEORG SIMMEL

25. 5_FEASIBILITY
AS A COMMERCIAL PACKAGE, THE CAMDEN COUNCIL WILL OFFER THE AREA
TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHO WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE NEW BUILDINGS - INCLUDING THE SCHOOLS AND URBANIZE THE
SITE.
THE PRIVATE SECTOR WILL BE ALSO IN CHARGE OF THE ADMINISTRATION
AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT OF THE BUILDINGS, EXCEPT THE SCHOOLS.
ESTIMATE CONSTRUCTION COST: £268,250,000
[£952/SQM]
ESTIMATE DIRECT NEW INFLOW OF PEOPLE: 7,500
[DAILY]
BASED UPON:
ESTIMATE NUMBERS OF NEW DWELLERS: 3,500
ESTIMATE NUMBERS OF USERS: 4,000 (CINEMAS, THEATRE, SHOPS, OF-
FICES)
ESTIMATE INDIRECT NEW INFLOW OF PEOPLE: SEE
DIAGRAM ON LEFT [PRESENT MOMENT]
EUSTON STATION SITE_STRATEGIC PLAN
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION
MA_HOUSING AND URBANISM
RODRIGO AZEVEDO
CAMDEN COUNCIL
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE
[DIAGRAM DEVELOPED BY RYOTA SAKAI]