Urban Zipper
YMT Hong Kong
Roads and bridges are arteries of every urban city. These urban infrastructures weave through the city and provide mobility and accessibility across the city as if they are the threads of a larger urban fabric. To provide com-fort for the surrounding, noise barriers are essential to mitigate the noise generated by traffic. In most cases, noise barriers are straightforward, cost effective and easily assembled. However, these barriers are often perceived as functional add-on of roads and bridges and less as an integral of the city to improve the qualitative side of our living environment. As a result, we believe the sinuosity of urban threads is often lost. In order to rediscover the beauty of the sinuosity, a universal adaptable system of noise barriers to various kinds of traffic environment is envisioned. It shall be functional, cost effective, aesthetically pleasing and easily assembled. The structure of the noise barriers are imagined as 'Threads" upon which different kinds of "Surfaces" can be applied to knit into various exist-ing fragmented urban fabric. From outside, the fabric can be aluminum, copper, translucent polymer panels or even green tile with vegetation to project an image of a green, beautiful and sustainable city. From within, natural lighting via translucent panels and artificial lighting which is fully integrated into the noise barrier system to create a glowing tile are intertwined to paint a green, stunning & unique experience for the drivers.