Boa-levard

Street of Tomorrow is a competition hosted by Non-Architecture. Non Architecture Competitions aims to find unconventional and unexplored design solutions in the field of architecture.

In this competition, Non-Architecture encourages participants to reimagine the urban space by designing the street of tomorrow. Participants are asked to propose conceptual ideas of a street that accommodates a new era of mobility and urban design. With a new perspective on mobility it must come a new set of design principles for street management, street design, and mobility creation.

“Boa-levard” – our street of tomorrow – addresses the tension between static physicality and new dynamic mobilities in a fun way. Inspired by the “fidget snake” toy, our street can transform into different shapes to suit various times-of-day and use cases.

The street’s surfaces are fitted with e-ink panels which radically alters the sizes of vehicular lanes, curbs, and play spaces depending on the time of the day. Inspired by Gestalt principles, we use colour and shape, not physical barriers, to change how people use the space. Each configuration accords the street a distinct vibe that suits the time and event, fundamentally rethinking the relationship between infrastructure and social life.

This paradigm shift requires rethinking street furniture as well. Our modular furniture blocks can be either used alone or seamlessly combined with each other, allowing for endless configurations – just like the fidget snake! Blocks connect physically through internal electromagnets and to the Internet-of-Things over 5G. Phone apps can help users assemble complex configurations and share their patterns with others.

“Boa-levard” transforms street-making into a process that actively involves the everyday pedestrian, promoting collaboration, sharing, and responding to each other’s needs. The “Boa-levard”: a street that responds to today’s whimsies and tomorrow’s challenges.