Transforming DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE

Team 2 isMichael GarciaTravis Tebbins

Teck LiewCristobal LozanoNichole Weirich

408artechnology.blogspot.com

Sites of Interest

• Saint James Park- 3rd & Saint James

• South 1st Metro Parking Enclave

Why?

Saint James Park deserves to be seen in different way. This park has the ability to transform.

The Metro Enclave offers a space that is most of the time

empty, with natural darkness that begs for light.

Both sites have a great possibility for an interactive installation. Both spaces allow for the public to interact and participate in the space comfortably. They also bring life to a

space that is normally dead.

METRO ENCLAVE- Considered central to the SoFa

district- across the street from the small

Parque De Los Pobladores- At the intersection of Market St.

and South 1st.- Between Williams and Reed St.- approximately 30 paces wide,

and 65 paces deep- North wall is 1 story, South wall

is 2 stories high, brick walls- ground is typical asphalt

covering- Power source available- Serves as a parking lot for the

Metro headquarters

FUNCTION?Was the active parking lot for Emile’s Restaurant. Now serves as a parking lot for the Metro, though is owned by the new owner of Emile’s.

The entrance still has Emile’s sign

Back side of Emile’s Restaurant

LOCATIONacross the street from the small Parque De Los Pobladores, where Market and South 1st street meet, in between the San Jose Museum of Textiles and Metro headquarters

Looking North from park

Looking South on inside park – there is a cultural and historical theme occurring in the public art

STRUCTURAL DETAILSBrick walls, often covered in graffiti

Black asphalt ground, with painted parking lines

STRUCTURAL DETAILSapproximately 30 paces wide, and 65 paces deepNorth wall is 1 story, South wall is 2 stories high

South wall, Metro building, approx. 2 stories

North wall, SJ Museum of Textiles, approx 1 story

Back of enclave has more blank walls

Back side of front structure has interesting components

ENTRANCE & EXIT

Entrance on 1st is accessible by vehicle

Possible entry on 2nd

A quick tour

History of the parking lotThe parking lot attached to the restaurant formerly known as Emile's was founded by its namesake Emile Mooser in 1973 under the name "Emile's Swiss Affair" after two prior restaurants ("Archie's Steakhouse" and "Elias", a Greek restaurant) had closed their doors. The restaurant specialized in Swiss, Italian, and French cuisine, and was a powerful force for fundraising for multiple charities and causes.

In December of 2010, however, Emile pleaded No Contest to possession of child pornography, and faces three years in prison. The owners to whom Emile had sold the restaurant in 2006 sued him as well, claiming misrepresentation and concealment of information. In the remaining two or three months, the restaurant and adjacent parking lot have been vandalized and mostly neglected for a great deal of time, likely due to the association of the name to the debacle. The space that was once bright at night is now dark even during the day.

Saint James Site Description2nd St and St James St San Jose, Ca 95113Saint James Park is located on the North side of downtown it is between 2nd and 3rd street. This

park is the size of a block, with places to park, eat, and bars within a 2 block radius of the park. North Side of the park: • Site Clair Club• German Verein• Trails Pub• Teske’s Germania Restaurant and Beer Garden• Bunch of CondosSouth Side of the park:• Johnny V’s• Arts Council Silicon Valley • City Begal • Ballet San Jose • Trinity Cathedral West Side of the park:• Eriks Deli & Café• Sonoma Chicken Coop• China Wok• Bars in San Pedro Square

Parking & Transportation:There are two good parking lots for this venue. There is a parking lot next to Saint John

street, and across the street is the San Pedro Square parking garage. There is a North/South VTA Rail Line Station, and VTA bus stop.

Brief Summary: This park already has held previous events, and the size of the park shows that this is a

good spot where a large crowd could attend to any type of arts and culture event. This site is also a great spot because of its location it will help the surrounding businesses, and liven up this part of downtown.

http://www.eventective.com/USA/California/San+Jose/85425/St-James-Park.htmlSome Photos of how the park looks with a crowd.

A crowd attending Music in the Park, a yearly event. An empty area in the park that could easily transform.

ST. JAMES SQUARE HISTORIC DISTRICT

The St. James Square is confined to East St. John, East St. James, North First St. and North Third St. It was laid out by Chester Lyman in 1848. It remained a muddy lot until 1868 when it was professionally landscaped with walkways and plantings by a local arborist William O’Donnell and became known as St. James Park. It was designed with a water fountain in the middle o the park but was removed in 1955 during the bisection of second st. Surrounding the park there are many buildings to look at when it comes to architecture. The district was listed on the national Register of Historic Places in 1979 and became a San Jose Historic Landmark District in 1984.

Surrounding Buildings

Starting with the Oldest• Trinity Episcopal Church built in 1863• Santa Clara County Courthouse built in 1866• First Unitarian Church built in 1891• Sainte Claire Club built in 1893• Eagles Hall built in 1900• Scottish Rite Temple built in 1924• San Jose Post Office built in 1933• First Church of Christ Scientist built in 1904

Its Dark History California’s last lynching happened on Nov. 26, 1933. Jack Holmes and Harold Thurmond were lynched in the connection of the kidnapping and murder of Brooke Hart, a 22 year old heir to the Hart’s Department Store in San Jose. After Hart's body was found, the mood in San Jose got ugly. A mob of nearly every kind of person young, old, was joined by countless fun seekers from the peninsula and Alameda County. Together, they staged a never-to-be forgotten scene in St. James Park. After reading the paper and listening to the radio people started to believe that the two would walk, so 5 to 10 thousand people stormed the County Jail and dragged out Holmes and Thurmond. When they got to the park they beat, stripped, tortured, and hung them.

Mob Route

St. James Lynching