Entertainment and Architecture

The act of entertaining is entrenched in all societies and has become an integral element of modern civilizations. In our interconnected and globalized world entertainment is a major commercial industry which makes a positive contribution to a nations GDP. For example carnival and all the other associated activities of this cultural festival generates substantial economic activity and increases tourism for our twin island republic. Entertainment like any industry is dependent on a network of physical infrastructure and systems. This post will look at how the designs, shape, form and distribution of structures are used to facilitate entertainment in the urban landscape. 

We can look at physical structures in terms of their Function, design and aesthetics. One of the main characteristics of any urban space is its concentration of buildings. Functional aspects of structures can include the ability to hold large audiences and at the same meeting safety requirements for fast and easy access to and from the venue. Some structures are also multipurpose as they cater for a wide range of activities. Their spatial locations will be dependent on factors such as easy access, closeness to main arteries of human traffic, required space needs for structures, primary purpose of structure and the type of clientele accessing or using it.

pictures showing series of bars and eateries along Promenade all these structures help to create a hub of activity  and entertainment along this zone.  

It was noticed that in Port of Spain many facilities that are oriented to entertaining are located along main streets and are sometimes clustered into specific zones, for example Independence Square East on both northern and southern side of the Brian Lara Promenade there is a conglomeration of Pubs, Bars and Eateries this area corresponds to the high pedestrian traffic as these businesses try to capture these flows. Many of these businesses are designed in such a way to cater for the casual walk in customer. Another zonal area is Ariapita Avenue. 

Facilities used for large crowds where strategically located at the city fringe, this locale may be due to two factors the need for more expansive land space which would not be available within the city core and competition from other more affluent land use activities this can be linked to the concept of the Bid Rent theory as activities with the highest economic return will be located closest to the city core radiating outwards with activities generating less returns located to the periphery. A classic example of this is the Hasely Crawford Stadium and the Queens Park oval both multifunctional sporting facilities the latter funded by the Government and the former privately owned. In contrast to bars and pubs in the city core which depends on frequent pedestrian flows while these stadia are more event oriented.  

Many structures used for entertainment in the city where not purpose built facilities but have been adapted and modified to meet current needs this is particular true within the CBD where traditional housing have been revitalized to meet contemporary social and economics need.  

In terms of design we are looking at how building are placed, shaped and located, in relation to each other and other systems in the built environment. Aesthetics refers to human perception of the of the built environment its appearance, attraction, beauty and how they blend into our idea of being visually pleasing. 

Buildings in themselves through their physical design may seek to project the idea of being entertaining as they exceed the public expectation and give the perception of being beautiful. 

Buildings used as a source of attraction, modernist design, bright colours, intensification of physical structures move away from functionality to overemphasize pleasure. for example (movie Town).

Postmodern designs push the conventional boundaries and change our perception or world view, visual and functional entertainment. (National Academy for the Performing Arts)

left: water front complex,Right: national Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA)

Building with historical importance used as attraction Museums, cultural colonial heritage.

historical buildings around  Queens Park Savannah part of the cities heritage, buildings represent an architectural and historical attraction    

Globalization, technology, and Capitalism some of the main triggers of urban growth has also created a demand for entertainment which in turn supports institutions that specialize in broadcasting and emanating the many facets of entertainment. for example media houses and recording Studios.

Three of the most prominent media houses in Port of Spain, left: Express house, top right: Newsday and bottom right: Guardian house.  

Some structures for entertainment are also seasonal being constructed or modified in time and space across the urban landscape. This is apparent during the Carnival season where many of the urban green spaces are used to accommodate stages for spectators to view the street parades. The idea of suburbia and gated communities the overzealous need for a sense of security tied in with creating an exclusive experience has caused a shift in carnival activity resulting in the conversion of the Hasely Crawford Stadium into Stage for the parade of the bands. As stated by Richard Mohammed “Carnival is being destroyed and is becoming a masquerade for the elite” (T&T Carnival Summary), as activity is being shifted away from the traditional areas of downtown Port of Spain resulting in negative economic fallout for vendors in these areas.

Hasely Crawford Stadium Transformed into stage for parade of  carnival bands

The use of buildings and other structures for entertainment purposes within the city is wide and varied. Their architectural designs have been progressively changing over time based on our cultural history, with some of them still persisting today in certain zones. The designs have been continually been undergoing upgrades both in function and aesthetics to portray our modernizing world. Port of Spain caters for a cosmopolitan society with varied tastes, socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures who are also influenced by our globalized world. In turn urban architectural and building designs geared towards providing entertainment are continually adapting to meet the ever demanding needs of society.                

Reference:

2014 T&T Carnival Summary Thread." Isalnd Mix, All Isalnds All People. Accessed March 28, 2015.
http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f16/2014-t-t-carnival-summary-thread-265657/

   

   

    

      

Entertainment in Time and Space

 

Picture of people on Brian Lara Promenade as we call it in Trinidad Liming or just socializing, interacting, talking and enjoying each others company on the edge of one of the urban green spaces. this type of activity is part of our culture to relax, eat some food, enjoy the moment and entertain each other. 

The city of Port of Spain and its outlying areas of influence can be defined to some extent by the beat and movement of human activity. We determine the pulse and character of the urban landscape. The city scape welcomes, accepts us as we flow through and interact with its built environment. In turn cities are globalizing networks of productive informational and human exchange (Amin and Graham, 1997). The city corresponds to our lifestyle and needs, be it by day or night, weekday or weekend, Carnival or Christmas, from the commercial business districts, to individual enclaves within the city to its physical fringes can create zones in time and space that will show patterns of various aspects of human activity. With entertainment as our main focus we will look at the spatial variations of entertainment within the urban landscape of Port of Spain and determine what patterns exist and the underlying reasoning if any. 

Having fun on the Promenade for B Mobile  promotion

          Trinidad is a society that has a vibrant entertainment culture, we as a society is gifted with the peculiar knack of transforming the physical environment and almost any activity into something that bring some sought of leisure or amusement. Port of Spain draws a large transient daily population estimated at approximately 250,000 persons, with this daily influx it seems almost natural or essential for the city scape to provide some sought of entertainment for this vast convergence of people in this small area. 

          But the question can be asked how do people seek leisure in the city over an average day, week, month or year and where in the city do they seek this, is it concentrated along the promenade and Independence Square is it uptown or downtown to the east or west of the city, is activity spatially distributed to create zones or sectors are there underlying socioeconomic forces that contribute or determine this or legislature that control and regulate, or are these patterns organic unplanned and spontaneous. 

We shall now try to examine this

          Now like most cities activities can vary between just a few hours between day and night cycles. Our economies are tuned to this daily unfolding of events which can be seen below. The stark difference in terms of our established norms and behaviors based on the time of the day.

 

There is also a stark difference in the purpose for persons visiting the city on Saturday and Sunday. It is less work oriented and more associated with the culture of consumerism and leisure activities like visiting eateries, shopping.

There can also be variances in the density of people within the urban limits during the calendar month or seasonally during the year based on various activities associated with entertainment.

In Port of Spain the Month end crowds (although some are for business, a large part of the urban entertainment culture increases when people have disposable income) 

top left and right promenade west, bottom left and right promenade east, pictures showing variations in human activity between west and east.

People liming on Promenade east (area is a focal point of activity eateries, pubs, Bars and Casinos are all part of the attraction of this urban space). Entertainment activity within the CBD: it was noted that this area was concentrated with traditional commercial activity not many Pub/bars on Fredrick street, however there is a cluster and variety of eating outlets. This emphases the importance of food as a medium of socializing and leisure. The catchment areas south of many of the main street that flowed into the promenade known as south key contained a mixture of bars and eateries with Chinese restaurants dominating.

Bars and fast food restaurants edge of  promenade

City periphery and west, these areas affected by the forces of urban sprawl, entertainment strip created geared to modern culture. Ariapita Avenue multi functional entertainment hub although still part of Port of Spain is still far enough from the central hub of the city to create a sense of exclusiveness from the traditional city areas and its associated problems. Many activities in this zone can also vary in time becoming more active at nights and weekends. The avenue as we know it is transformed into a multiplex of street food dining, members and exclusive clubs, fine dining restaurants, clubs and bars each catering for their own special niche.

As we head further west there is a combination of self contained multipurpose shopping and residential areas such as One Woodbrook Place and Movie town both represents the modernistic consumerism everything in one place hub of convenience and leisure. These areas provide almost every modern need in one confined accessible area. However it is their modern movie centers together with the many fast food restaurants and spaces for socialization that make them a hub for leisure and entertainment.

Movie Town and One Woodbrook Place

 As we can see the urban areas of Port of Spain caters for those seeking entertainment within its confines in a wide spectrum of places and over a varied period of times. From the old city center and promenade that caters to the Trinidad liming culture and all inclusive bars and eateries which caters to a mix and varied cosmopolitan society which is also bombarded by the globalized institutions. With movement away from the center going west sees a more modernist approach to entertainment with some areas becoming exclusive to a particular socioeconomic class. The west ward boundary of the city creates physical structure that also caters for suburbia and the gated communities who seek enjoyment within the safe confinements of an area away from the social ills of the city core.

The streets of Port of Spain is continually used as a canvas for many street parades such as Carnival which was mentioned in previous posts. This festival has become so popular with the convergence of people on the streets in moving flowing parties through the network of streets that this festival becomes a major challenge for local authorities to regulate and control activities to maintain some sense of regularity during this period.   

left: Brooklyn Bar during day and right: at night

From our brief look of entertainment in the city we see that Port of Spain is an area that is multi functional in its usage. Entertainment facilities are concentrated in areas of high pedestrian activity to conveniently capture these flows. Although as we move west away from the CBD entertainment becomes more modern in its general feel which can create the perception of segregation and exclusiveness. These areas may be just more akin to the forces of globalization. It is also noted with interest that food can be looked at beyond that of just providing basic nourishment but an integral component of our culture of socialization and entertaining with the many conglomeration of eateries throughout the city.   

Entertainment in Port of Spain can also be considered in terms of scales from the large Pubs and Bars that can facilitate hundreds of people, to the two seat checkered table tops of the Promenade for small groups to play chess or checkers.     

left: playing cards right: playing chess on outdoor tables Promenade

Historically in time Port of Spain has had a rich social history from the various European interests which has extended to the various forms of leisure and entertainment activities being conducted. As expressed by (Besson, 2011) in his overview of life in Port of Spain he gives a historical perspective of the evolution and introduction of various activities where he states,  " the new settlers brought with them gaiety and festivity. Dance halls and night clubs sprung up all over the town, and every year before Lent the French held Carnival celebrations". This shows that apart from the infrastructural and economic development that was occurring during the 18^th century in Port of Spain, the many facets of entertainment had already taken root and became part of the urban environment.  

In conclusion entertainment can be considered like any other components of the urban form which can be used to express and characterize a city.    

References:

Amin, Ash, and Stephen Graham. "The Ordinary City." Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series, Vol. 22,, no. No. 4 (1997), 411-29. 

Besson, Gerard. "Port of Spain Early City Life." The Caribbean History Archives. August 12, 2011. Accessed March 28, 2015. http://caribbeanhistoryarchives.blogspot.com/2011/08/port-of-spains-early-city-life.html.