Everyday architecture – from buildings to benches – is part of the built environment we inhabit, pass by or engage with everyday as we go about our lives. They may be places where we work, shop, socialize, relax or find entertainment. They are often smaller buildings and places that feel more intimate and closer to the social life of the street than many of the larger grand looking structures we often associate with architecture. They are examples of vernacular architecture – modest buildings and other structures – that are designed more for their function than their form. Jersey City’s mix of midrise apartment houses and private homes reflect this kind of architecture.
Most of the city’s apartment houses, built decades ago, at first glance look ordinary mirroring the vernacular architectural style. But on closer inspection, many have architectural features that distinguish them.
While part of what might be considered everyday architecture, some buildings stand out with their grand entrances.
Other apartment houses, with more modest entranceways, can still make an impression.
Everyday architecture, with its emphasis on use and function, is reflected in many of the city’s streetscapes with their mix of stores at street level and apartments above. This provides convenience for residents bringing them together, creating an urban village. It also promotes a local economy of mom and pop businesses.
Corner Stores are an integral part of many streetscapes and everyday architecture. Their window displays have their own kind of beauty with their mix of neon and poster ads.
Outdoor displays are part of the architecture along sidewalks. They are often artful and recreated everyday, attesting to the labor and ingenuity of their creators. They attract shoppers adding to the social life of the street.
Other displays of goods, with the prices listed, illustrate how these temporary structures also have a commercial purpose.
Outdoor displays are just one example of what might be called “street furniture” which are objects or equipment placed on the street, usually intended for public use or enjoyment. Chairs and tables, which have begun to appear in parts of the city in recent years, are prime examples.
Sidewalk planters are becoming more common adding a little beauty to people’s lives as they move about the city.
Bus shelters are a taken-for-granted part of street furniture but important in terms of design and comfort.
Kiosks, small booths in busy parts of a city, are another part of the architecture of the street. They house small businesses providing goods and services to passersby adding life of the street.
Bollards, short posts that create a perimeter around a building or store, seem to be everywhere we walk now. They reflect a continuing fear of a terrorist attack brought on by 9/11. Bollards are a part of the streetscape that has received little public attention. Do they reassure the public or make some urban spaces feel more like a fortress?
Emergency phones are also becoming prevalent on city streets and in parks as fear of crime remains a concern of many residents.
Bike racks are a relatively new form of street furniture. They reflect the city’s changing demographics as well as a renewed emphasis on healthy living and a cleaner environment.
Vehicle charging stations for electric cars are newer forms of street furniture.
Everyday architecture, from charging stations to outdoor displays, as well as stores and buildings, along with a host of many other modest structures, are part of the built environment most of us negotiate each day. They reflect changes in the city as well as the routine of daily living. And in many cases, they influence our experience of the city and how we interact with others.
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Jersey City Today 