Linking Legacy to Lakeside Living

LING CHEN

Planning & Urban Design

R Reimaging the City of Squares

Linking Legacy to Lakeside Living

Sep 2023 - Dec 2023

Shaping a Resilient Confluence: the Brewery District
A dynamic mixed-use post-industrial hub seamlessly linking Lake Victoria and the inner city

The design aims to reconnect Lake Victoria with the city, transforming it into a dynamic, mixed-use area. It features a blend of passive and active elements, catering to diverse users and honoring the site's industrial past. The plan focuses on three key aspects:
1. Developing 'the Brewery District', a nod to the Eastern African Brewery heritage, envisioned as Kisumu’s cultural and economic hub for middle-class residents and innovators.
2. Creating a multifunctional, inclusive space accessible to everyone. 3. Proposing a recreational and scenic waterfront that harmonizes with the Brewery District.

Type: Academic Work, UPenn Planning Studio
Group work with Michelle Chan
Role: Urban Context Analysis, User Experiences, Design Strategies, Site Plan, Axonometric Rendering
Location: Kisumu, Kenya
Date: September, 2023 - December, 2023

The post-industrial lakefront, obstructed by railways, highways, and current industrial activities, and challenged by flooding, holds potential as a multi-modal transport hub, a mixed-use development center, and a scenic lakefront destination. Utilizing existing industrial and infrastructural assets, including the pivotal East African Breweries, this area is poised to be a significant socio-economic asset for Kisumu and Kenya. The presence of well-maintained warehouses further enhances its development potential.

Design strategies focus on tailored experiences for diverse users:

Local Workers:

Enhanced interaction & product promotion opportunities through the east-west linkage, featuring flexible spaces like a hub, trade market, and beer garden.

Tourists:

Extended experiences to the lakefront with attractions like a maritime/brewery museum and the Brewery Hotel, offering panoramic views of the mixed-use district.

Residents:

Access to mixed-use housing, live-work units, and commercial spaces.

Nearby Communities:

Connection to the lakefront via a network of recreational and fitness trails.

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