Elysium
Khiara YapThe word “Elysium” is derived from the Greek Elysion and describes an ideal state of bliss and delight. Elysium exemplifies happiness through the integration of nature and nurture. The ability for users to engulf themselves in nature allows them to experience its beauty with all five senses and envision a brighter future through the addition of vegetation that combats climate change.
Elysium promotes the ideology of nurture, bringing the surrounding Jersey City community together to learn how to cultivate crops with different types of gardening styles to combat world hunger and the poverty that surrounds the park. Elysium leads as an example of freedom and the will to fight for a better future. Jersey City has grown into one of the most populated cities in New Jersey because of its gorgeous views of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty. The Statue, the most iconic embodiment of the idea of freedom and passage to brighter futures, is highlighted by the view directly through the glass.
It is time for change and Elysium is the guiding beacon of hope for the future to come.
Khiara Yap is pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. This project was originally prepared for ARCH 196 taught by Julie Chen in Spring 2023.
This project was published as part of Transect Volume 5: Pedagogy (2024), Jacob Swanson, Daniel Girgis, Dhruvi Rajpopat, Fatima Fardos, Jimenna Alcantar, Elizabeth Kowalchuk, eds.