The City of Pain – Purgatory in Manhattan Central Park

Location: Manhattan district, New York
Type: experimental master project
Size: 300 000 sq.m.
Programme: healthcare and leisure centre
Year: 2010/2011

Project description

Purgatory is a research project in architecture becoming as  a process, in this case proposed as a separate mega structure, an intersitial city for the III and IV stage of Cancer and AIDS patients, unable to live without pain – relieving medications.
Furthermore, above all, it is an inclusively new ‘laboratory’ in the XXI century babylon called New York City’s Central Park. In an ordinary and common form of oasis of natural features and recreation  the ‘purgatory’ is proposed as a problematic project, gradually making the regular visitor traffic streams to accept new targeted visitors – sick and convalescent patients usually eliminated from the intense life.
As a research findings – there is a proposed an experimental model of the building that triggers a social public reaction and debates abuot a sick person integration, whom this project indicates firstly as a protesting individual, aware of his place in society and intent to reorganize it.
The project is designed as a process – not an architectural event. Green space in this study has acquired a new additional feature – the park area becomes a place for protestations.

Academic supervisor

Prof. K. Lupeikis