Above Below Beyond

Through a six-week open exhibit and the distribution of an “Exhibit Catalog,” Above Below Beyond has helped to spread the word about the potential of Philadelphia’s Reading Railroad as a public, regenerative space. Landscape architecture and architecture student work provided site context, graphic imaging, and programmatic scenarios. By sharing the often-untapped resource of student work with the public, we helped to start conversations about the future of this amazing railroad.

In the fall of 2012, three students, two in landscape architecture and one in architecture, collaborated to create Above Below Beyond, an exhibition of student design work inspired by Philadelphia’s Reading Railroad. Passionate about the potential of this abandoned railroad, we wanted to make years of student research, interest, and ideas inspired by the site available to the public in order to encourage the railroad’s development. Above Below Beyond was meant as a springboard and a catalyst, a conversation starter that could help spread the word about this historic infrastructure. We hoped that the often-overlooked troves of student work created about such inspiring places every year could be seen as a resource that could aid visionaries, community members and stakeholders in realizing the potential of such forgotten places.

The Above Below Beyond project culminated in a six-week open exhibit that was documented through our website, abovebelowbeyond.org, and in a run of 300 newspaper-style “Exhibit Catalogs.” Catalog copies were mailed or hand delivered to city officials, design professionals, community members, the non-profits working to promote the railroad’s development, educational institutions, and to local media outlets.

We raised $6165 for Above Below Beyond through the online crowdsourcing platform, Kickstarter.com. Over 21 days 104 backers donated between $5 and $500 each to support our cause. In return, our backers received varying prizes, including information about the site, invitations to meet with us at the exhibit, tours of the railroad corridor, exhibit catalogs, and railroad section postcards with which to share their own thoughts. The Kickstarter campaign web page was also well utilized as a quick introduction to the railroad.

Local, national and international media covered the Above Below Beyond exhibit. We were featured in ArchDaily, Inhabitat, Next City, The 34th Street Magazine, The Temple News, the Design Philadelphia Shaker and Curbed Philly.

We are continuing our efforts of promoting the development of the site through the following media outlets:

abovebelowbeyond.org
www.facebook.com/AboveBelowBeyond
www.kickstarter.com/projects/348743890/above-l-below-l-beyond-futures-for-a-former-railro