theories of archi and urbanism comparative-essay
TRANSCRIPT
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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN
Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA)
Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM [ARC61303]
Project: ‘Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space’
PART 2: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ESSAY
Name: Tan Sheau Hui
Student ID: 0319235
Tutor: Mr Nicholas Ng
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Content
1.0 Introduction 3
2.0 Comparative Analysis 6
3.0 Conclusion 16
4.0 References 17
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1.0 Introduction
All cities in this world are organised by different urban systems and layout,
bounded by their very own context including the history, culture and social aspects as
well as the climatic and topography conditions. The urban planning of a city would
generate various forms of contact in public spaces between buildings, thus influencing
the human behaviour and social activities of certain area. The architecture that brings
impact to the daily life of human, has become a crucial contributor in defining the sense
of the place and shaping the identity of the city.
This paper is a comparative analysis on two case studies, Ho Chi Minh City
near Nguyen Hue Street area and a local site at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) in
Kuala Lumpur. A study based on the patterns of social activities, types of ‘contact
points’, varying degrees of contact intensity is compared between the two cities.
Although the human culture and behaviour in Nguyen Hue and Jalan TAR are
noticeably vary as the results of their own long history and traditions, both cities have
a number of similarities in terms of the types of contacts and activities at public spaces
in between the buildings.
Urban Morphology & Historical Development
To start with, land planning and urban pattern of the two cities are being studied.
The development of history in Ho Chi Minh city came about its French colonial period
in 1864-1940. Saigon (HCMC former name) used to be a loose gathering of buildings
than a town structured settlement until French developed it by forming a regular
rectangular grid-like pattern with city blocks; boulevard and avenues as main axis
running from north-west to south-west respectively at right angles, with the port
depicted the core of the grid. Since then, Saigon had developed from a small market
town into the thriving metropolis which later was renamed Ho Chi Minh city. The
systematic grid pattern has significantly influence the way of life in the city when the
buildings, road layout and vegetation all followed the grids, in turns, forming human
circulation and intermediate contact points at a rather organised pattern.
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Figure 1.1 (left) shows Saigon town map during its pre-colonial period
Figure 1.2 (right) shows Saigon map during its French colonial period (1864-1940)
Figure 1.3 shows Saigon’s city blocks and grid-like pattern with wide tree-lined
avenues. Notre Dame Cathedral is on the upper left rim with Rue Catinat leading
towards it from the river.
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As for Jalan TAR, the city pattern is more spontaneously formed over time
resulting in segregated building block forms and zones. The early development during
the British colonial period in 1920s centred mainly around Dataran Merdeka while
sprawled development along the start of Jalan TAR. A burst of development after
gaining independence of the country grew northwards of the street, with small
settlements started to grow away from the street. Towards the 1980s, urbanisation of
Kuala Lumpur leads to a more proper planning with reclamation of rivers while small
settlements were replaced by high rise buildings. This segregated urban pattern of
Jalan TAR formed throughout the decades has contributed to the spontaneous
formation of building blocks, nodes and contact points, thus shaping the city life in a
rather free manner unbounded by specific rigidity.
Figure 1.4 (left) shows Kuala Lumpur map in 1920s.
Figure 1.5 (right) shows Kuala Lumpur map in 1957.
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2.0 Comparative Analysis
Social Activities
Based on Jan Gehl’s “Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space”, outdoor
activities can be categorised into three types: necessary activities, optional activities
and social activities. This study focuses on the social activities, which are the events
that occur depends on the presence of others in public spaces. Different types of
places trigger different types of social activities to happen. For instance, in private
outdoor spaces within private dwellings, meeting and conversation often happen
among family members and neighbours while on the other hand, in a city square within
public buildings, more types and levels of social interaction take place as more people
are gathered, from the passive contacts between unknown characters which could
further developed into chance contacts; to close friendships contacts.
These spontaneously occurred social activities are the resultant of or events
that are indirectly supported whenever necessary and optional activities are given
better conditions in public spaces (Gehl, 2006). In the case of a poorly designed and
maintained streets or city spaces, the lack of attraction or comfort would lead to the
minimum activity to take place as people would hurry home. Conversely, in a well-
established environment, there is a greater possible of human activities to take place,
in a completely different and broad spectrum.
Figure 2.1 shows area studied in Ho Chi Minh near Nguyen Hue Street, with its
landmarks highlighted.
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In the area studied around Nguyen Hue Street, various types of commercial
and office buildings providing daily necessary activities for the local communities and
white collar workers such as working and grocery shopping; have consequently
resulted in communal and social interaction in certain public spaces in between the
building blocks. Some of which take place throughout the day whilst others occurs
during certain hours in a day or during certain festival seasons in a year.
In the area studied in Ho Chi Minh, most of the places where there are
possibility of contacts take place along the streets with vendors and at the road junction
area in between two or more active spaces. This condition could be related back to
Gehl’s theory where social activities evolve from activities linked to the other two
activity categories, necessary and optional activity.
Figure 2.2 (left) shows the map of Le Loi Street.
Figure 2.3 (right) shows Le Loi Street and the daily activities occurs among locals on
the street. (Street vendors, motorcyclists and local community)
Le Loi Street, an example adopted from Ho Chi Minh is a necessary interval
path between two tourist landmarks, with locals having the chance to vendor along the
street. The street vendors set in front of the shops have resulted in a seamless
connection with the roadway, where it allows the motorcyclists to stop by easily to view
or purchase the items on sold, thus creating higher chance of contacts among vendors
and shoppers. Conversation between motorcyclist and vendors and the meetings of
locals along the street being carried out in a spontaneous manner is the resultant
activity caused by the necessary and optional activity on the street, with the good
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architectural effect caused by the well-established vegetation canopies which provide
sun shading for the street users.
Figure 2.4 shows the well-structured vegetation canopy system along Le Loi Street.
Figure 2.5 shows area studied near Jalan TAR, with its landmarks highlighted.
As for the area studied around Jalan TAR, social activities are found to be
happened mostly in plazas in front of commercial and office buildings and along the
streets where stalls are set up. This patterns are found to be similar compared to Ho
Chi Minh, where social activities are triggered by the daily tasks and activities.
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Figure 2.6 shows the five foot arch walkway applied in front of shop houses.
Along Jalan TAR, five foot veranda walkway is one of the significant built form
established in front of every shop houses as a climatic protection for pedestrians,
creating a positive environment for people to stop by and rest. In reference to
Kenneth ’s “Towards a Critical Regionalism”, it is necessary to remind ourselves that
the tactile is an important dimension in the perception of built form, as one has in mind
the complementary sensory perceptions registered by the labile body (Frampton,
1983); the factor well aware by urban planners, in this case, has created a comfortable
environment for pedestrians, triggering the sense of enclosure, and this could further
lead to the possibility of social interactions within the five foot walkway.
Figure 2.7 (left) shows the map of Lorong Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR).
Figure 2.8 (right) shows Lorong TAR and the daily activities occurs among locals on
the street. (Street vendors, pedestrians and local community)
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Along Lorong Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR), the back street of Jalan TAR, the
behaviour of the shop houses that are opened for business at the rear street, has
allowed a higher chance for pedestrians to venture into the shops rather than merely
from the front street. The well-maintained walkway causes stalls and food truck
businesses to grow along the back street, while consequently inviting more visitors on
a daily basis. Street facilities including public seatings and booths set up has provided
possibility to sit and chat, thus leading to conservations and meaningful interaction
among local vendors and pedestrians throughout the day, again reflecting Gehl’s
theory regarding social activities that occur given good conditions.
The patterns of social activities studied based on Le Loi Street and Lorong TAR
shows the importance of necessary and optional activities for social events to take
place in an area. Nevertheless, the different cultural context of both cases has
achieved the theory in different ways. The preference for motorcycle transport in Le
Loi Street has resulted in street stalls set up near to the roadway for the ease of
approaching motorcyclists. On the other hand, the behaviour of two open facades of
shop houses in Lorong TAR has caused stalls to be set up on the back lane, with
seating facilities provided for walking pedestrians.
Contact Points
One of the elements of the city proposed by Kevin Lynch in “The Image of The
City” known as nodes is defined as strategic focus points for orientation like squares
and junctions (Lynch, 1960). In most cases, this is the points where chance of contacts
are higher when large number of people meet in public spaces, consequently lead to
higher intimacy of human interaction, which defines the term contact point. Hence,
defining the term ‘nodes’ and ‘contact points’ could be of the similar intention, where
they studies the depth and intensity of everyday human experience based on human
perception and the directional senses of people, without necessarily bounded by
physical forms or elements. The difference that define both urban ideas is that node
is defined through the vision of people way-finding the hue and orientation while
contact point is defined through experience of the visual and sensory elements created
between the connections of people.
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Figure 2.9 shows Bitexco Financial Tower at the road junction between Ho Tung Mau
and Hai Trieu.
Contact points of varying degrees of contact intensity are studied in the two
cities. In Ho Chi Minh, a road junction between Ho Tung Mau and Hai Trieu is found
to be a contact point of moderate intensity, where several levels of social contacts are
covered. It is a transitional point for office workers to rest during dining and leisure
hours. There are three main buildings which defined the human behaviour of the street
junction.
Figure 2.10 shows the open plaza of Bitexco Financial Tower during after-working
hours.
Bitexco Financial Tower is a skyscraper which offers Saigon Skydeck has
invited tourists despite daily office workers. A pedestrian-friendly open plaza in front
of the tower with sitting benches, tree shades and welcoming water features has
provided chances of contact when it serves as a point of family, colleagues and friend
gathering. A high intensity of contact occurs during after-working hours followed by
rather low intensity contact throughout the day with local shoppers and pedestrians.
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Figure 2.11 shows Nhu Lan, an eatery with its addition of food stalls.
On the opposite, Nhu Lan, a bakery and eatery is a place for dining and meeting.
As ‘people attract people’, the high concentration of people led to the addition of
multiple food stalls in front of the eateries, has attracted an even higher flow of people.
Mekong Housing Bank, on the other hand has minimal outdoor activities throughout
the day. Despite the building function, the moderate intensity of social contact at the
street junction is drawn by the properly paved walkway and crossings, which enhance
walkability while the limitations of car parks has led to high usage of bicycle and
motorcycles, consequently generate possibility of passive contacts. However, due to
the high rise building typologies of the point, high intensity of contact could hardly be
reached throughout the day as only indoor activities happen most of the time.
Figure 2.12 shows Ton That Dam with the street markets selling daily items.
Another types of contact point noticed is the street markets, with Ton That Dam
taken as one of the example. The flea market along the street forms a continuous
linear movement of necessary and social activities for local communities and tourists.
High chance for contacts are created by the multiple protruding verandas from shops
which enhance the intimacy and visual connection among people. Due to the low rise
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building typology and with the residences placed above the retail shops, the local
community especially the neighbourhood has a strong bond of connection with each
other. When a close friendship is established, higher level of social contacts take place.
Besides, extended roofs of shops with stall canopies also create accidental spaces for
pedestrians to take on shelter while mingling with each other, establishing meaningful
interaction and relationship among people. This urban behaviour tends to be humane,
hence establishing a high intensity contact point.
Figure 2.13 shows the plaza in front of Sogo shopping mall with large amount of tree
buffer.
In Jalan TAR area, a plaza located in front of Sogo Shopping Mall is a moderate
intensity of contact point having the similar traits as Ho Tung Mau and Hai Trieu road
junction in Ho Chi Minh. The high rise shopping mall provide a place for daily
necessary and optional activities mainly for the locals and occasionally the tourists.
The well-maintained plaza at the entrance has been a suitable place for short meetings
and rest for pedestrians. Sufficient amount of vegetation canopies and buffers as well
as the well paved wide walkway has provided proper environment for chances of
contact throughout the day. The stepped entrance has unintentionally become the
place to sit on when waiting for someone or for taking on shelter. The open area has
provided space for street performances to take place during weekend, while
decorations are made during festive months to attract more visitors. The contact point
tends to be high intensity during weekend or certain seasons and moderate on
common days.
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Figure 2.14 shows Jalan Masjid India, with bazaar on the left and shop houses and
residential mixed used building on the right of Masjid India.
Another contact point to be compared is Jalan Masjid India, where it is the place
of very high concentration of people who come for daily shopping and dining at the
flea market, also known as bazaar and the shop houses.
Figure 2.15 shows the bazaar beside Masjid India, which are opened for business
every day.
Simiar to Ton That Dam market, it is a market place with crowds of people on a daily
basis which triggers high chance of social contact. Different than Ton That Damn
market which sells mainly food and grocery, this bazaar offers dry items especially
clothing, textiles and accessories, which are of the popular items sold in Jalan TAR
area. Its location at the road junction has invited high intensity of visitors from different
directions.
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Figure 2.16 shows the residential and retail mixed used building in Jalan Masjid India.
Sharing the road junction as the bazaar is a block of residential and retail shops
mixed use medium rise building, where rows of shop houses with mainly textile trading
are found. The residential units with opened balconies have allowed visual connection
towards the street and also among the neighbours, at which passive contacts would
occur. Different than Ton That Dam which is occupied with high intensity of contacts
throughout the day, Masjid India junction has different intensity on alternate hours,
with high intensity during after-working hours and moderate intensity throughout the
day.
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3.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, everyday human activities plays an important role in defining the
behaviour of a city. Based on both of the studied cities, the establishment of
connections between indoors and outdoors combined with proper walkways and
resting places in front of the buildings has greatly affected the human behaviour on
the public street and spaces. Even though there are cultural differences which leads
to different languages of built form being communicated on both cases, the types of
contact points identified are more or less behaving in the similar manner. There is no
right or wrong in the spatial planning of the cities, however the categorization of
activities based on the social engagements help defining the quality of space and the
intensity of human experiences and feelings which are always connected with the
building. As Juhani Pallasmaa stated in “The Geometry of Feeling”, architecture is a
direct expression of existence, of human presence in the world (Pallasmaa, 1994),
hence human and contacts should be among the primary elements to be assessed
when an urban formation and pattern is studied as a city grows with the very existence
of human, and human experiences define the sense of the place.
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4.0 References
Frampton, K. (1983). "Towards a Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture
of Resistance", In Foster, H. (1983) The Anti-Aesthetic. Essays on Postmodern
Culture. New York: New Press.
Gehl, J. (2011). Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. Washington: Island
Press.
Ho Chi Minh City: Development on Fast-forward. (n.d.). Retrieved June 30, 2017, from
http://geozentrale.blogspot.my/2010/11/ho-chi-minh-city-development-on-
fast.html
Lynch, K. A. (1960). The Image of The City. Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Pallasmaa, J. (1985). The Geometry of Feeling: A Look at The Phenomenology of
Architecture. In J. Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the
Senses (pp. 44-49). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.