The Quality of Quantity Asian Melbourne Research by Alan Lau
Alan Lau Te Hong S3221748
The Quality of Quantity In this research, I have selected 3 different context examples of three different cultures of retail spaces to compare the difference in their difference in attitude towards the treatment of shopfronts. Comparing cultural examples from Asian-Asian, Asian-Melbourne and Melbourne-Melbourne, i will be using different drawing and mapping techniques to help point out the differences between the three different cultures in three different kind of retail examples.
Asian-Melbourne
Asian-Asian
Melbourne-Melbourne
Straits Quay
vs
Spirngvale Central
vs
Barkly Square
Maeklong Market
vs
Footscray Market
vs
Queen Victoria Market
Gage Street
vs
Little Bourke Street
vs
Little Collins Street
Straits Quay Retail Penang . Malaysia (AA)
Primary Ancestry - Chinese Density - 1500/km2
Jalan Seri Tanjung Pin ang
Located along the waterfront shopping centre in Penang, Malaysia, Straits Quay is a mix of hotel and retail. The semi-indoor retail strip, also acts as a thoroughfare for pedestrians trying to get near to the waterfront. The place attracts middle income families especially on weekends when shops are being set on the centre of the corridor space. Furniture and goods are displayed beyond the individual shop’s boundary line, blurring the threshold. This starts to create pockets of space along the linear retail strip, creating a more intimate retail experience for the shoppers.
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
Fashion
Souvenir Store
1850
1900
Homeware
7000
Accessories
700
1150
Florist
Antique Shop
1100
Accessories
Accessories
1450
2150
1350
1250
1250
1300
1650
1150
750
Accessories
600
600
Homeware
700
450
Fashion 1000
750
2300
600
1700
950
1200 1250
1250
Fashion
650
2100
650
Fashion
2100
Cafe
650
Florist
Fashion
Florist
Fashion
Fashion
Straits Quay Retail 1:100
Springvale Central Springvale . Victoria (AM)
Primary Ancestry - Vietnamese Density - 1645/km2
Ave
Springva
Windsor
le Rd
Buckingh
am Ave
Springvale Central is located in Springvale, Melbourne next to the Springvale railway station. This small hang out place made up of F&B and value for money retail shops attracts low to middle income families every day. Like in Straits Quay Penang, People often use this covered retail space as a thoroughfare to access the market at the back from the Springvale Road. The spilling out and informal territorial space occupation by the goods and queues both on the shop front and corridor centre helps to attract customers by creating a more intimate retail experience while walking along the corridor. Rules and regulations are ignored as even the fire hose door is covered with boxes for display.
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
Hair Salon
Store
Homeware
Cigarettes
Fashion
Japanese Restaurant
Barkery
ATM 1900 1400
1800
3900
2300
1900
1800
1300
650
1300
550
550
1000
1200
1000
3700
3150
3950 1200
1000
1100
1100
1400
900
1300
1200
750
2150
1550
1300
1000
8500
550
1100
1050
650
1050 1000
700
Manicure
Mobile Repairs
Kids Fashion
Chinese Cafe
Hair Salon
Fashion Shop
Fashion
Goldsmith
Fashion
Fashion
Springvale Central 1:100
Barkly Square Shopping Ctr Brunswick . Victoria (MM) Primary Ancestry - Italian Density - 4377/km2
This retail strip in Barkly square located in Brunswick is one which is often used by pedestrians as a thoroughfare to get to the car park from Sydney Road. This linear covered corridor space with a few public seatings placed on the centre corridor is often dull and unattractive. Strict rules apply for the shop owners when displaying their goods as boundaries have got to be strictly obeyed.
Sydney Rd
Weston R d
Barkly St
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
1:5000
1:2000
Cobbler
850
850
Fashion
2900
Fashion
1200
1650
Vacant
Telecommunications
1450
2850
3250
2850
3250
7000
3250
3250
2850
2900
Manicure
2850
Bookshop
900
Fashion
Massage Palour
2900
Lqiuor
Lqiuor
Barkly Square Shopping Centre 1:100
Review
Straits Quay . Springvale Central . Barkly Square
Straits Quay Retail
Springvale Central
Barkly Square Shopping Centre
All the three retail examples share common similarities of being often being used as a thoroughfare in a covered corridor space of almost similar widths. It is evident that in the Asian influenced examples of Straits Quay and Springvale Central, the informal occupation of territories provides a more attractive shopping experience as compared to Barkly’s square long and linear repetitive space.
Maeklong Railway Market Bangkok . Thailand (AA)
Primary Ancestry - Thai Density - 5300/km2
Phet S amut
The Maeklong Railway Market in Bangkok, Thailand is one that is not commonly seen, especially in western influenced countries. The market occupies an existing railway track which is next to the railway station. The train passes by every 30 minutes and slows down as it approaches the station. The slow movement of the approaching train allows shop tenants to quickly retract their goods to make way for the train wheels. The train track is being use as the main corridor space for shoppers to walk on with often some of the shops display spilling out onto the track, making it narrower for shoppers to move along.
Kasem Sukhum Rd
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
550
Seafood 750
600
650
Fashion 650
Accessories Footwear Fruits Vegetables CDs 550
450
7800
1450
450
400
600
1100
1000
650
650
600
500
Seafood
550
550
500
600
Seafood
600
400
950
350
Vegetables
700
1650
1300
800
850
800
850
Fried Snacks
700
350
850
800
1000
Seafood
650
1450
450
2000
2750
2000
Seafood Seafood
Maeklong Railway Market 1:100
Footscray Market Footscray . Victoria (AM)
Primary Ancestry - Vietnamese Density - 2640/km2
In Footscray Market, the corridor space is shared by both pedestrians and delivery trolleys. As there are no timing rules to obey, deliveries from the loading bay and main streets to the wet market takes place throughout the day. Despite the tight corridor space and heavy traffic, display goods are often displayed beyond the shops’ boundary, making the corridor space just wide enough for delivery trolleys to manoeuvre across.
Leeds St
Hopkins S t
ng
i Irv
St
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
750
550
700
600
700
650
700
600
950
850
1350
1800
850
600
900
900
600
850
1100
1200
1200
1400
1450
1450
1550
3600
2100
2350
700
850
800
750
750
950
Footscray Market 1:100
Queen Victoria Market Melbourne . Victoria (MM)
Primary Ancestry - Chinese Density - 2571/km2
The Queen Victoria Market sits on the fringe of the Melbourne CBD grid. The Queen Victoria Market has got constant passing by trucks and forklifts along the main corridor spaces shared by the public. Despite being a crowded market, the market has a generous corridor width of 6m. There is not much panicking even when trucks are moving through as there is always ample space on both sides of the truck for shoppers to continue to walk around.
Queen St
Peel St
Victoria S t
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
800
800
850
950
1200
1800
900
1000
1200
2500
6000
2600
800
900
1200
1000
1000
1350
800
950
1350
Queen Victoria Market 1:100
Review
Maeklong Market . Footscray Market . Queen Victoria Market
Maeklong Railway Market
Footscray Market
Queen Victoria Market
The three examples have got similar qualities of a main corridor space being used by both pedestrians and vehicles. In the case of Asian influenced examples, the Maeklong Market and Footscray Market, the corridor space is being taken full advantage of by shop vendors to display of good despite being heavily used, leaving only ample space for vehicles and trolleys to move along. This often leads to pedestrians having to move into the closest shop while waiting for the incoming traffic to pass. Perhaps this is a kind of strategy for shop vendors to attract shoppers into their shops?
Gage Street Central . Hong Kong (AA) Primary Ancestry - Chinese Density - 16390/km2
Qu
ee
n’s
Rd
n
to ing ell W
St ge Ga
Like most of the streets in the dense urban environment of Hong Kong, Gage Street is filled with restaurants and groceries shops. Despite the tight corridor space and narrow entrances, shop owners continue to display and store their goods along the shop fronts’ corridor. This has led to pedestrians using more of the street meant for vehicles, whereby the vehicles have become an invited guest and have to give way to them.
St
Ho od
wo lly Gr ah
am
St
Rd 1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
2200
1000 7950
Seafood
1000
1000 5300
Butcher
1000
900
750 5650
Restaurant
5200
Restaurant
2700
2600
2500
2500
2800
2800
2200
1000
1050 5600
Restaurant
1000
Gage Street Sections 1:100
1050 5600
Bakery
Gage Street 1:100
Little Bourke Street Melbourne . Victoria (AM) Primary Ancestry - Chinese Density - 2571/km2
t
le S
sda
Lon
Also known as Chinatown in Melbourne, Little Bourke Street is made up of restaurants and small Asian souvenir shops. The tight corridor space and regulations has led to no display and storage of any goods outside the shop boundaries. But this has not stop shop owners to fill the facades with goods display, posters and advertisement wherever possible. sell Rus
n nsto Swa
St
St eB Littl
e St ourk t ke S
Boru
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
4200 2050
2050
3200
2800
2850
2850
2850
2500
2500
2500
950
2050
4900
4900
Restaurant
Restaurant
3300
2500
1150
1900
4350
Restaurant
2500
4550
Gift Shop
850 4250
Gift Shop
2500
900 4250
Restaurant
400
2500
300
950
Lt Bourke Street Sections 1:100
950 5550
Gift Shop
4700
Souvenir Shop
Lt Bourke Street Chinatown 1:100
Little Collins Street Melbourne . Victoria (MM)
Primary Ancestry - Chinese Density - 2571/km2
Located just few blocks away from the Asian influenced Little Bourke Street, the western influenced Little Collins Street sits at the western side of Melbourne CBD with a totally different atmosphere. The street is rather quiet both on weekdays and weekends despite being located in the CBD as in the case of Little Bourke Street. The street is mainly made up of restaurants, cafes and a few fashion shops. Shopfronts are clean with very little advertisements and displays other than shop signages.
St rke
Bou
ins
Coll
t
St
en S
iam
Que
Will e Littl
St
ins
Coll
St
1:5000
1:2000
Focus Site Delivery Route Public Route
400
2000
1000
400
2000
1000 11700
Restaurant
900
2000
1900 5700
Restaurant
Cafe
850
2000
5050 5600
Cafe
2000
700
4200
4300
4100
3900
3850
3900 3200
3200
2000
2000
1250 6100
Cafe
Lt Collins Street Sections 1:100
2000
1000 5850
Cafe
5750
Fashion Shop
1000 5750
Gift Shop
Lt Collins Street 1:100
Review
Gage Street . Little Bourke Street . Little Collins Street
Gage Street
Little Bourke Street
Little Collins Street
There is a stark contrast between Asian and Western influenced streets. The heavily decorated facade treatment of Gage Street and Little Bourke Street has successfully livened up the atmosphere of the street. This is especially evident when Little Bourke Street is compared to Little Collins Street as both of their restaurants share almost identical food prices.
Conclusion The examples and differences that are highlighted in this research are just some factors that describe the difference between how various cultures respond to the shopfront treatment. Other factors like the difference between income groups, opening hours, demographics and even climate all affects the attitude of shop vendors towards the treatment of their shopfronts. In this research, it is evident that shopfronts of Asian influenced are more successfully in creating a more attractive and lively environment for both shoppers and pedestrians as compared to the Western ones. Asian influenced shopfronts may lack quality due to its lack of order and coherence as seen in the Western ones, but makes it up with quantity. Its chaos and highly decorated shopfronts has successfully attracted more crowds to benefit its business. Every inch of space on the Asian influenced shopfront is up for grabs whenever possible and minimum space is left for people and objects to move around as compared to the generosity of the Western shopfronts. Perhaps the strategy of the narrow streets helps slow down pedestrian movements, hence giving them more time to look around and luring them into the shops with curiosity?