ASIAN ARCHITECTURE ESSAY

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE

ASIAN ARCHITECTURE (ARC 60403) HISTORIC STREET ESSAY

Tutor:

Mr. Koh Jing Hao

Group Members:

Benjamin Tan Zi Hern Check Jian Shuang Chong Kit Yee Chong Wen Bin Chong Xin Dean Chong Zhao Lun Lim Yang Kang

(0324857) (0320089) (0319748) (0327442) (0325353) (0320408) (0320538)

Jalan Hang Kasturi is located at the beginning from Kampung Pantai which interacted with Jalan Tukang Emas and cuts across Malacca’s two main tourist attraction streets which are Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street) and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok (Heeren Street). History of Jalan Hang Kasturi began during the 18th century when Chinese immigrants from villages near Guangdong and Fujian, China came to Malaya. Many of them started their business and decided to reside in Melaka. Before the street being called as Jalan Hang Kasturi, local people also named it as “Tofu Street” or “Jiang Hu Street”. In Hakka language, “Jiang Hu” means starch, during that time people often used of starch for aesthetic purposes within that street after being used they will throw after and filled the drain full with starch water. On the other hand, there are several types of stories about how “Tofu Street” came about. First story mentioned that how Hakka community find the word “Jeong Hu” isn't pleasing to the ears thus they decided to change it to “To Fu”. There is also another saying, “Tofu Street” started because of the plan view of the houses and streets that looks like tofu being cut.

Lastly, it is about they decided to change the name when hawker stalls began to sell tofu-based snacks at the area.

Figure 1.0 18th century, Chinese immigrants from Guangdong, China came to Malacca Malaysia.

Figure 1.1 Location of Jalan Hang Kasturi.

Malacca is a multi-racials place of friendly, warm hearted people, consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Baba-Nyonya, Portuguese and Chitty. The Chinese community consists of Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and Hainanese group of people. Their variation in culture also reflect on their broad range of food. At this present time, the artisans still practice their trades in shop sets up by their ancestors. The fact that the value of the properties under the UNESCO designated World Heritage status have been escalating causes many traditional family business to close down or forced to find a new spot to start their business again. There is one restaurant serves the best authentic Teow Chew Cuisine within the city. There is one Tofu Cafe ​(Figure 2.1), run buy a Chinese family and also Fui Chew Association ​(Figure 2.2) which is at the opposite of the small cafe, originally known as ‘Hai San Company’. It was set up by Mr Le Chen Fah and a group of countrymen in 1805.

The eye catching mural art (Figure 2.3) of the eight running horses are painted by two local chinese artists, using chinese calligraphy method. In respect of historic preservation certain craftsman in Jalan Hang Kasturi are still practising their “hands-on” skills and knowledge of building process.

Figure 2.1 Tofu Cafe

Figure 2.2 Fui Chew Association

Figure 2.3 Mural Art

One of those traditional practitioners is Fwu Chang trading (Figure 3.1) who specialise in traditional stone tablets and wooden signboards carving. Plaque in Chinese characters used to be placed above main doorways and at the side of the doors or on pillars.

The one above main doors are indicating the business or a household, the family name or the province they originate from, while the one on sides are often well wishing Chinese phrases. This is a complex craft that requires a knowledge of classic Chinese, refined calligraphy skills and mastery in wood carvings. Next on the list is the skills of timber bucket

making (Figure 3.2), a forgotten tools for storing which used by merchant and households in the past. The timber is hand picked for its quality, hewn, cured and carefully form into watertight staves that are held together by thin strips of metal hoops. Other than that, there is a shop named Yuet Heng Rattanwork (Figure 3.3) selling chade variety of kitchen utensils and rain gutters for roof of houses are also a traditional traders, baskets, stool, trays which all made either from rattan or bamboo. Tinsmith ( Figure 3.4) which are still practicing by the artisan. Due to the handiness of modern machine in processing tin, there are now only a handful of traditional tinsmith left on the street.

Figure 3.1 Fwu Chang Trading

Figure 3.3 Yat Heng Rattan shop

Figure 3.2 Timber Bucket Making

Figure 3.4 Tinsmith Shop

In a tropical climate country ,the small town Malacca inspires many with their architectonic beauty of the ‘Shophouse’. This typology is a mixture of Chinese building principles with Western giving it an almost perfect balance between interior and exterior.

There are more than 600 shophouses and townhouses of different architecture styles and influences, which can be separated into different categories, depending on their facade designs and in example: Dutch Style, Southern China Style, Early Shophouse Style, Early Transitional Style, Early Straits Eclectic Style, Late Straits Eclectic Style, Neo-classical Style, Art Deco Style and Early Modern Style. The architecture styles that can be found along Jalan Hang Kasturi were mostly Late Straits Eclectic Style (1920-1940) as well as Art Deco Style (1930-1950). Late Eclectic Style architectures along Jalan Hang Kasturi can be easily recognized by the extensive use of masonry as building material and the indigenous façade designs from various ethnic traditions in Malacca. The most prominent feature of this architecture style would be the brightly coloured ceramic tiles and the elaborate ornamentations molded with plaster in the form of bouquets, festoons and plagues. One of

the most significant Late Straits Eclectic architectures would be Oriental Riverside Residence Guesthouse and Galileo Guesthouse (Figure 4.1) at the end of Jalan Hang Kasturi with elaborated cantilevered details and ornamentations on facades due to the development of reinforced concrete during 1910’s.During the period of 1930-1950, Art Deco styled architectures started to emerge along Jalan Hang Kasturi after Late Eclectic architectures. The style is categorised by the use of of straight lines arranged either vertically or horizontally in conjunction with other geometric elements, creating a strong vertical or horizontal emphasis to the structure which can be seen from the façade of Fu Xing and Fwu Chang Trading (Figure 4.2) which both of the shophouses run the business of signboard carving, stone carving and gold Chinese character printing. Also, this particular architecture style emphasise the date of construction on the façade of the building. Structural wise, these architectures are masonry rendered or Shanghai plastered which then resulted in cantilevered sunshades and high pediment or parapet wall.

Figure 4.1 Galileo Guesthouse

Figure 4.2 Fwu Chang Trading

The important event in the past has a great impact on Jalan Hang Kasturi in terms of architectural styles, culture and local people. The historic city of Malacca have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchange between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. The road begins from Jalan Kampung Pantai, intersects with Jalan Tukang Emas (Goldsmith street) and the famous streets Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street) and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren street). It is a long and narrow street with interesting history. Dating back to 17​th century, during the Dutch Malacca, servants and subordinates of Dutch masters used to live at the nearby Heeren Street. However, as the Dutch left by 1824 due to they lost interest in Malacca and began to concentrate their efforts on Indonesian, Chinese immigrants from villages near Guangdong, China came to Malaya. Many of them started to reside in Malacca and did business within the district, giving the street a deep-rooted ethnic and cultural flavor. Due to the influences of its history, Jalan Hang Kasturi is filled with historical shophouses along its left and right sides. There are more than 100 shophouses with different architecture styles and influences on this street. This typology is a mixture of Chinese building principles with Western giving it an almost perfect balance between interior and exterior. Jalan Hang Kasturi has its very own essence of uniqueness and where artisans still practice their trades

in shops set up by their ancestors. Despite of the rapid urban and commercial development, Malacca town area have largely retained urban style of old shop houses, religious and administrative buildings. Many of the landscape from that era can still be recognized until now. Original street patterns in the old Town map and present still can be seen.

Every street in a city in Asia has its own unique characteristics, due to different of social, cultures and intellectual context of its city but some street today may still remain from the past instead of the modernisation and globalisation today. Which had keep on the way of life of its community in that street. Malaysia need to remain some of this street with constitute rich heritage values which reflect the local culture of a particular community for nowadays people to revisit or travel through reminiscence the old day of the street which is still exist in this era.

References Leo, R. K. (n.d.). History and Historical Chronology. Retrieved June 20, 2017, from http://khleo.tripod.com/chrono-2.htm Kamal, D. K. (1970, January 01). Typology of Malaysia Shophouses, Building Conservation.

Retrieved June 20, 2017, from http://buildingconservation.blogspot.my/2007/05/typology-of-malaysia-shophouses.html Kamal, D. K. (1970, January 01).Categories of Shophouses, Building Conservation. Retrieved June 20, 2017, from http://buildingconservation.blogspot.my/2009/01/categories-of-shophouses-at-malacca.html Welcome to fwuchang.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2017, from http://www.fwuchang.com/index.htm Shophouses: Our Heritage. (2012, September 27). Retrieved June 21, 2017, from https://smalltalesofsg.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/shophouses-our-heritage/ Metro@thestar.com.my, M. V. (2013, December 12). Jalan Hang Kasturi: Street of tinsmiths and tofu - Community. Retrieved June 21, 2017, from http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/12/13/street-of-tinsmiths-and-tofu-jalan-hang-k asturi-is-a-place-where-artisans-still-practice-their-tra/ Chun, H. K., Dr. (n.d.x). An Influence of Colonial Architecture to Building Styles and Motifs in Colonial Cities in Malaysia. Retrieved June 22, 2017, from https://www.malaysiadesignarchive.org/an-influence-of-colonial-architecture-to-bu​ilding-styles-an d-motifs-in-colonial-cities-in-malaysia/