Carry Architecture - The translation of Gánh in Architecture

THE TRANSLATION OF GÁNH IN ARCHITECTURE

by Jenny Do

j.do@student.artez.nl

Supervisor: Eric de Leeuw

Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the City,

“City meant two different things – one a physical place, the other a mentality compiled from perceptions, behaviours and beliefs. “

Richard Sennet, 2018, 10.

The public spaces have always been a topic of interest since I started interior architecture. I believe what happen on the street makes the city whole. I came to research about the sidewalk and vendors, then I realize why would they be the subject of informal activities, when their appearances and existence have made Ho Chi Minh City a more vibrant metropolitan. These vendors have been so vivid in my memory , and since the beginning, I have been so close to these kind of sellers that the urge to bring them into a research is importantly needed. Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, I feel the responsibility of finding how this unique character of the lives takes place on the sidewalks, and the streets themselves. For me, vendors have been taken for granted. I did not recognize the importance of them until I recall all the evenings I spent and went out with my friends, mostly every day. Vendors are the heart of the city and that makes the sidewalk, their body.

Carrying architecture seem to be a bizzare idea. But, can we carry architecture, for example, on our shoulder? For many centuries, people carry objects on their shoulder to move around places. However, carrying architecture seems to be an untouched and underrated subject. Because, seriously, how can we carry a building!? Well, the concept of caryying architecture may sound strange to people. And after researching about the vendors and their activities on the sidewalk of Ho Chi Minh City, I came to realize the importance of their existence in the identity of the city itself and their role in providing for the region. And more importantly, I found the the act of carrying baskets and carrying space may collide at some point. Yes, we cannot carry a building, a house on our shoulders, but, what about spaces? Can we carry spaces? The story of the “gánh” and its connection with architecture will be translated in this research by means of experiments and modeling.

“GÁNH” CARRY & ARCHITECTURE

What is “gánh”?

Before, the explaination about “gánh”, we have to understand the origin of sidewalk culture in Vietnam, where this type of activities take place. And the interesting story is not about how un-modernized the public space in Vietnam is, but to be aware of the meaning of “gánh” that can affect the world of architecture.

Figure 1.1 Basket vendors working on the sidewalk in Saigon in the 60s. Picture by Manhhai

Figure 1.2 Basket vendors working on the sidewalk in Saigon in the 60s. Picture by Manhhai

Sidewalk culture, according to Vietnam Architecture Magazine, was originated from the consequences of urbanization of agriculture-based country.1 On the other hand, “Sidewalk culture” has been investigated by domestic and foreign sociologists, and narratives have been surrounded around the discussions of Vietnamese city culture from history, activities happening on the sidewalks. Gradually the sidewalk has become an adjective meaning “informal” or “inauthentic”, which are used to describe the properties of attached nouns in many cases. Therefore, it can be said that sidewalk culture is not an easy thing to detach from, while maintaining activities on the street in a reasonable way are considered to be a problem. Dang has studied how the urban divide has pushed the working classes out of the city centers and this reform is partly responsible for taking the sidewalk as an informal location for the working class to produce more economically.2

According to Vietnamese, “gánh” means “to carry”. And the word “gánh” is used either to describe a form of vendor with the baskets on their shoulder or to define an action of carrying items on the shoulder. In fact, it is interesting how this form of culture has carried on for centuries even though it may cause pain and inconvenience for the user. One of the oldest images of this activity was found in various period of the civilization. At that time, the use of the basket carrying was for water supplying routine. They can be noticed in ancient China, Italy, Tunisia, Ghana, etc. There was little evidence of how this form of activity appeared in Vietnam in the same period of time, but it is clear for Vietnamese to recognize this type of vendor encroach the sidewalks of the city until present.

“Gánh” is caught on the sidewalks due to its significance, characteristic, and occupation. To carry the “gánh”, the user has to place the center of the bamboo bar onto one of their shoulders to create a balance state, therefore, after which they can carry them around the city. There is another type of carrying the

baskets which is placing them on both of the shoulder, the bar, therefore, will be place align with the shoulder. Normally, this type of carrying is often used only if the weight on the baskets are too heavy to adjust. In the big city, vendors mostly place the baskets on only one side of the shoulders to minimize the spatial occupation of the street while moving. This type of vendor will be translated into visual design and architecture in this research. In other words: What if you can carry your own space?

According to a research paper investigated by Hiemstra, van der Kooy, & Frese on the Assessment of Psychological Success and Failure Factors in 2006, street vendors are defined by three identical characters. The first is a configuration of small-scale business which operate from fixed spots at a specific location, in which there are usually accessible site, for instance, marketplaces, busy street corners. These businesses can be classified as stationary. Some sellers prepare their products at home and sell it while scrolling across the city. Most of the time, their location frequently changes from one place to another, commonly by bicycle or on foot, to advertise their goods. That form of businesses can be defined as ambulatory (Figure 1.1& 1.2). There are also vendors who choose to prepare and sell their foods at home, this type of street vendors can be named as residential.3 These three type of vendor have constructed a solid foundation for the sidewalk culture in HCMC in the current time. They can be seen as individuals or in groups, and mostly owned by women. In other cases, the vendor can be run by a group of relatives where their shift changes during the day.

Therefore, “gánh” can be considered as a type of ambulatory vendor. These women are the subject of this artistic research not only because of their characteristic on the sidewalk, but also their importance figure in gives me an idea of how can these type of vendors can be translated in architecture. With a bar on their shoulder, they carry everything they can, from personal belong-

ings to products of merchandise. I have been astonished and wonder how this activity can be used in the architectural design practice.

To carry is “to support the weight of”,4 as according to Oxford definition, and in this case of the vendors, the human body support the weight of the basket with the help of the bamboo bar. Therefore, it can be said that the bamboo bar is presented as the extension of the shoulder in order to carry the basket, the weights of the objects.

“Things have mass. Carrying things makes their weight perceptible…Carrying a chair with an additional backrest bar can be carried with one hand. The lower the bar, the easier it is to carry.”5 How can a simple chair be duplicate to carry more than one person? How can the bodies be connected by means of carrying? What is the translation of “carry” in architecture? Why should we carry architecture?

I came up with several experiments with two of my colleagues by making them participate in a structure that I created, to see how they manage to carry one another. In other words, how the element of carrying have in relation with balance. In the following weeks, I follow an idea of how to make designs that can be changed and portable in spaces. During my artistic research, these experiments go towards my initial inquiry of changing spaces and its functions by means of carrying. After few weeks of experiment this type of carrying and applying this into my practice, I have found out that our body is made to carry itself, therefore, we can be functioned to carry others things. To make things work, our cells, muscles, bones, mind in the body work as a machine. Since I made the series of drawings from the poses, I came to figure out how the element of balance is a crucial point in creating a stable carry state. It is fascinating to witness the street vendors scrolling on the street by themselves carrying all

their tools and necessities. The sidewalk culture has been my inspiration to dig into this unique activity. The other artist that triggers my research conclude the work of the Austrian architect and designer, Walter Pichler, with his series of sculptures and drawings designated to human figure as well as imaginary spaces in architecture. The volume and their function has been translated into proposed architectural sculptures. “In the design of Pichler’s work, symmetry is the most distinguishing aspect. Linked with this we see an absolute preference for rigrid, straight views (frontal or lateral) and, because of this, a strong emphasis on the contour of the form. One can see that the form of his sculpture was first conceived as contour. Volume was then articulated with the contour.”6 The Portable Living Room project is still remained, for me, a turning point on how we create spaces, regardless of all the standards for how a living room should look like.

Therefore, thinking of the connection between “carrying” and portable architecture in this research is my further step to understand how the meaning of portable spaces affect the way human live, play, interact, socialize. I am always skeptical thinking of the vendors’ mobility on the street, their flexibilities trigger my motivation to collaborate human body to the architecture itself. The Carried Space is an experience where the weight of one object can become a crucial part in changing the volume of a space. The height of the changed object will be served for different purposes. For instance, dinning surface, study surface, or a low surface for coffee time.

In a standard dinning room, personally, the most important furniture is the dinning table. For example, imagine of how the function of the table can be switched into a space that can be attached with our body. Or how can we create a space that can be movable with our body and changes to our needs and behaviors. The table can be a great example of how I experience carrying spaces with the human body. I use my body as the legs

Figure 1.3 TV-HELMET (PORTABLE LIVING ROOM)-1967 Walter Pichler

Figure 1.4 THE CARRIED SPACE, Jenny Do, Nov 2022.

Figure 1.5 THE POR-TABLE, Jenny Do, Dec 2022

Figure 1.6 THE POR-TABLE, Jenny Do, Dec 2022.

of the surface then the surface become the table for others. Without my body there will be no object of function. I use the table surface as a space to connect with others, in which, the only way to make a space is to be together carry a surface. The difference here between me and the “gánh”, the vendors, is I try to share the carrying with other people. Therefore, it can be said that I have managed to create a space, a design, where balance is also an important element.

Whether I carry the space or I carry it with others, I need to place myself in the position where I find it most stable to move. It happens also with the vendors who carry their baskets around the ciy, balance can be considered as a crucial part in studying this research about “carry”. Beyond this and to move on with my initial research, I acknowledge the idea of how carrying spaces change our behaviors in public and private spaces. The Por-Table experience is to find out how one person react to the surrounding in means of carrying. However, only people of the same heights can demonstrate this object as the surface of the table need to be aligned with the ground. Therefore, I have learnt that the Por-Table is limited to certain group of people with same figures.

Therefore, to carry is to stay balance. And to carry architecture, we need to put our body in a stable state.

How can we carry architecture?

HOW CAN CARRYING ARCHITECTURE CHANGE OUR WAY OF LIVING IN SPACES THROUGH THE STORY OF THE BASKET VENDORS?

The ground carry the pillars, The pillars carry the floor, The chair carries the person, The person carries the plates.

Carrying in space is a continuance of behaviors, actions, and posture.

The vendors carry the baskets because they need to change their location every hour. They carry the “space”with them including their belongings. The “space” have no front and back. I can imagine how convenient that is to have everything with you just by carrying.

For me, carrying archiecture should be the subject to be discussed more often. Especially in the time when temporary living has become an option for those who commute regularly. We carry architecture so that the space stay the same adjusted to our needs. The New Kitchen is an eperiment on how the space of the vendor can be used as a portable kitchen. Instead of the baskets, I experimented the space functions as a kitchen. With place for stove, fire, spaces for storing utensils, spaces for dinning. In general, space of functions. We should carry an architecture, rethinking how a space is not made of wall, floor and ceiling but by the human itself. As the vendor creates space

Figure 1.7 THE NEW KITCHEN, Jenny Do, Jan 2023.

surrounding them, regardless of the location, environment and community. The symbol of “gánh” and their appearance on the sidewalk is a sign of space itself. Therefore, the vendors is carrying an architecture on their shoulder as though it may not look anything like it.

SPACES FOR DINNING

SPACES FOR COOKING WHILE MOVING

“Rather than thinking of architecture simply as a backdrop to everyday life or the structure inhabited by it, why not a direct-architecture that does not suggest, or hint at, commuality, but which is enacted ny utilized to generate something collective”. Co-machine: Mobile Disruptive Architecture, Alison Hugill, 2018.

KITCHEN ON THE MOVE

Endnotes

1. Vietnam Architecture Magazine. Sidewalk culture: Negotiation and Purposes. Tran Quang Duong. 12th September, 2016 <https://kientrucvietnam.org.vn/van-hoa-thuong-mai-via-hethoa-thuan-va-muc-dich/>

2. The Hien Dang, Street Life as the negotiation process: case study of Sidewalk Informal Economy in Ho Chi Minh City, IOP Publishi, 2018, 1

3. Annemarie M.F. Hiemstra, Koen G. Van Der Kooy & Michael Frese , Entrepreneurship in The Street Food Sector of Vietnam–Assessment of Psychological Success and Failure Factors, Journal of Small Business Management, 2006,4-5.

4. Oxford Dictionary

5. Franziska Wittmann, Bodies in spaces, ETH Zurich, 2019.

6. Rudi Fuchs, Walter Pichler, Walter Pichler- Drawings: Sculpture: Buildings, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 1982 13.

References

Drummond, L. B. (2000). Street Scenes: Practices of Public and Private Space in Urban Vietnam. In U. S. Foundation (Ed.), Urban Studies (Vol. 37, pp. 2377-2391). SAGE.

Hugill A. (2018) Co-machine/Mobile Disruptive Architecture. Dan Dorocic.

Kim , A. M. (2015). Sidewalk City: Remapping Public Space in Ho Chi Minh City. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Perec, G. (1974). Species of Spaces and other Pieces. (J. Sturrock, Ed.) Penguin Classics.

Sennet, R. (2018). Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the city. Allen Lane.