SOCIAL CONDENSERS
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BY ELIZABETH TEO
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CONTENT
Beginning
Abstract World Context -utopias
-garden city
-futurist architecture -social condensers -modernism -metabolism
-urban living = retail
-public space = malls
Singapore as a city of malls -how it started Strata Malls -historical context
-shophouses -tabula rasa -architectural significance and inspiration -realisation of ideas -failure -response
Investigation
-people’s park complex -bukit timah plaza -beauty world centre -bras basah complex -golden mile complex -overall
Case Studies -unit
-city in the space -torre david
-floor & wall
-cities without ground
-made in tokyo -social attractors, golden mile tower
-link
Synthesis
Application
Design Intention Adaptation
-progression -unit -floor&wall -link -social condensers now
Conclusion
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Studies on Strata Mall
BEGINNING
Architectural utopias have always projected a certain ideal of urban living as a solution/discourse to what is going on in reality. Retail specifically has and continues to be an integral part of people’s lives, growing to become an essential component of urban living. This is especially so in Singapore, a city of malls. In fact, the design of strata malls has come to be a representation of social condensers in Singapore fulfilled by the implementation of metabolism ideals. However, with numerous strata malls faced with en bloc proceedings, the relevance of this typology is challenged, calling for the renewal of this typology to the needs of the present while still keeping to the essential framework that it was conceived on.
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ABSTRACT
WORLD CONTEXT Urban living is understood as the way in which people navigate an area with high population density and infrastructure of built environment.
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Ever since the urban crisis of European cities in the early 19th century where mass migration of the population to the cities led to unhygienic living conditions and overcrowding, issues of urban living have been in the forefront of discussion. Architects then did not shy away from their opinions of how people should live, taking on the issue with gusto, proposing utopias of how they believe people should be living instead. The following chapter will touch on some of the many that were proposed during that period of time.
1. Image credit: Jerry White “ Life in 19thcentury slums: Victorian London’s homes from hell
Utopias One of the first few were “Garden City” by Ebenezer Howard (1902) who having despised the urban conditions then, proposed a utopia of a repopulated countryside where there are self-contained small towns arranged in a concentric pattern connected by a rapid transit system, creating a “polycentric 1 Social City” . The first physical realisation of his theory was in Letchworth Garden City in 1905, though capitalism and the pursuit of profits got in the way of the original intention behind the plan. After which, the only other built project that kept to the original principles Howard had in mind was Welwyn At the same time, other utopias were At the same time, other utopias were conceived as
1. Peter Hall, “Cities of Tomorrow, an intellectual history of Urban Planning and design since 1880,2014 2. Image credit: Ebenezer Howard, “Garden cities of to-morrow” (1898,1902)
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At the same time, other utopias were conceived as well, with architects presenting their own take of the urban situation which they observed then. 13
One of them was by Antonio Saint Elia. Though he never got to realise his proposals, his manifesto of the Futurist city envisioned it as a “machine”, “an immense and tumultuous shipyard, active, mobile 1 and everywhere dynamic”.
1. Antonio Saint Elia, Futurist Architecture (1914) 2. Image Credit: Laura Arrighi “Antonio Saint’Elia, The architect who designed the city of the future”
The idea of the social condenser postulates the “deploying (of) architecture as a way to forge radical new kinds of human collectivities.. Crucially, it also encompasses the entire domain of architectural endeavour: from dwelling and work to public space and everything in 1 between” . Essentially, using the design of spaces to break down perceived social hierarchies in an effort to create socially equtable spaces with the Narkomfin building being one of the best suited examples of a social condenser.
1. Michal Murawkski, Jane Rendell “ The social condenser: a century of revolution through architecture, 1917-2017” 2. Image Credit: Archirost “Narkomfin building”
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Another powerful architectural concept produced was the “social condenser” in response to the monumental event of 1917 in the Soviet Union.
Similar to Le Corbusier’s Radiant City, where he envisions a city full of “skyscrapers within a 1 park”. , skyscrapers were his eventual conclusion so as to achieve the decongesting of city centers, improvement of circulation and the provision of open spaces to the public. Essentially, he hoped to achieve maximum liberty for each individual where nobody would be tied down by anyone and people would constantly be in the move, hinting towards the dynamic and changing nature of the city. Whilst promoting the uniformity of apartment units in his scheme, he also included the idea of combining several programs into one, i.e. office, entertainment and cultural spaces.
1. Peter Fitting, “Urban planning/Utopian Dreaming: Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh Today, Utopian Studies, Vol 13, No. 1 (2012), pp 69-93 2. Image Credit: Kat Eschner “ How a controversial European Architect Shaped New York
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Some of his earlier works as a realisation of these beliefs was Unite 1 d’Habitation, completed in 1952. Unite d’Habitation was conceptualised as a “city within a city” containing living, public and communal spaces stacked into a high rise building. In terms of spatial organisation, most communal spaces were arranged on the roof and the rest evenly distributed within the interior spaces of the building.
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However a series of events that went awry, led to the supposed failure of the Modernism movement, culminating in the demolishment of pruitt igoe. Common criticisms include how such top down planning was too alienating, lacking a sort of street life that characterises the culture of the place.
1. Andrew Kroll, “AD Classics: Unite d’ Habitation/ Le Corbusier”, 2010 2. Image Credit(left): Kurt Kohlstedt “Unite d’Habitation: Le Corbusier’s Proto Brutalist Urban Sky Villages 3. Image Credit (above): James Clear “Why Old ideas are a secret weapon”
Metabolism was the last in the series of architectural utopias conceived, culminating from the failures of the Modernism movement and first proposed by a group of Japanese Architects in a manifesto 1 during the 1960 World Design Conference. At the point in time Japan just came out of World War II, suffering from the impact of the two nuclear bombs and experiencing a tabula rasa of sorts. This gave space for potential building projects up to an urban scale, allowing architects to redesign the city from scratch. Metabolism as a biological term, is the equilibrium of two broadly opposing chemical pathways that allow for the constant regeneration of chemicals needed to keep the cell alive. Architecturally, this idea of regeneration was something that Metabolists wanted to capture in their projects as well. To borrow the understanding proposed 2 by Fumihiko Maki of the collective form , designs crafted can be broken down first into its essential architectural elements: wall, floor/roof, column, unit and link which will ultimately come in the form of three main typologies (or a cross of them): composition, megastructure and group
1. Rem Koolhaas and Hans Ulrich Obrist “Project Japan Metabolism Talks� 2009 2. Fumihiko Maki, Collective Form 3. Image credit: last accessed on 24/04/19 : http://designart.jp/en/architecture/ hillsideterrace/
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Wall: Any element that separates and modulates space horizontally. Walls are places where outward and inward forces interact and the manner of their interactions define the form and functions of the wall
Floor/Roof: Any element that separates and modulates space vertically.
Column: Architecturally a supporter of gravitational loads but environmentally an element that transfers certain functions
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Link: “Linking” and “dissolving linking” are invariant activities in making collective form out of either discrete or associate elements. In operational terms there are a number of linkages -- physically connected link, implying link, built-in link and so forth.
Unit: A primary space in which some of the basic functions of human existence are contained and occur
Urban Living = Retail With each utopia of urban living conceptualised, retail makes up a consistent part of the design, pointing towards its irreplaceable presence in people’s lives.
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In fact, as the city changes, importance of retail continues to grow. Tracing back all to the way to the Greek agora in 400 B.C.E composing of spaces for public forum and the market place, evolving to the bazaar, exchanges, arcades, department and 1 finally culminating to shopping malls in the 1960s . In the city today, rows of streets can be dedicated to the building of retail spaces, with shining glossy shopping malls dotting the urban landscape of our city. Overall, the issue of or urban living has been a problem that architects have tried to tackle for years, proposing utopias that capture the essence of what the city was then and projecting towards what they hope design can achieve. Throughout these proposals, retail has an undeniable presence in the designs, suggesting its irreplaceable presence in the concept of urban living. In fact, over the years, retail has continually grown to become a huge part of public urban space, possibly becoming the central focal point of people’s lives.
1. Rem Koolhaas, The Harvard Design School guide to shopping 2. Image Credit: Rory Boland “Hong Kong’s Best Markets”
CITY OF SHOPPING MALLS 27
Perhaps the best example of how retail, aka shopping malls have taken over the public space would be Singapore; Singapore is not just a Garden City or a city that bans chewing gums but quintessentially 1 also a city of shopping malls. Densification of programs further encouraged by how the city is cash rich but resource poor.
1. Karen Gwee, “Pay tribute to Singapore mall culture with Inokii and Roxy Records at a temporary museum this August�, 3 August 2018
1. Image Credit (left): Ian Lim, “A suaku Singaporean’s virgin visit to ‘Little Thailand’ Golden Mile Complex” 2. Image Credit (right) last accessed on 24/04: http://www.singapore-guide.com/ singapore-shopping/the-shoppes-at-marinabay-sands.htm
There are primarily two shopping mall typologies in Singapore. Strata malls were the first consolidated urban typology that brought the once disparate stalls into a single structure, its name aside from pointing towards multi-level apartment blocks and horizontal subdivisions also refers to multiple ownership of individual lots and common property. Eventually, these form of multiple ownership gave way to REIT managed shopping malls that have sprung up recently, which aside from obvious differences in management -- owned by big developers that rent out individual lots- they also offer a stark contrast architecturally in terms of the design and how people appropriate the space.
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how it started
Public Space = Malls Overall, shopping malls in Singapore hold an integral part of people’s lives, becoming a crucial 1 aspect of individual and national identity . They germinate businesses, support the development of youth cultures and generate decades of intangible collective memories. In terms of weather, they provide the respite from the all season summer that Singapore has whilst providing an array of programs for shoppers to peruse, serving as the primary public space that Singaporeans choose to go to and hang out in.
1. Chris Hudson, “ION Orchard: atmosphere and consumption in Singapore�, June 29 2015
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Hence it makes sense to look specifically at commercial spaces in Singapore as a study of what has essentially made up the crux of what urban living is in the country.
INVESTIGATION
STRATA MALLS
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Strata malls serving under a multiple ownership management have become accessible to different types of people, encouraging a diversity of social activities to happen within the mall. Combined with the success in the use of different types of architectural principles in the design, it has become a new kind of "social condenser" in the present, where instead of focusing on breaking down social hierarchies, the social activities that thrive offer a new kind of collectivities that revolve around different aspect of people's lives.
1. Karen Gwee, “https://www.senicaphotos. com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ singapore-1972.jpg�, 3 August 2018
Historical Context In the case of Singapore, it would make sense to trace back how Malls came to be such a significant part of its culture. First by looking at the historical background behind how the first typology of shopping Malls— strata Malls came to be, beginning with the shophouse typology.
shophouses
These two to three story buildings consist of a commercial space on the first floor with a residential space on the top, combining living and working spaces within a single structure. When they line next to each other to form a street, it creates a very high dense and flexible space with simple but strong connections and relationships between each block.
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Shophouses started out as a mode of living in order to solve the housing and commercial needs of new immigrants coming into Singapore during the 1800s.It was a translation of the existing Southern China urban shop dwellings brought over by the predominantly China immigrants 1 then , which were eventually transformed into a distinctive Singapore shophouse typology.
Particularly, the five foot way which was the threshold between the commercial space and the street became an adaptable space which can hold a spill out of activities from within the shophouse engaging people in the street. Yet, the people within the residential unit on top is also not alienated but could form their own interactions and engagement with the public space of the street through the interface in the facade of the building. Hence allowing for a dynamic and changing environment within the street of the row of shophouses at that point in time.
1. Tze Ling Li, “ A Study of Ethnic Influence on the Facades of Colonial Shophouses in Singapore: A case study of Telok Ayer in Chinatown”
Tabula Rasa With an increasing number of immigrants coming to the colonial state looking for better opportunities compared to their home countries, spaces within the city become more built up with the propagation of shophouses, slums and squatters. By the 1950s, 90 percent of the island’s population have 1 been living in an urban environment. (Stephen Dobbs, Urban redevelopment and the forced eviction of lighters from the Singapore River) However, due to the uncontrolled growth and build up of the urban environment, this led to unsavory living conditions for the people, with primary issues of overcrowding and the lack of basic amenities. Understanding that Singapore is a small nation with limited land resources and that high dense living is an inevitable reality, the state decided that clearing and replacing the existing urban environment of Singapore was the best strategy to move the nation forward. One of the crucial steps the government took in order to kickstart their plans was the enactment of the Land Acquisition Act in 1966 (LAA), which allowed the state to acquire land for any public purpose 2 from private landowners at below market prices . Henceforth, within the next 40 years over 15,000 land parcels were acquired and the corresponding shophouses, villages, slums and squatter areas that used to reside on these land were cleared. This led to a great urgency and demand for high dense residential and commercial spaces in order to resettle the displaced inhabitants of these places.
1. Stephen Dobbs, Urban Redevelopmentand the forced eviction of lighters from the Singapore River 2. Sock-Yong Phang, Policy Innovations for Affordable housing in Singapore 3. Image Credit: ST File Photo by Christopher Loh
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Architectural Significance The fast pace of resettlement and demolishment coupled with increasing growth rate and growing commercial demand led to a growing urgency for architectural projects that can replace and meet these needs. Although practical means of designing would have been the obvious option to take given the desperation to meet demand, architects then also wanted to infuse a sense of local culture that had existed before the massive redevelopment undertaken. Notably, Tay Kheng soon and William Lim wanted to keep the heart of the old urban developments, with its dense connectivity and relationships along the street 1 of shophouses into a vertical structure . Inspired by various utopian ideas then, i.e. metabolism, they looked at how these theoretical concepts could be applied in Singapore whilst keeping to what they originally aspired to achieve.
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SPUR 68-71
One of the important aspects that the architects wanted to keep was the concentration of activities and programs within the same space so as to prevent a polarization of different programs distributed throughout the country. Hence, most Strata Malls condensed multiple programs in one structure(i.e. offices, carparks, residential, retail), even adding onto the existing programs in the shophouse, taking into account the changes in people’s lifestyle from before. Due to the density of having multiple programs in the same space they created a cohesive community that evolved with needs which were constantly changing. This is reflected in micro adaptations seen by the residents and stall owners according to their corresponding social practices and allowing for a transient and dynamic urban environment within the structure. Macro adaptations can also be seen with physical extensions and linkages to context.
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Hence using it as a guiding principle, architects sought to intensify connections and relationships that existed from shophouses to create a dense and dynamic urban environment in Strata Malls as a new local typology.
Realisation of Ideas However there will always be a dichotomy between plan and reality. Architecturally, the principles to which the architects used to design the malls created spaces that foster community and harken to the older days of streets of bustling activity along the line of shophouses. Yet, reality panned out differently for strata malls, leading to a gradual decline of shoppers, resulting in 'dead spaces'.
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With declining crowds in strata malls and difficulty in deciding amongst tenants on upkeep, mechanical parts began to fall 1 apart. Hence, the relevance of this typology is challenged with a growing number of strata malls facing en bloc proceedings to sell off the land and resettle into a new space, such that a new “tabula rasa” 2 is kickstarted again.
In its place, REIT malls have been designed as an alternative typology. Though they have become a major commercial go-to for people, it is characteristically different from strata malls, losing a distinct quality that allows it to embody local cultures and practices of the people. Aside from just the superficial difference in ownership,
strata malls also consist of dense connections that create fluid boundaries compared to REIT malls that have very distinct separation of spaces from store to circulation to the 3 external public space.
1. “Strata malls where retail goes to die”,4 September 2017 2. Rem Koolhaas “ Singapore Songlines” 1995 (Image Credit (left)) 3. Lee Jian Xuan, “The old-world beauty of Beauty World”, 21 March 2014
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reit
response En bloc proceedings do not need to be perceived as negative, it represents the cyclical manner in which a city grew, deteriorated, died and regenerates itself. However, even so a successful mature city would still need “good urban and social foundations” which are secured on the history and heritage of 1 the nation. This would mean that future designs would still constitute bits and pieces from the past in terms of architectural design and understanding which will strengthen the identity of the nation. With multiple strata malls being replaced for new development, there is an urgent need to study and look at the architectural principles which lay behind their designs whilst also projecting towards a new hybrid framework informed by these strategies for the future.
1. Tai Lee Siang, “ Value of Architecture”, President of Singapore Institute of Architects 2. Image Credit: Michelle Ng, “How Singapore’s street food scene evolved”, The Straits Times, 2 Sept 2018
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STUDIES ON STRATA MALLS 1
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There are around 80 strata malls in Singapore , presenting a wide range to study from. Only five are chosen in order to look in greater detail how architectural strategies have been used in a dense urban setting comprising of multiple programs within the same shell, as such they are also broken down and analysed in a similar manner as the case studies via wall/floor, unit and link.
1. Sue-Ann Tan, “Why strata malls are struggling to survive�, The Straits Times 8 October 2018
UNIT
a primary space in which some of the basic functions of human existence and society are contained and occur
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Bras Basah Complex Presuming a single catalyst that starts from a corner of the second floor, the range of influence easily includes the rest of the complex despite the size of the place due to the proximity of the stalls.
Golden Mile Complex Due to the small lots packed linearly in a long stretch, when looking at spheres of influence, it is more localised within the mall , keeping within the side that it is in.
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Beauty World Centre The influence of a single unit is relatively widespread within the mall due to the bigger sized stalls and the compact frame of beauty world centre.
People’s Park Complex Due to the length of the whole complex, when having a single unit within a corner of the mall, the spheres of influence is also limited to the area that it is in .
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Bukit Timah Plaza Having a catalyst a little further in to the mall allows for a wider influence despite the long frame. However due to the size of the mall, the spheres of infleunce is also rather limited.
UNIT | SYNTHESIS
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Units are considered as :”a primary space in which some of the basic functions of human existence and society are contained and occur”. In the case of strata malls, instead of just primarily looking at the residential units, a stall is also considered a unit. A stall is defined as a place where commercial transactions occur. Given how people’s lives have become centred on shopping malls as not just a place to buy and sell goods but also a public space for social gatherings, a stall also becomes the place where the basic functions of human existence and society are contained and occur.
In strata malls, stalls are mostly placed in a linear manner like rows of shophouses closely packed next to each other. Hence by looking at how a single unit can influence the rest of the stalls, it looks at the manner in which these “units” are determined and configured within each mall.
FLOOR/ WALL
any element that separates and modulates space horizontally and vertically. In terms of walls, they are places where outwards and inward forces interact, and the manner of their interactions defines the form and functions of the wall. Whilst for floor, these include underground, ground and water surfaces and even elements floating in the air
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Bras Basah Complex Different programs are stacked atop of each other and connected by a series of lifts and staircases that run consistently throughout the rather compact building. A small plaza and flight of stairs serve as main connection with the street.
Golden Mile Complex Different programs are stacked on top of each other in a terraced manner and are connected by a series of lifts and staircases located at the two extreme ends and along the central connecting atrium. Additional communal spaces and the carpark are also placed at the side connected by a single bridge. A long flight of stairs and a service road connect the complex to the main street.
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Beauty World Centre Apartment block can only be accessed via the lift lobby at the centre of the carpark. The carpark is situated to the side of the retail space, creating a more compact complex rather than a long linear one.Split staircase and the service road separates the centre from the main road.
People’s Park Complex Apartment block, shopping and office areas are stacked on top of each other and connected at only one point. The car park serve as the horizontal plane which separates commercial and residential. Vertical elements criss cross the space creating a layered form of connection between horizontal planes that work towards creating the “urban living room�.A large plaza serves as a transition from the street to the complex.
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Bukit Timah Plaza Apartment block, shopping and office areas are connected vertically at one point.Car park and communal spaces at the roof act as the horizontal plane which creates a clear distinction between residential and commercial.Flights of stairs separate the shopping mall from the main street,
FLOOR/ WALL | SYNTHESIS
In terms of connectivity, a continuous vertical connection between programs throughout the building such as Bras Basah Complex and Golden Mile Complex seemed to present a better way of connecting the space throughout the structure and offer possible strategies for future application Whilst People’s Park Complex offers interesting ways to use the “wall” to modulate the space vertically via a criss-crossing of the space which intensifies the visual connectivity that happens within the space.
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All five strata malls showed interesting ways in combining horizontal planes and vertical elements to modulate the space 3-dimensionally.
LINK “linking” and “dissolving linkage” are invariant activities in making collective form out of either discrete or associate elements. In operational terms there are a number of linkages -- physically connected link, implying link, built-in link, and so forth
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Bras Basah Complex Long and slender atriums connect the commercial district across the four different levels, stopping at the elevated void deck on the fifth floor.This give small visual links to various parts of the complex and giving a certain sense of porosity across the structure.
Golden Mile Complex One central atrium space that runs all the way from the commercial space to the residential and communal area, creating a continuous link throughout the building and allowing light to come in from the outside.The terraced form also influences the change in shape of the atrium as the space ascends vertically.
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Beauty World Centre One central atrium links the whole commercial space together which morphs and twists in size and shape, giving different visual links at each floor.
People’s Park Complex There are two main atriums that make up the central place of the shopping mall, creating visual linkages throughout the commercial levels and further densifying the relations and activities within the space,creating an “urban living room”. The conception of the “urban living room” was first coined in this complex as a public space for the people within a vertical social condenser, linking the community with each other across different activites.
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Bukit Timah Plaza There are two main atriums designed first in the commercial space and second in the residential area on top. Both allow for consistent visual links across the different floors with relatively no changes in size or shape.
LINK | SYNTHESIS
However most either concentrate such spaces within the commercial areas or have a disconnect between programmatic spaces with the exception of Golden Mile Complex that incorporated a natural terraced atrium that runs throughout the vertical space of the mall, connecting the different programs together. In that scenario, it creates for better links between different programmatic spaces.
1. Fumihiko Maki “ Nurturing dreams, Collected essays on architecture and the city”, 2008
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Links are considered as :”invariant activities in making collective form out of either discrete or 1 associate elements" . Strata malls primarily used the design of atrium spaces within the structure to create visual links throughout the building and depending on how it is used , also create an intensification of public space like that of People’s Park Complex.
OVERALL
One of such reasons would be the lack of consideration of people, how they are connected to one another and to their environment. Coupled with the crucial shift in the pipeline of information available to everyone such that the skills for making decisions have become more dynamic, there is a fundamental shift in the traditional understanding of architectural elements and how they are designed. In response, the role of architects is also transformed to system designers, handing over the primary role of design to the people.
1. Amanda Lee Koe, "If this is home, truly, it should look like home" (1 April 2018)
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Though these architectural elements have their merits, with Golden Mile Complex being termed 1 as a "collective form" by Fumihiko Maki, possible reasons for failure can be sieved out by considering the circumstances today.
Case studies that exemplified the consideration of people were used to expand the understanding of what each of the architectural elements can come to mean. These will act as suggestions of new ways to look at these elements especially in relation to the architectural designs of strata malls.
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CASE STUDIES
UNIT
a primary space in which some of the basic functions of human existence and society are contained and occur
City in the Space1
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Designing for a major housing complex, the project was conceived as forming a multifunctional neighbourhood with structures that was complex and flexible, capable of rapidly assimilating and facilitating the changes of everyday historic reality. Employing a simple modular system combining cubic volumes and agglomerating them based on maximum contact with the exterior and the extension of line of sight. Flexibility of the modules were a key factor , ensured by the support structure which does not coincide with the formal structure such that ambiguous and superfluous areas were brought into focus. A mixture of programs were also guaranteed with 50% of the space on each floor reserved for communal use, allowing for creation of streets and squares which were above ground ,terrace dwellings and communication between areas by elevated walkways
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Ricardo Bofill, City in the Space, 1970
Building blocks.
Gen 1 Agglomeration
Gen 2 Agglomeration
79 Gen 3 Agglomeration
Torre David1
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Torre David is a 45 storey vertical slum located in Caracas Venezuela comprising of a community that unlike expectations was neither a den of criminality nor a romantic utopia. Instead, it has come to possess the complexity of a city through formal and informal adaptations created by the residents. Looking at these bottom-up strategies, where programs are seemingly scattered across the structure, give insights to what is actually needed and calls into question the relevance of conventional architectural zoning plans.
1. Urban Think Tank, Chair of Architecture and Urban Design, ETH Zurich, “Torre David: Informal vertical communities�
UNIT | SYNTHESIS a primary space in which some of the basic functions of human existence and society are contained and occur, situated in space according to people's needs and expressed as a simple building block to a larger agglomeration/form
City in the space offers a geometric manner of looking at how there are infinite possibilities to which a cube can agglomerate to generate a bigger whole, where there is no shell but the program expressed directly to the external urban environment.This allows some measure of design whilst also allowing for them to develop organically in space as well. On the other hand, Torre David looks at how a unit can be naturally positioned in a wider architectural shell and at the same time fulfill its function, going beyond the simple stratification of programs based on levels.
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Going beyond just a primary space in which the basic functions of human existence are contained and occur, a unit can determine form as well based on an individual's choices.
FLOOR/ WALL
any element that separates and modulates space horizontally and vertically. In terms of walls, they are places where outwards and inward forces interact, and the manner of their interactions defines the form and functions of the wall. Whilst for floor, these include underground, ground and water surfaces and even elements floating in the air
Cities without ground1
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Urbanism in Hong Kong is a result of top-down planning and bottom-up solutions gave rise to a unique and comprehensive three-dimensional space in the city. In this way, Hong Kong consists of such an enhanced three-dimensional connectivity that it eliminates reference to the ground altogether, becoming a series of continuous surfaces transversed by a series of vertical elements.
1. Adam Frampton, Jonathan D Solomon, Clara Wong, “Cities without Ground: A Hong Kong Guidebook�,2012
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Central Market
Proposes that instead of looking at it as a spiraling tower atop Central Market but instread through the connection of adjacent office floor plates, there is a continuum of diverse atmospheres and activities.
FLOOR/ WALL | SYNTHESIS any element that separates and modulates space horizontally and vertically. In terms of walls, they are places where outwards and inward forces interact, and the manner of their interactions defines the form and functions of the wall. Whilst for floor, these include underground, ground and water surfaces and even elements floating in the air. With a comprehensive threedimensional connection, the distinction between floor and wall disappears, becoming a series of continuous surfaces connected by a series of vertical elements
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Cities without ground gives an interesting take of vertical elements as “walls� that modulate the space between horizontal divisions to create a continuous flow of spaces for people within the city such that there is no distinction even when circulating between different programs.
LINK “linking” and “dissolving linkage” are invariant activities in making collective form out of either discrete or associate elements. In operational terms there are a number of linkages -- physically connected link, implying link, built-in link, and so forth
Made in Tokyo presents a study of the rapidly changing urban environment of Tokyo, particularly looking at linkages as relationships formed within the architecture
1. Atelier Bow-wow, Made in Tokyo: hybrid structures in Tokyo, 2001
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Made in Tokyo1
The physical adjacency between the row of building blocks, highway and two train tracks, create an inner space that allow for unexpected linkages between porgrams such as the blood donation centre and the skating rink as shown in the diagram.
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Relationship inspired by adjacencies
The whole block is geared specifically towards the needs of the automobile industry. Starting from the parking of cars , the provision of motor goods products and the availability of maintenance workshops to the bowling alley for leisure while consumers wait for their maintenance to be done.
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Packaging of an urban ecology into a building
The bathhouse contains different programs that cater to the needs of the people who go to the bathhouse. Aside from housing the owner, it contains showering facilities with laundry facilities to wash their dirty clothes, coupled with a convenience store for those needing a refreshment afterwards.
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Various programs packed into a single building
Projector
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Golden mile tower used to house the biggest cinema in the state upon completion in 1973. However, over the years it fell to disuse with the theatre eventually closing down. The Projector revives two cinema halls and 5th floor foyer of the historic Golden Theatre as an independent cinema and creative platform. It acts as a catalyst 1 to begin kickstarting new activities into the space. Hence , creating links to a new bar opened for theatre-goers, gallery space by Zarch Architects and thereafter also drawing the crowd back to programs of the mall such as the food centre at the basement.
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Ko Lyn Cheang, “Losing luster�
LINK | SYNTHESIS “linking” and “dissolving linkage” are invariant activities in making collective form out of either discrete or associate elements. In operational terms there are a number of linkages -physically connected link, implying link, built-in link, and so forth. Exploring particularly on linkages in the form of relationships between programs and how they begin to associate with one another within the architectural space that can be translated to physical representations.
These case studies look particularly in the manner in which activities begin to associate with one another within the architectural space that they occur in. This is important as it “suggests physical qualities that are used to express transformation 1 in design rhythm, change and contrast” when transitioning from one activity to another, allowing for a physical representation of how people can be connected to each other and to their environment.
1. Fumihiko Maki “ Nurturing dreams, Collected essays on architecture and the city”, 2008
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Links are considered as :”invariant activities in making collective form out of either discrete or associate elements". This definition was pushed beyond what was applied in strata malls where there are always atrium spaces that allow for visual linkage within the space.
APPLICATION
DESIGN INTENTION “A building’s narrative is never complete.. they represent old cultures but not our culture. That’s what kills historic places: they become somebody else’s culture.. preservation artist doesn’t impose intention on the project but supplements the object to help it do what it cannot do by itself” Jorge Otero-Pallos
Focusing instead of designing a brand new building, effort should be to supplement this structure to do what it cannot do by itself. In this case, architects can come in as system designers to change the system of growth that occurs in the structure, using the new definition of architectural elements obtained from case studies done. Golden Mile Complex was chosen as the site for intervention, being one of the first strata malls built in Singapore and would present the best example for design intervention.
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ADAPTATION Letting the natural course of regeneration take place in the mall, the new system of growth takes place once a free space is available when a store leaves. This system will be based on the existing structural grid of the mall, allowing a new store to set up according to the grid instead of the original confines of a stipulated lot. 1
Growth largely goes by urban living rooms which are centered around "attractors" that can represent old programs or new stores that have large drawing power.
urban living rooms an arrangement of scales, levels and movements designed to invite people in and accommodate them at variety of ways and speeds
1. Singapore Heritage Society "Too young to die: giving new lease of life to Singapore's Modernist Icons"
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UNIT
a primary space in which some of the basic functions of human existence and society are contained and occur, situated in space according to people's needs and expressed as a simple building block to a larger agglomeration/form
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Each unit of program is influenced in different measures by varying parameters, creating a growing agglomeration of units of different programs based on the different factors: distance from facade, proximity to atrium, daylighting and public access. Primary programs considered are largely grouped as: residential, office/start-ups and restaurants.
Facade
Distance from facade influences exposure to the street
importance (decreasing order): office/start-ups, restaurants, residential
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Atrium
Distance from atrium influences exposure within the mall
importance (decreasing order): office/start-ups, restaurants, residential
Daylighting
Exposure to light based on existing conditions of the structure plays an important role in thermal comfort and functionality of various programs in the structure
importance (decreasing order): restaurants, office/start-ups, residential
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Public Access
Distance from public access is important for pedestrian footfall
importance (decreasing order): restaurants, office/start-ups, residential
FLOOR/ WALL
any element that separates and modulates space horizontally and vertically. In terms of walls, they are places where outwards and inward forces interact, and the manner of their interactions defines the form and functions of the wall. Whilst for floor, these include underground, ground and water surfaces and even elements floating in the air. With a comprehensive threedimensional connection, the distinction between floor and wall disappears, becoming a series of continuous surfaces connected by a series of vertical elements
Beginning by first improving connectivity to all floors at four points throughout the length of the building, which will not only serve as placemarkers when way-finding within the atrium space but also connect between urban living rooms. Thereafter, using bottom-up solutions in the form of adding connection points when needed within an urban living room in order to aid with creating "linkage(s)" between units.
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A combination of top-down planning and bottomup solutions are implemented to surgically improve connection within the structure.
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Top-Down
Improving general connectivity within the structure by extrapolating existing vertical elements in place. (grey)
Bottom-up
Adding vertical connections accordingly within each urban living room (black)
LINK “linking” and “dissolving linkage” are invariant activities in making collective form out of either discrete or associate elements. In operational terms there are a number of linkages -physically connected link, implying link, built-in link, and so forth. Exploring particularly on linkages in the form of relationships between programs and how they begin to associate with one another within the architectural space that can be translated to physical representations.
Looking at how relationships can begin to grow based on one of the case scenarios as an illustration and explanation for how the agglomeration grows. Afterwhich, zooming in to one of the urban living rooms that exist within golden mile complex and how the relationships between programs are shown through the appropriation of space between units
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Starting from a macro view towards a more micro view of s that occupy the structure.
Extrapolating from one of the case scenarios illustrated in possible agglomeration that can occur within Golden Mile Complex. Assuming that Mookata restaurants within the structure are the remaining link known to the public, they become attractors that allow other related programs to come in and set up business. With more stores attracted to set up business, existing office spaces become attractors as well and thereafter existing residential spaces as more people want to live in the same space where they work and eat at, building unique relationships between each program.
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Urban Living Rooms
The section of the strata mall consists of 6 possible urban living rooms that are connected to each other via general access points and relationships to each other
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Interface
The 2 specifc urban living rooms (one highlighted via the walls and the other not) have relationships centered on the attractor and also between them, especially for programs that are further away from the attractor
Social Condensers Now Going from looking at social condensers as the breaking down of perceived social hierarchies to how social activity within the strata malls can present a new kind of collectivities. With a new understanding from the case studies listed, these social activities can be further encouraged by recognising the role that people play. 123
"the 'socio-spatial dialectic', that spaces can change people, but that people can change spaces" -Edward Soja By focusing on the social activities that connect people to each other and to the environment, a more vibrant range of activities combining a different combination of programs can happen, presenting a new kind of social condenser that showcases a new kind of collectivities that include varying programs which play a central role in people's lives
1. Jane Rendell (2017), “Conclusion: the social condenser -- a thing in itself?�, The Journal of Architecture, 22:3, 578-583
CONCLUSION
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