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AR2102 Ye a r 2 , S e m e s t e r 2 , 2 0 1 6
Sean Poon Shao An A0122439J
veiled space
01 perceptions and recollections
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02 spatial inflections
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03 extending the back lane
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04 prior iterations
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perceptions and recollections
the memory of a city Past, present and idealised recollections, understood through spatial archetypes. Acknowledging the distinctive sense of place evident in Lim Mu Hue’s woodblock prints, the curatorial approach in this scheme attempts to borrow from the particular spatial conditions expressed in construing an understanding of Lim’s work. These spaces are suggested through the use of rudimentary planes in the prints’ background – which succinctly serve to express their socio-cultural context.
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The curatorial direction attempts to emphasise this through the act of hypothetically setting them within the Sinosocialist background of 1960s Chinatown, where works are arranged to encourage such an understanding, while also drawing out the shift from realism that Lim’s earlier oeuvre stove at, toward an idealised memorial of now-vanished scenes.
typical shophouse section
typical shophouse plan
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butcher typical shophouse front-court shop
fortune teller chinese temple gates street-facing
backstage peek theatre within shophouse double-volume backstage
love typical shophouse residential quarters
recycled art five-foot walkway street-facing
spatial relationships of shophouses, streets and greater urban context
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䐀䤀刀䔀䌀吀䤀伀一䄀䰀䤀吀夀 愀渀 椀洀瀀氀椀攀搀 漀眀 漀昀 猀瀀愀挀攀猀
rudimentary planes... flowing from one to another, folding, creating space
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䐀䐀䤀䤀刀刀䔀 吀 䤀䤀伀 伀一一䄀䄀䰀䰀䤀 吀 䤀吀 䔀䌀 䌀吀 夀夀 愀 渀愀 渀椀 洀椀 洀 瀀 瀀氀 椀氀 攀椀 攀搀搀 漀漀眀 眀 漀 漀 昀昀 猀猀瀀瀀愀愀挀挀攀 攀猀 猀
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spatial inflections
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shifting demarcations and thresholds Jalan Besar – temporality and flux
understood, one cluster of colonised
permeate its atmosphere. Its back
space nests within borrowed space,
alleys encapsulate this best; through
beyond that cluster, these two spaces
an investigation of the colonisation
are of a similar hierarchy – this can be
and domestication of public and semi-
read as elements anchored by a core.
public spaces within the back alleys by
Spaces fold into another, resulting in
Jalan Besar’s workers and residents,
a melange of vague thresholds, and
a map, depicting how rigidly-defined
programmes, where that which is public,
public space contorts and blends with
colonised, and borrowed are blurred.
the private, is obtained. Geographically
rest. a back lane parallel to hamilton road and tyrwhitt road; makeshift rest spaces, defined through collected furniture and use
work. a back lane perpendicular to hamilton road and cavan road; supposedly traffic free, bicycles and motorcycles belonging to workers and residents ply these lanes
live. a back lane parallel to hamilton road and tywhitt road; the back lane functions as an extension of the domestic spaces within shophouse units, hosting found furniture
rest. a back lane perpendicular to hamilton road and cavan road; colonised public space, reclaimed furniture and temporal shelters define rest spaces adjacent to work spaces
existing envelope immoveable, semi-permanent open, implied volumes borrowed space colonised space
1. perpendicular back lane connecting hamilton to tyrwhitt road 2. perpendicular back lane connecting hamilton to cavan road 3. back lane parallel to hamilton and tyrwhitt road 19
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extending the back lane
emerging from the veil Veiled Space is a scheme that takes
between the gallery spaces and semi-
reference from a prominent filigree
public programmes, creating a museum
wall. Dividing the museum between
that functions as a continuous loop.
public (gallery) spaces and semi-
Gallery spaces, consisting of a series
public (workshop) spaces, the veil
of implied rooms or platforms, seek
simultaneously serves to afford access
to capture the spatial experiences
to these two separate programmes,
suggested in Lim Mu Hue’s work, while,
essentially mediating the two. Slits
in deference to site, pivot towards the
in the veil’s singular entity create
back alley through circulatory passages.
affordances that allow for an exchange
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a porous assemblage, drawing attention to the rampantly blurred thresholds, while simultaneously enforcing it
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Veiled Space’s filigree wall draws its inspiration from a commonplace architectural element that is evident in the backlanes of Jalan Besar – the ventilation block. Symbolically blurring programmes together through visual porosity, it divides and creates space and spatial opportunities, akin to that of back alley activities. Filtering light into key spaces, a beautiful play of light and shadows decorates the museum’s interior.
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Veiled Space’s filigree wall is more than symbolic, it is also performative. The filigree itself serves as a adjustable sun-filtering device, ensuring that the woodblock prints are displayed in optimal and curatorially-desired conditions. filigree is also performative. Equally significantly, its structural system, a series of grids, creates a system that facilitates art-display.
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prior iterations
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Strong geometries, in the form of a
elevate the back lanes, and in doing so,
diagonal axial line, had been a key
celebrate a similar subject focus to that
design element since earlier iterations
of Lim Mu Hue’s woodblocks.
of the scheme – this owes itself to the site’s relationship with the back alleys
A central atrium space emerged from
surrounding it.
the need to draw attention to the wall as a singular element that runs throughout
Due to this geometry, the concept of the
the museum; this evolved into the more-
museum as an extension of the back
porous scheme of Veiled Space.
alley emerged; the scheme sought to
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in alignment to Jalan Besar’s backlanes; a continuous reference to the spatial inflections of that setting
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Tu t o r Lilian Chee