Urban Synopsis

Name: Lock Tian Jiun Lecturer: Ms. Filzani Reader/Text Title: A Global Sense of Place

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303) SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019) ID No.: 0327636 Tutorial Time: 10am Synopsis No: 1a Author: Doreen Massey

Time-space compression, a paradox phenomenon which simultaneously spreading out and concentration of space and time on our notions of place, whereby the author Doreen Massey discussed and responded in her writings. Massey points out that ‘time-space compression’ has not been happening for everyone in all sorts of activities, as it is driven by various social groups which has their needs to ‘differentiate socially’, whereby she calls it - ‘power geometry of time-space compression’. This social norm brings up political matters which subsequently ties back to economical sector of respective place. These socially differentiated factors bring back the argument of ‘locality’.

Massey doubts the concept of ‘locality’. According to Massey, sense of place can be divided into two parts - introverted and extroverted sense of place. Introverted sense of place emphasizes on preventing outsiders to be exist within the space, making it no interest of engagement. On the other hand, extroverted sense of place allows mobility and creates opportunity for people to turn the space into a unique interaction space. My thoughts are, introverted sense of place provides more intimate feeling for the people towards the space, which emphasize on the historical context of the place and preserve the slow pace essences for the people who prefers to be in such condition. For instance, the Portuguese Settlement in Malacca creates a serene ambience with the local lifestyle and their unusual historical background makes people enjoys the uniqueness of its quietness. Extroverted sense of place, unlike introverted ones, providing an ongoing flow of dynamic sense to the people who wishes to use the space. Like Harajuku in Tokyo, it provides multiple possibilities for the people to experience on what they called ‘urban exotic’. Thus, creating an opening towards the outside world which the ‘boundary of sense of place’ will be immensely expanded.

To the extent of ‘locality’ in time-space compression, Massey argues that the needs of boundaries are imminent as a form of protecting the authenticity from the outside world influences. For my interpretation, I agree that boundaries could provide such protection towards the originality of the place, yet if we could allow some, minimal influences from the outside world, it could make the sense of place more vibrant and more happening as it provides intangible identities towards the place, which would become an extroverted approach to the people a way looking at the place.

Overall, I do agree Massey to some extent that the ‘locality’ is dividing the sense of place into introverted and extroverted ones.

In fact, I like how Massey argues about the necessity of boundaries which shows the importance of preserving the originality sense of place. However, my opinion is that the presence of introverted and extroverted sense of place should be treated as unique ‘products’ created by different aspect of social groups, which I think that it allows the people to have their choice of preference to choose whichever place where they want to be in. In the end, although time-space compression marks the end to some ‘locality’ sense of place, it is my duty to achieve balance in all terms where it does create a new opportunity and uniqueness that we had never encountered before.

Word Count: 529 Assessed by:

Mark Date

Grade Page No. 1

Name: Lock Tian Jiun Lecturer: Ms. Filzani Reader/Text Title: Learning From Las Vegas

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303) SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019) ID No.: 0327636 Tutorial Time: 10am Synopsis No: 2a Author: Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour

In the writings by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour, they discussed about the significance of existing architecture style of The Las Vegas Strip. From their observations, big signages and billboards are in a dominant situation in Las Vegas as it was used widely by the tenants of the building to attract visitors to visit their respective places. However, they suggested that it was the late modernism architecture that drove these changes to the existing environment, and these huge advertisementpurposed billboards lies something more in the architectural sense.

The authors defined that symbols make spatial relationships rather than by form. They then discussed, that symbolism in architecture has been slowly diminished by most modernism architects as artistic expressions could not determine the importance of space quality and it just rather a channel to communicate. They further described that modern architecture are defined as an existing and conventional industrial language with minimal adaptation.

As mentioned above, they observed that The Las Vegas Strip used abundant of signages and billboards to catch visitors’ attention by afar, which they called it ‘relation of architecture communication over space’, thus the authors signified the architecture language of Las Vegas. In architecture sense, however, in my opinion, is that overexaggerated usage of billboards and signages does not enhance the sense of space as it gives out visual blockage and displeasing feelings towards the view, even though it does serves as a landmark or a communication platform. Anyway, I would not deny that the fact that these signages and billboards creates a new characteristic icon to the place, such as the hustle-bustle of Hong Kong uptown flooded with LED signages on top of the shop houses.

The authors suggested that buildings can become the sign as well, like the ‘duck-shaped’ shop in Las Vegas mentioned in the writing, which can become an iconic landmark to the place. I would say that it is a misuse of ‘sign’ term in architecture way, where it has no sense of architecture style and it greatly abused and distorted the spatial quality to the interior of the ‘duck’. Although it is an eye-catching landmark to the visitors from far, yet it is inappropriate to make it as a functional building.

In conclusion, Las Vegas has become a place where every form of architecture is possible throughout the town. Symboldominance architecture has become the identity of Las Vegas, yet the contradictory of mass usage of symbols is still a thing. To me, implementation of symbol aids the spatial communication of the space, but not too much. Symbolism is an architecture thing that I might make it a good use at my own cause. After all, I feel that the communication of architecture via symbolism is more significant in architectural expression than form and space, like the Al-Khazneh in Petra, Jordan.

Word Count: 470 Assessed by:

Mark Date

Grade Page No. 2

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303) SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019) Name: Lock Tian Jiun ID No.: 0327636 Lecturer: Ms. Filzani Tutorial Time: 10am Reader/Text Title: The Eyes of the Skin: Synopsis No: 3a Architecture and the Sense Author: Juhani Pallasmaa In Juhani Pallasmaa text - about how our body and senses in shaping architecture and creates architectural experiences. He emphasized that it is important to feel connected with the architecture and the space by using senses throughout the body, especially visually. Through his writings, he stated that the environment and the places are aided by the sensitivity and healing qualities by the senses of people, which the human senses and surrounding places are interconnected in relation.

Pallasmaa explained that the body is a tool for the people to experience the world, especially in architecture. He then said that architecture enhances the experiential sense of being in the world, which ultimately intensified the experience of self when we feel the ambience of the city. I strongly agree in a way that our body is meant to be experiencing architecture by senses, which we were since the day we introduced ourselves to the world. It is also crucial that letting the senses to help us to learn architecture in more depth, and more intangibly as it can increases the quality judgement of a specific space.

In relation of the article’s title, vision and haptic senses are commonly emphasized in Pallasmaa’s writing. As he said, that the intensity of experiencing the architecture are the same, whether it is in a distant or near, they merge in a coherent experience.

‘Vision reveals what the touch already knows’ shows that Pallasmaa argues that he called ‘tactile values’ in a sense where vision needs the help of touch, to gain the sensations form the viewed object or surface which gives out ‘solidity, resistance, and protrusion’. I am deeply agree with his argument as I am used to determine the ‘tactile values’ of an object only by viewing, and it could not be determined the materiality if you have not been in contact with any related haptic sense of such materials, even though you are viewing it. We can only know its presence, yet we could not recognize its identity. The sense of touch is always assumed by the visual apprehension of materiality, distance and spatial depth, which gives out on how we would want to design a space.

To sum up, I am in a total agree in Pallasmaa’s arguments that how sensories could make huge impacts towards people reacts on architecture and how would they perceive it. It changes the definition on how people define spatial quality and provide even more clarity to the intangible elements to the space designer, like an architect. A good architecture is to let the users experience the embodied senses of space. In the end, we should redefine on how we perceive architecture in senses to reform the lost sense between people and the surroundings, so that we could be more sensitive and more alert towards a better architectural creations and experiences.

Word Count: 472 Assessed by:

Mark Date

Grade Page No. 3