Theories of Architecture & Urbanism : The Image of A City

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM (ARC61303) (ARC2224)

PROJECT PART B : ESSAY & COGNITIVE MAPPING

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B R I C K F I E L D S

NAME : NICOLE HOOI YI TIEN

STUDEN ID : 0313611

TUTOR : MR.NICHOLAS NG

SUBMISSION DATE : 6th JUNE 2015

ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENT

1.0 IntroducFon ………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

1.1 Site Intro

1.2 CogniFve Map 2.0 Findings of CogniFve map …………………………………………………………………. 6 3.0 Discussion in relaFon to Kevin Lynch’s The Image of The City ……………. 8 4.0 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………. 10 5.0 References …………………………………………………………………………………………. 11

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ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PROJECT PART B: ESSAY & COGNITIVE MAP ASSESSMENT RUBRIC (40 marks)

No.

CRITERIA

1 Unsatisfactory/Fail No relationship

3

4

5

Poor

Satisfactory

Good

Excellent

Little

Evidence of

Identified theory

Identified theory

Essay:

between theory and

relationships

some

which are

which are clearly

(Critical analysis

analysis

between theory

relationships

interrelated with

linked to analysis

and analysis

between theory

analysis

of architecture 1

2

and urban

and analysis

forms within its social, cultural and intellectual context) (20 marks) Cognitive Map

Arrangement of

Arrangement of

Images and

Images and

Images and

images and

images and

illustrations are

illustrations are

illustrations are

illustrations is

illustrations is

roughly

orderly arranged

carefully arranged

confusing.

unclear.

arranged in a

with proper

to add interest

workable order.

annotations

and clarity with correct

(10 marks)

annotations.

2

3

Mapping is unclear

Mapping is often

Mapping is

Mapping is

Mapping is clearly

because there are so

unclear because

generally clear

clearly illustrated

with no errors.

many errors.

of the number of

despite some

with slight errors

errors.

errors.

References &

No evidence of

Identified at least

Uses at least 3

Uses at least 4

Uses at least 5

Research Skills

sources. Lack in-

2 sources.

sources.

sources. Clear

sources. Indicated

depth investigation.

Evidence of

Evidence of

evidence of

rigorous

investigation

investigation

investigation

investigation with

however lack of

through

through clearly

abundance

illustration and

illustrations and

identified

illustration and

visual images.

visual images

illustrations and

visual images;

visual images.

cited and

(10 marks)

annotated.

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ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Site Intro

Figure1 : Macro map with highlighted zone b area

The selected macro site of this project is Brickfields. Brickfields is rapidly developed over the years from being a residenFal area evolving to a highly potenFal commercial area and extended to downtown of Kuala Lumpur as the transit hub due to its locaFon. The area is shaped by three main pahts which are Jalan Bangsar, highways : Jalan Damansara ,Jalan Syed Putra and Klang river. With Jalan Tun Sambanthan acFng as the core main road at the center, it clearly segregrates the site into different areas in terms of their different idenFfying characters. Brickfields, due to its development consists of numbers of new significant landmarks abracFng different community to the area. Not only that being an area that has existed from the beginning, the area has its own exisFng community that has been living and working there for their lifeFme and this has contributed to the cultural elements of the site such as religious structures, street food stalls, old trades and others that sFll remain despite rapid development.

The selected micro site is zone b. (As shown in Figure 1 ) The site is located just about the fringes of major primary road -Jalan Sambanthan where the area is less developed or some of the areas are sFll developing compared to the central of Brickfields. It is shaped by primary pathway Jalan Sambanthan and Jalan Bangsar connected by secondary pathway

Jalan Rakyat. Along beginning of Jalan Sambanthan ager the fountain, old shophouses are flanking on both sides commonly known as “Lible India” creaFng a major node and also landmark in the site. Jalan Thamby Abdullah running at the core of the site crosses through various mix-used districts within the area, where there are a mixture of building typology ranging from pre-war shophouses to modern high-rise residenFal buildings. ______________________________________________________________________ 4

ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.2 Cognitive Mapping

Figure 2 : Sample of Cognitive Map

CogniFve mapping (As shown in Figure 2) is the selecFve representaFon and mental image of an individual integrated form the observaFons gathered over the Fme and the recalled interacFon with the city. According to Kuipers (1983) , the two major important issues concerning the cogniFve mapping are the external representaFon of the place and how these have been processed mentally and form an image or map about its physical environment.

FIrstly, external representaFon of the city is discussing many on legibility and imageability.

Imageability refers to the idenFty which is also known as individuality and oneness owned by an object physically such as shape, colour or arrangement which are disFnguished from others and evokes a strong and vivid image in any observer. (Lynch, 1960). Secondly, legibility refers to the visual qualiFes and obvious clarity of the city of which its structures and layout could recognised and formed a coherent pabern in one’s mind.

CogniFve maps are generated from a number of sources, inputs from sense like visions, propriocepFon, olfacFon and hearing to deduce a person’s locaFon within their environment as they move through it. The spaFal knowledge accumulated as one moves through a place enables one’s mind to visualise images, enhance recall and learning of informaFon. According to Lynch (1960), the five commonly perceived elements that from the image of the city which influence one’s cogniFve mapping are path, edges, districts, landmarks, and nodes. All these give people a sense of direcFon and familiarity that help one in adapFng to the environment and develop the remembrance of a place. Thus, the study of cogniFve mapping is important in order to study human needs and enhance their spaFal qualiFes and experience as well as respond to their needs. ______________________________________________________________________ 5

ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.0 FINDINGS OF COGNITIVE MAP

Figure 3 : Zone B cognitive map

By observing the map that I have drawn (As shown in Figure 3), zone b is made up mostly of residenFal district with residenFal buildings ranging from pre-war to modern buildings.

Also some old shop lots business going on in between the residenFal buildings and a government district along Jalan Tun Sambanthan. The mapping of the path is clearly defined and categorised as primary path which is high frequency (Jalan Tun Sambanthan) and secondary path which is medium frequency and low frequency (Jalan Rakyat, Jalan Thamby Abdullah and Jalan Ang Seng). The pabern of the paths at the beginning of Zone B are clear however towards the end of Zone B where the the vacant green land is the paths start to be faded. This is because Zone B seems to have quite a number of dead end paths such as Jalan Thamby Abdullah and Jalan Thamby Abdullah 1 that are caused by the boundary of vacant green land or the double usage of the narrow path as back lane and front lane. It acts as a front lane to the building on the leg but back lane to the building opposite. The long stretch of LRT and MRT railroads are clearly idenFfied at the border of the site between Jalan Bangsar and Jalan Ang Seng as the clearly defined boundary of zone b. The different in building typologies are categorised in the map as high rise residenFal buildings ,old shophouses and shop lots due to the new development and old buildings that are fortunately sFll leg in Zone B untouched. Thus, there is a various scales of buildings ______________________________________________________________________ 6

ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

in Zone B because of their difference in building typologies. Despite the differences in scale and building typologies that contrast each other , this does not help in idenFfying the landmarks of the site as a non-local pedestrian it is clearly seen in the map that landmarks are mostly memorable concentrated along the primary road Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Jalan Tun Sambanthan being the main path of Brickfields constantly with high frequency of vehicles has formed a boundary that pedestrians can hardly cross the road to the opposite.

However, on both sides of Jalan Rakyat there is a clear differences in building height and style that create a boundary. Being the only construcFon site in Zone B , the site is mapped in the cogniFve map as a landmark as well . It is easily idenFfiable in Zone B because of its height and construcFon. The presence of construcFon workers on site has greatly affected the culture and acFviFes of the site as they have turned some spots into temporary nodes at certain Fme in zone b especially along Jalan Ang Seng backstreet and also some areas near the site such as food stalls and pasar whereas permanent node is an obvious one defined in the map where the intersecFon of Jalan Rakyat and Jalan Thamby Abdullah is.

This is a node near one of the landmarks marked in the mental map which is the roundabout fountain marking the beginning of Zone B along Jalan Tun Sambanthan. The roundabout fountain is where one stops before finding their direcFon.

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ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.0 DISCUSSION IN RELATION TO KEVIN LYNCH’S THE IMAGE OF THE CITY From Kevin Lynch’s book The Image of the City (1960), there are five elements : paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks which can be used to analyse an urban context in the form of mental maps or cogniFve maps.

Lynch defines path as the channels which the observer customarily, occasionally, or potenFally moves (pg. 47). In zone b, the primary path and secondary path are clearly idenFfied because there is an obvious difference of the frequency of use of the paths. Jalan Sambanthan is a long stretch of wide primary road with planter box as the divider in the middle to allow two ways vehicle circulaFon. According to Lynch, objects along the path can be arranged sharpen the effect of moFon parallax or perspecFve or the course of the path ahead may be made visible (pg,98). Thus, even though the end of the path is not clear at one point , the planter box has given a sense of long conFnuity of wide path that has vehicles moving on both different direcFons also it has given a very clear direcFonal quality of being straight and long path. Thus, Jalan Sambanthan can be easily idenFfied as primary path in Zone B. However, the secondary paths such as Jalan Rakyat, Jalan Thamby Abdullah and Jalan Ang Seng are easily idenFfiable as well because of its medium or low frequency of use being the branches spread out from Jalan Tun Sambanthan into Zone B. The narrow secondary paths allow less movement of vehicles also has highlighted that the paths are not frequently use. Some of the paths for instance Jalan Thamby Abdullah disconnected at a point where the boundary of the vacant green land is. This has given a fairly good direcFonal quality because there is no conFnuity of path and one can easily be lost in direcFon. From the paths, the edges of zone b are formed. Edges according to Lynch defines as linear elements not used or considered as paths by the observer, boundaries between two phases and linear breaks in conFnuity (pg. 47). As menFoned above, Jalan Sambanthan as the main primary road constantly has high frequency of use by vehicles and even pedestrians, It is a linear element used and considered as path by the observer but it actually has created a boundary between two phases : zone b and the zone opposite Jalan Sambanthan as one can hardly cross to the opposite because of the traffic. Jalan Rakyat being in the middle of a developed and less developed zones acts as boundary between two phases as well because it has created a border to stop the development of the opposite zone into Zone B. Other than that, the LRT and MRT railway along Jalan Ang Seng is a clear cut between Brickfields and Bangsar. It is the strongest edge in Zone B as Lynch menFoned that those edges seem strongest which are not only visually prominent, but also conFnuous in form and impenetrable to cross movement (pg. 62). The LRT and MRT railway is visually prominent from far , one can instantly realises the long stretch of conFnuous railway dividing Brickfields and Bangsar. The railway prohibited the movements of both pedestrians and cars and thus creaFng a clear bold boundary. Other than that, the unclear boundary is within Zone B where the vacant green land are fenced, pupng a stop to the path as the boundary has indirectly caused confusion of circulaFon without a conFnuous path as direcFon.

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ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The edges helped to form some common , idenFfying character areas within zone b known as districts. According to Lynch, districts are the medium to large secFons of the city, conceived as having two dimensional extent, which the observer mentally enters inside of and which are recognisable as having some common, idenFfying character (pg.47). As menFoned above, edge of Jalan Rakyat has stop the development of the opposite commercial district. Therefore, leaving most of the old buildings in zone b untouched becoming a residenFal district in Brickfields accommodaFng local community. However, there are sFll some business shop lots and gentrified residenFal buildings scabered around zone b to fulfil the daily needs of the local community. A government district where the old building of Pejabat DBKL is located can be idenFfied along the edge of Jalan Tun Sambanthan because of its easy accessibility. Also, a small area of business district can be observed along the path as well because of its high density of path use that makes the district visible and a business friendly area.

Lynch defined nodes are points, the strategic spots in a city into which an observer can enter, and which are the intensive foci to and from which he is travelling (pg. 47). Nodes can hardly be idenFfied within zone b because it is a majority residenFal district. Nodes are mostly found at the edge of Zone B, where the business and government districts are concentrated, more pedestrian and vehicles movements. These are normally permanent nodes for instance the indian food stalls set up at the intersecFon of Jalan Rakyat and Jalan Thamby Abdullah and row of indian shops along Jalan Tun Sambanthan because of their strategic locaFons. Besides that, there are also some temporary nodes found within Zone B caused by the construcFon site, however these nodes are not located at strategic spots instead they are odd spots like food stalls under the LRT railway because of the shade provided for vendors and also the locaFon of it being near to the construcFon site. These spots only become nodes during certain Fme of the day.

Nodes are closely related to landmarks. When a place has human populaFon and acFviFes, it naturally becomes a node. The node will make the place recognisable and eventually a landmark is idenFfied. According to Lynch, landmarks are another type of point reference, they are external, simply defined physical object(pg.47) . Landmarks are mostly idenFfied along the edges of Zone B such as Pejabat DBKL, St Mary’s church, Lible India , round about fountain and the only landmark located at the back Bank Rakyat. Pejabat DBKL and St Mary’s church are recognisable by their architecture styles along the path. Lible India is recognisable by their acFviFes. Round about fountain acts as the centre point of the area therefore it is easily recognisable whereas Bank Rakyat is recognisable by its name and scale. However, according to my observaFon, landmarks are difficult to be idenFfied within zone b because of the complexity of architecture style scabered around the zone. Thus, it is hard to idenFfy a type of architecture style in an area making one to confuse while giving reference point because a similar type of architecture can be found within Zone B .

As a conclusion of discussion , based on the theories of the five elements : paths, edges, districts , nodes and landmarks implemented by Kevin Lynch, the paths are clear at the beginning of the Zone B because of the buildings that need accessibility however slowly faded in to the green land towards the end of Zone B where the vacant green land is . The trees create a boundary that has stop the circulaFon of vehicles and pedestrians making the direcFon of the area to be confused and unclear especially when the paths within Zone B are mostly narrow. The clear edges of zone b are shaped by paths surrounding Zone B :

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ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Jalan Rakyat and Jalan Ang Seng. In fact, it is observed that the edges caused Zone B to be less developed compared to the zone next to Zone B because of the edges that becomes a border line that stops the development in Zone B. Thus, Zone B has became an area with mixture of new high rise residenFal buildings and leg most of the old buildings untouched making Zone B a majority residenFal district that has culture and history. Because of this Zone B is one of the areas in Brickfields that sFll have its own original idenFty compared to the zone around that are already commercialised as transportaFon and commercial hub. However, currently construcFon site found in Zone B has made an impact to the culture of the zone as it has caused the emergence of some of the temporary nodes nearby the site that fulfil the daily needs of the construcFon workers.

Lastly, because of the lack of idenFfiable buildings within Zone B, landmarks are mostly idenFfied at the edges of Zone B.

4.0 CONCLUSION Overall, the image obtained upon visiFng the site is the the clear edges that segregated Zone B that are also the major roads and the unplanned high rise residenFal development in the zone. Jalan Tun Sambanthan acFng as both the edge and major road has high imageability to me as the arcs flanking on both sides along the road and the planter box being the divider in the middle successfully created a vantage point of view towards the site. Jalan Rakyat connecFng Jalan Bangsar and Jalan Tun Sambanthan has high imageability as well as on the right, a row of old shophouses are flanking along the road, opposite the road high rise buildings are scabered all around the zone. The difference of both sides instantly give a feeling of being in the middle of two different districts. Zone B is a majority residenFal district that tends to be introverted, where it has very lible connecFon towards the city outside and the roads leading to the outside is obscured.

Within Zone B, despite the unplanned high rise residenFal development surrounding the old buildings, the difference in architecture style and building typology have leg much impression to me as the oddness and mixed feeling of seeing new buildings being not able to blend with the old buildings around might be what contributed to the idenFty of Zone B in my opinion.

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ARC 61303 THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM : PROJECT 2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5.0 REFERENCES 1. Arthur,P. , & Passini, R. (1992) . WayďŹ nding : People, signs and architecture. New York : McGraw-Hill Book.

2. De Lange, M. (2009, May 8). Review : Kevin Lynch - The Image of The City. Retrieved November 10,2015, from hbp://themobilecity.nl/200905/08/review-kevin-lynch-theimage-of-the-city/ 3. Downs R.M.and Stea D. (2011), CogniFve Maps and SpaFal Behaviour : Process and Products, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chicago.

4. Kuipers, B. (1983), The CogniFve Map : Could It Have been Any Other Way ?, ( pg 345- 359) Plenum Press : New York. Retrieved from : hbp ://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/ download?doi=10.1.1.54.5500&rep=rep1&type=pdf 5. Lynch.K. (1960). The Image of The City. Cambridge, Mass : MIT Press.

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