From Kitchen Filth to Pasar Malam

In order to answer the question posed in the previous chapter, first and foremost, we have to define what architectural filth is. The thesis took on the author’s kitchen both as the point of departure and as the site of investigation.

The several characteristics of filth uncovered are namely: accumulate, congest, penetration, penetration with ramification, leech outwardly, vertical displacement, overlay, subtraction of surfaces, subtraction of mass, lateral displacement, perception and disposal. These characteristics are then used analogically to aid in determining what architectural filth is. (Illustration 10, 11)

Accumulate: Filth is a form of accumulation, whereby particles, masses and entities often gather in obscured areas such as corners and joints. It suggest a positive gain in mass over time.

Congest: The consequence of filth accumulation is congestion. They deny the proper functioning and efficiency required of a system. However, to congest is not necessarily undesirable. Often spaces that attract multitudes of visitors have the quality of congestion.

Penetration: The impregnation of a foreign body unto a surface that remains undisturbed. The coming together of two bodies, one having a proactive stance, the other, lies on the receiving end.

Penetration with ramification: The impregnation of a foreign body unto a surface that results in a disturbance. The disturbance can be read literally as a form of terrestrial fluctuation or abstractly as a form gravitational flux.

Leech outwardly: Filth have the tendency, or ability to traverse terrains and surfaces that are seemingly impenetrable. It also suggest that a redistribution of filth from areas more filthy to the more hygienic regions.

Vertical displacement: When there is smoothness in transition, whether between two differing or similar surfaces, filth cannot be retained. In other words, vertical displacement creates a coarseness that aids in the retention of filth.

Overlay: System or patterns alike, when placing one system/pattern over the other, this creates a surface penetration unlike the penetration aforementioned, one that belongs to mass. The degree or extent of how much one surface penetrates is dictated by its opacity.

Subtraction of surfaces: This pertains to losing of surface areas just as to losing opacity. It suggest a negative gain in surface area over time.

Subtraction of mass: This pertains to losing mass. It suggest a negative gain in mass over time.

Lateral displacement: Similar to vertical displacement, it suggest a coarseness that arise from two disjointed surfaces.

Perception and Disposal: Is filth a question of our perception to the nature of things, that is to say, if an object is sitting in its rightful place, then there is no filth. On the other hand, when one object trespasses another, we perceive that object to be filthy. The example used in illustration 11 is a perfectly hygienic shoe sitting on the cooking stove. There is a sense of inappropriateness between the shoe and the stove that distorts our perception of the shoe. Therefore, filth, if properly disposed of, if it sits in its rightful place, perhaps, the garbage collection bin, is no longer deemed as filthy.

The characteristics defined by the investigation, is used as a lens to read Singapore, and to identify sites or programs that are filthy.

A peculiar phenomenon that shares the several qualities of filth found in the kitchen is identified, these qualities are namely: overlay, accumulate, congest and leech outwardly and lateral displacement.

This phenomenon that is identified is the Pasar Malam, a malay word for night market. They consist of temporary structures erected to house small units of stalls. Traditionally, they operate from evening onward, however, it is noted that most Pasar Malam start operating from noon, mostly targeted at the lunchtime crowd. They sell a wide range of goods from clothes to cooked food prepared elsewhere, to accessories.

These Pasar Malams are able to disregard the boundaries by overlaying, that is to say, trespassing from one surface boundary to another, going against zoning practices by appropriating public spaces for private commercial ventures, and occasionally, for public entertainment. They accumulate to congest, they leech outwardly from corners of buildings, and lastly, they fill in between the seams of two surfaces that are laterally displaced. ( Illustration 12a,b,c)

To conclude, architectural filth has the ability to set itself against an existing hygienic system through the qualities aforementioned. When placed aside the modernist perspective, architectural filth is then, resisting against modernist system of classification, function, hierarchy, ordering and organization.

How then, should we approach design such that it encapsulates the intention to resist the modernist methods. While not falling into the trappings of what traditionally, the notion of filth is tied to, that is, filth diseases and fire hazard. Of course, fire hazard is a matter of selecting materials with appropriate fire protection, while architectural filth and its relation to diseases would be a notion more challenging to put down. However, it seems suggest that the design should encompass certain hygienic practices.