URBAN STREETSCAPE JALAN KASTURI
R E - PR E SEN TIN G P LACE (CLS 6 0103 ) CA P T UR IN G , E X P E R I E N C IN G & AN ALYZIN G T HE P L AC E PAVITRA YOGANATHAN
0332425
CELINE PACHECO
0333005
MERCY CHIDINMA NKATHA OGBONNA
0333261
REYSHMI RATCHANIYA
0329773
ZUHA MAJID
0332670
BACKGROUND Central Market, also known as Pasar Seni, is a well-renowned heritage site and a popular tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur. Strategically situated in the heart of the city, Central Market is located at Jalan Hang Kasturi, a few minutes from another popular tourist attraction, Petaling Street. Back in 1988, the location Central Market now stands on was used as an open wet market for Kuala Lumpur’s general public. A permanent structure was later built to house all vendors as the market expanded. The permanent structure was later improvised in the 1930s and completed in 1937 to have the current building seen today. It has since been classified as a heritage site by the Malaysian Heritage Society and is now used as a Centre for Malaysian Culture, Arts and Handicrafts. LORONG Kasturi, a lane next to Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market, officially became Kasturi Walk after it was launched in style recently.
RESEARCH ESSAY Kasturi Walk is another open-air market to shop for cheap products at Kuala Lumpur Chinatown. It is a covered pedestrian walkway that stretches alongside Central Market. The walkway is wide with different stalls and vendors on each side. The Kasturi Walk offers a street-shopping experience which covers local food & drinks, hand crafts and many more. The walkway is more than just a passerby streetscape, its threaded together in layers serving the needs of the locals and also the tourists of Kasturi walk. The big structures on either sides that forms the void(walkway) creates linearity and a sense of enclosure for the people. More than just a mere building, the structures preserve the heritage architectural style that its known for and also remains as a sight of attraction that houses the local shops. The strong linearity gives a sense of direction to the user and is also an indication of the end point to the people. Overlapping of zones with different functions complicate the pedestrian movement, creating a bustling sight due to a complex streetscape. The streetscape is a combination of covered and exposed routes, some dictate the movement and some acts as an element of surprise for the people to explore a layer deeper. Its has a deformed grid system that is randomly distributed and this is one such alley that is transformed into a heritage streetscape. Narrow spaces between built forms increases the streetscapes permeability. And some of these alleys that are shadowed by solid forms ,become a place of activity like for parking of vehicles and some act as spaces of storage. Kasturi walk has increased permeability in the area, since both local and tourist access the stalls and central market. The walk is opened on both ends not only does it create a bright zone but also inviting towards the individuals around. Following are five access doors that are linkage between the main central market, this case it works both ways where people are able to access the Kasturi walk through central market and vice versa. There are a couple of signages along Kasturi Walk. The main signage to indicate the entrance to Kasturi Walk is located at the main entrance of the street facing the intersection between Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. The entrance is also easily visible by the wau along the stretch. There are also signages at the end of the street facing corner of Lebuh Pudu and Jalan Hang Kasturi. These signages also indicate the entrance to Kasturi Walk, as the street has two main entry points. The signages at the end of the walk also have a small map of the rest of area with other significant landmarks to aid the pedestrians. Other than that, there are signages which do not allow motorcycles to enter at the main entry points of the street. This is because the street is only for pedestrians there is no vehicular circulation along the street. Since the streetscape one stretch long, and no vehicles are permitted inside the road, the walkway for users is safe and convenient. On the main entrance of the Kasturi Walk is a zebra crossing and therefore people crossing from the otherside of the road can cross safely directly into the road. Between the main entrance and Kasturi Walk, the existing pavement also acts as a waiting area and is convenient as pedestrians does not have to wait inside the road which may bother the shoppers.Similarly, at the end where it again meets a road, there is a pavement that connects to the central market and can be used as a guided path to the ar t street. Inside Jalan Kasturi, although there is no drawn pathways, the the pathways have been made with the arrangement of the stalls. There are stalls on either side of the road and in the middle leaving a couple of options for the users.The road also has trees and the road is shaded, which protects the shopping area from weather. At night the streetscape is lit with street lighting and is implemented along the overall streetscape and is conducive to pedestrians and the salesperson. Street lightings highlights the identity and history of an area for well-lit historic details that draws the attention to the uniqueness of the area creating drama and emphasizes the unity of the space. The shoplots along the streetscape closes before the permanent local stalls beside. Thus, Kasturi walk acts as a focal point for the passerby, tourists and the locals.
SCALE AND PROPORTION The position of two different scales, the smaller shoplots and the building beyond, creates a visual illusion of contrast. The realistically taller building seems modest when seen together with the covered street shade of a dramatized scale.
SEEING IN DETAIL By attention to detail and by training the eye to see in detail, the manmade world starts to grow in interest and quality. These intricate faced details seem to have a life of their own. These elements have been deliberately sculptured to bring out the quality of the wall-ness which brings out the whole scene to life.
ENTANGLEMENT Regular pitch roof proďŹ les and impervious concrete walls with minimal openings line the streets. Out of the blue, the eye is caught up and entangled in a bunch of intricacy, creating an enigma that momentarily incites a pause in movement and space.
INTIMACY In midst of the busy street, formed by the buildings and the shed of soaring heights creates close proximity between the people. However, the shopkeepers establish their inward life of intimacy by coming back to their sales counter where they rest and have their meal, whereas the tourists create their sense of intimacy by involving in activities they like.
PROPRIETY Stems from the mutual respect which a true society should maintain amongst its members. The shop lots throughout the streetscape is in contrast to the buildings around and might be thought out of place, rather it resembles the Malay traditional houses which is a self-expression within a civilised framework.
DEFINING SPACE Solid and void, the canopy of a tree establishes a positive space below. The volume changes in sync with the daytime shadow pattern. Vaguely serving as a overhead plane, it has no deďŹ ned boundary but achieves the sheltering function which attracts one to pull off there. Also, an alley formed by an expanded tensile cover and hanging colored bottles attracts the visitor to have a walk through.
LINKAGE The sudden change in the texture, pattern and colour of the road leads to a well paved pavement that intrigues the eye of the user the same way the facade of Jalan Kasturi does which acts a pedestrian pathway and is a unifying and joining aspect of the streetscape to the townscape.
MYSTERY The onlooker’s perspective towards the next space the end is restricted by the barrier of the shop lots placed to the right and left and towards the center which is occupied by users, only providing a glimpse of the space next which in turn evokes curiosity to wonder what lies beyond.
SURROUNDING BUILDINGS The high rise buildings around the streetscape are each tilted at different angles to suit the other high rise buildings so that it can receive sunlight in its own direction without being blocked by other buildings. These buildings also share the period of architectural style from modern to postmodern. Some public buildings has warm toned faรงade in postmodern style and the modern buildings have fully utilized the use of tempered glass.
BREAKING THE TONE The buildings of the streetscape consists of monotonous ,warm toned buildings that blend with the surrounding. The splashes of blue created by central market and the un deďŹ ning colours of yellow and red of the buildings covering the streetscape breaks the monotonous tone giving a sense of life to the space.
PUNCTUATION In the continuing narrative of the street, the character and the function of the streets change from place to place. The alignment of the shop lots interrupts the street by closing on phase and concealing the next, creating a pause for the user. The aroma aroused from the food stalls and the variety in the shop lots also creates punctuation.
TRANSITION Caught between foliage of dissolving densities of mass, an intermediate space is created, evoking a gradual shift in atmosphere as the user advances on beyond while the space recedes into the background. The curving back lanes, nearby bustling, busy and dangerous movement of vehicles whereby the opposite does not completely expose the next phase, but just enough to draw in the user, creates a categorical landscape.
LOOKING INTO ENCLOSURE The tinted glass faรงade plays as a visual barrier between the inside of central market and Jalan Kasturi which creates curiosity in the user to further enter the interior of central market. Also the smaller shoplots on the pavement acts as a visual barrier to the local permanent shops a layer inside
LOOKING OUT OF ENCLOSURE From the interior of central market the tinted glass doesn’t not act as an hindrance to the sight of the streetscape and excites the user to experience the market at ďŹ rst sight.
VISCOCITY A mixture of static possession and possession in movement, the usual group of timely locals, people selling newspapers, morning breakfast and so on. The overhanging roofs and loud signage at the front of each shop provides a character of the shoplots. While the tourists wander around, they unknowingly contribute to the localized routine lifestyle.
OCCUPIED TERRITORY Shade, shelter, amenity and convenience are the usual causes of possession. The narrow alley between the two buildings which previously was just a void that was not put to use is now occupied for parking bikes for the locals.
TIME PERCEPTION The architectural style of the buildings enclosing the streetscape preserves the culture and heritage of the pre-modern architectural style which acquaints users of the time lapse of pre-modern to modern architecture through all these years, creating a static and occupied environment that is seemingly engraved into the regime street pattern
HANDSOME GESTURE So much of the streetscape consists of hustle and bustle of the tourists and the humdrum routine work. A localized display of food and goods for the tourists and shops fulďŹ lling basic needs of the locals, illuminates the simple charm of the stores within the streetscape.
CLOSED VISTA The deďŹ ned robust solid wall on both sides imposes an unwelcoming constriction to the user. The user’s vista is closed off by solid masses at the end of the road, leaving the user in mystery as the space beyond is left unknown.
PERMEABILITY Jalan Kasturi is highly permeable to the nearby central market which acts a focal point of the townscape and viceversa.
LAMP POST The street lighting that is implemented in the overall streetscape is conducive to pedestrians and the salesperson during night time. Street lightings highlights the identity and history of an area for welllit historic details that draws the attention to the uniqueness of the area creating drama and emphasizes the unity of the space.
URBAN ENCLOSURE Tall, bulky buildings on either side of the street creates a strong sense of direction and linearity in the narrow passage in between. Pedestrians are dwarfed by the built environment. The covered street shades the pedestrians from the unpredictable weather ,enabling more flexible space for activity and movement.
MAW Black, motionless and silent, like a great animal with inďŹ nite patience, the maw observes the eye moving to and fro in the sunlight. This the unknown which utter blackness creates.
CIRCULATION The shops and the buildings enclosing the streetscape are aligned well making two lanes that controls the pedestrian circulation and allows them to use it as a two way walking path.
SILHOUETTE The tree stands out against the blue skies and the land, as if abruptly disrupting the flow of vision. However the delicate movements of its leaves and reďŹ ned outline seek to entrap moments of the sky itself, creating an airy volume that brings the sky closer to the ground. An emotion sought after by tourists to escape the harsh rigid skylines that are aiming to engulf the sky itself.