WOVEN PAVILION ARCHITECTURE & CRAFT MAKING: WOVEN FORMS
The Story Reviving dying crafts
Woven Forms
Bird Singing & Rearing
Incorporating weaving into architecture
The century-old Singaporean tradition of bird keeping in itself is an endangered species, its continuous survival dependent on a small community of passionate enthusiats. For the bird keepers, the tradition is social: it is about a close knit community of enthusiats bonding through the engagement of a common hobby. Such was the case in many parts of Singapore, especially in Chinatown, where bird singing and related crafts that were once a norm are now on the verge of extinction. Within the highly gentrified Chinatown, the project aims to bring back these crafts as a means to facilitatea bonding between tourists and residents of Chinatown, all while preserving a forgotten yet valuable piece of heritage.
The craft of weaving is a common one among all cultures used for many different purposes, such as manufacturing silk, carpets, accessories and even daily tools. The range of weaving techniques varies widely across the world, each utilising different tools and materials. The project aims to explore the possiblities in which weaving could be incoporated into architecture.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2587333/Just-hanging-Cages-displayed-poles-annual-birdsinging-contest-Thailand-draws-contestants-South-East-Asia.html
A typical bird singing competion stage: Bird cages are A participant of a bird singing competition in Keban Bahru raised on either bird poles or ropes above ground in an awaits in the shelter. Once the birds are raised above ground, open area. Bird singing enthusiasts gather and put their a judge walk through the stage and judges each of the birds prized singers to the test against other birds. based on their tunes and voices.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/singapore/articles/the-last-bird-singing-clubs-of-singapore/
Bird singing stage in Kebun Bahru, one of the only few Art mural located at a HDB block depicting a typical context of places left in Singapore where bird enthusiats gather. bonding among the community Birds are raised on bird poles ranging between 4m 10m above ground.
Project Site Chinatown
Programs located on site
Site Site
Mix of traditional and modern crafts located within Chinatown
Circulation of residents and tourists: Circulation of tourists concentrates in the shophouse tourist areas, and along the housing estate and Chinatown complex for residents.
Woven Forms
Weaving explorations: Weaving within rigid grid and 3D lattice
Weaving models: Woven structure within rigid lattice and grid
Distortion of grid under tension from strings. Weaving forms geometry within grids
Woven Forms
Distortion of regular grid into penrose tiling pattern extracted from weaving models
Tensile membrane shelter Kreta Ayer Plaza
1Bird singing stage / shelter 2Aviary 3Bird feeding station 4Bird keeping workshops 5Food & Retail vendors 6Exhibition spaces 7Reception & information 8Washrooms 9Storage
Scaolding structure
1 5
Loading Bay
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4
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2
Proposed future MRT Station Exit
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5 8
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The pavilion houses various programs related to bird rearing and singing, as well as the potential for other indoor public functional spaces through the flexible woven structures that can cater to different program needs.
Kreya Ayer Plaza
Chinatown Housing Flats
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
MRT EXIT
Site Plan & Analysis
Aviary
Bird Keeping Workshop
Bird Singing Stage
Retail
Circular Theatre
Weaving workshops
Bolt & Nut Clamping Plates Tensile Membrane
Scaffolding Ledger
Rattan Rope Knot (Woven Walls)