georgetown (tales of three cities)

GeorgetownPrince of Wales IslandColonial Era (1786-1941)

● Urban Configuration● Scale, Grid & Grain● Typologies of Form & Function● Facade & Materiality● Public & Private Realms● Expression Keywords

General History

-Not intended to be colonial settlement.-Francis Light - insufficient resources and manpower.-Early ethnic settlers brought in.-Colony status in 1867. Introduction of British Public Works Department.-Architectural firms brought in to develop into automobile city.

Popham’s map of Georgetown in 1798

BRITISH COLONIAL QUARTEROverseeing economy and the people

Government

Economy

separated to ensure maximum economy benefits, prevent unification of people

1792GEORGETOWN

CHINESE SETTLEMENT Grid pattern laid out by Francis Light for easy management

Residential

MALAY SETTLEMENT Original Malay town (remain unchanged as British more protective towards Malay

UNDER-DEVELOPED

PADDY FIELD

STUDIES BOUNDARIES

BRITISH COLONY

QUARTER

AXIAL

GRID

1792 URBAN CONFIGURATION

-Clear axial along Pitt Street-A horizontal axis (west and east) was stretch out from the axial. Creating a bone-like configuration. The vertical axis (north and south) then added to form a clean grid form. -The two configuration eased access between agriculture, trading, and administration.

STUDIE

S BO

UNDARIE

S

AXIAL

-Axial along Pitt Street form focal point on northern area. Creating emphasis. -Axial line drawn point to point from British colony quarter to Masjid Kapitan Keling.-Religious buildings built as a ponder points along street-Shophouses were built between the ponder points.

The secondary axis stretch configuration outward to the west and east area of George Town. Access towards agriculture area.

GRID

-Grid line for ease of management. Similar to ancient chinese city planning. Conducive environment for Chinese settlers.

Ancient chinese city planning using gird form configuration and a clear axial.

Popham’s map of Georgetown in 1798

CHINESE SETTLEMENT

EMBRACING ‘YANG’housing faces the sea

TURN AWAY FROM ‘YIN’housing backed by high lands

Axis - separation between yin and yang

CHINESE CULTURAL ATTRIBUTES

AXIAL CONFIGURATIONAXIAL DEFINING YIN AND YANG

GRID CONFIGURATION

(BRITISH)

- in a larger scale compared to chinese settlement

- emphasize on hierarchy of social class

IRREGULAR + LOOSE GRID (MALAY)

- earliest Malay settlement in Georgetown right after Fort Cornwallis is built.

- British Colonial hasn't plan on the layout

MALAY SETTLEMENT

CONTEXT Urban Configuration

BRITISH COLONIAL QUARTER

(Scene at the harbour of George Town’s - an international port for traders all over the world.)

Here and Therequality of thereness is blurred and is within the reach as silhouette of Fort Cornwallis is seen unequivocally, piercing the horizon

line from Masjid Kapitan Keling from the other end.

Focal PointFort Cornwallis dominated the North end of road by its juxtaposition of scale. The monumental large structure portrays power and

authority of British Colony, reminding locals who uses the road daily.

Linear Movementlinearity of the wide broad road promotes movement, separating the hectic harbour from the quiet paddy field.

Exposureas local farmers harvest crops, a great expanse of sky complemented with a vast wide paddy field demonstrates a sense of

emptiness. it was their way of welcoming the arrivals and sending the ships off as this picturesque scene changes every day.

Enclosure surrounding of hills complement to Chinese Fengshui where the Chinese community finds harmony as it provides protection and

security.

Close Vistahigher topography bounded the infinity vast flat land with hills and forests landscaped view, defining a clear boundary for the

paddy fields and Malay town.

(Scene of farmers nurturing paddy fields.)

1881 Urban Configuration

A map of George Town 1883

Form configuration in 1881 transformed into Grid and Irregular form-Due to the expansion of the city. Main expansion on the reclaimed land waterfront, southern part and the western part. -Expansion of the grid form vanished the axial and resulted a more grid configuration.

WATERFRONT

CHINESE CLAN & MUSLIM MOSQUE ENCLAVE

BRITISH COLONY QUARTER

THE SOCIA-CULTURE PRECINCT

THE SOCIAL-CULTURAL PRECINCT

-Failure of agriculture used for development of the city expansion. -Scattered vertical axis added to horizontal axis. Grid line deformed and form a loose grid configuration. -Shophouses were also built within the grid lines.

1792 1881

Waterfront

-Beach Street reclaimed for development of Weld Quay for port expansion. -Grid line continued from the early shophouses. Access from port to shophouses. -Scale of grid is larger due to use of warehouses for harbour.

A map of George Town 1883

Immediacyabsence of preparation, softening up, railings at the harbour give way to edge of water. the immediate contact of successive tidal wave with passerby at the walkway created a juxtaposition to give drama and clarity to the landscape, emphasizing on ‘thisness’.

Scalewarehouse build along harbour port is the inherent claim to size that the construction makes to the eye, leaving an impression that

made it seem vaster by the extravagance of robust scale to people who gather there.

Hidden Mysteryglimpses of early settlement’s bungalows are caught by pedestrian from alleys between buildings as they walk passed shoplots next

to Beach Street, stirring curiosity and inviting people to discover what’s bounded behind.

Beach Street

Beach Street

Human Scale and Intimacyshoplots flanked on both sides of the well-paved road, creating a pleasing streetscape while injecting life onto the street with

wooden carriage services, business stalls and pedestrian. the double-storey height stood right in front of the people with a sense of welcoming, inviting them to converse at the five foot walkway and to people across the street.

(Everyday scene at the Chulia Street.)

SCALE, GRID & GRAIN

Various architectural style found along Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling

clearly show the footprint of different ethnicity from past to

present. Difference in scale, grid and grain shows different

intensity of relationship between one and other.

urban grain

Blue shaded area: course grain the bigger scale of buildings

Grey shaded area: fine grainsmostly consisted of shophouses which offers small proximity among the buildings.

The Penang High Court had sufficient boundary area - able to add new wing. The opened space of the building became parking area for the workers and public.

Coarse Grain: -Most religious buildings, all government buildings. -Concentrated at the north. -Large outdoor space.

-Public spaces with high intensity contact points were usually located around the religious buildings

-Different experience throughout the journey as pedestrian witness different building scale

Eg: urban-infill temples (Seri Mahamariamman Temple and Kuan Im Teng ) which have different urban design and set backs which allow the enhancement of visual experiences.

Other religious buildings

-Variation for shophouse width according to taxation (built at different times, different social and financial status, different materials or technologies)

-Taxed according to street frontage: creating motivation to build narrow and deeply. -Building technology: extent of frontage was affected by the structural span of the timber used.

Fine Grain: Mostly shophousesBuilt by early settlersCreating small alleys and streets in blocks of shophouses

Scale of building affects social intensity

TYPOLOGIES OF FORM & FUNCTION

Beach Street:

-Banking & trading area (maritime)

-Include shipping companies, import and export trade and the wholesalers

Residential Quarters:

- Usually live in terraces, shophouse and few bungalows.

- Streets are relatively narrower, irregularly aligned and appear to be less formal in their planning.

European commercial premises concentrated along Beach Street in proximity to the port.

Their residences were located away from the central business district.

Ubiquitous shophouses served both as business and residential premises for Asians.

European residences.

British dominated the north due to strategic location and breeze.

Esplanade was a central part of the local British lifestyle. Commonly used for social events to show colonial dominance.

The Esplanade is an open square exclusively for British use only.

Resemble concept of a square/plaza from European urban architecture.

Pitt Street:Religious street.

Kapitan system suited immigrants because it encouraged a local autonomy. Thus the road become an important axis to the rulers of Penang as it links directly to the colonial government

Religious Street

Goddess of Mercy Temple (1800)Masjid Kaptian Keling (1900) St George Church (1818)Khoo Khongsi (1851)Sri Mahamariamman Temple (1833)

Town Development (placement of religious & institutional buildings):

Impact from cultural practices andpreferences of the different ethnic groups

Chinese Settlements

China Street: main axisKing street: secondary axis.

Early Chinese settlers chose to live within the town grid and followed as closely as possible their traditional and cultural orientation.

Encouraged to settle: “ a valuable acquisition” as they possess different trades.

Due to strong niche in retail trade, Chinese shophouses had predominated the build-landscape of inner Georgetown.

Indian Settlements

-Indian Muslim community.

-Masjid Kapitan Keling  & Sri Mahamariamman Temple catered to the Tamil traders and stevedores originating from South India.

-Settled down in late 1780s

Indian Settlement

Malay Settlements

Muslim business revolves around Pitt Street and locate their business near the Kapitan Keling Mosque.

MalaySettlement

Building Layout of Public Buildings

The early buildings were set in large open spaces or compounds.

Portrays the legacy of thelifestyle of early entrepreneurs who accumulated great wealth and left their marks on society.

For Chinese religious buildings, the setback provided privacy for the clan members’ meetings.

Masjid Kapitan Keling

Rows of residential and shophouses were built on available land fronting the street hiding the earlier buildings and their compounds.

The clan houses are located within the walls of the shophouses which show a separation of public and private.

street

Religious buildings are built to solidify the existence and identities of a group to others.

Vernacular shophouses lined along the street also formed ethnic boundaries psychologically.

FACADE & MATERIALITY

City Hall (1903)Edwardian Baroque Architecture

- Typical style of British Empire for public buildings during Edwardian Era (1901-1910).

Transparency

- Solid and large scale of building decrease transparency. To show authority of British Empire.

Speed of Movement

- High speed of movement for locals.

- Local pedestrians wouldn’t linger around the area.

- Slow speed of movement for British pedestrians.

- British pedestrians feel comfortable at their territory.

Poetics, Experience

- Numerous columns and solidity of facade displays grandness of the British in contrast to simple shophouses.

- Uniformity and balance shows authority and encourages the feeling of control and formality

- No setback for city hall

- Facing large esplanade: used for military parades and social events for the British only

- To make up for absence of setback, the grandness of both buildings can be seen from the esplanade.

High Court (1901) Palladian Architecture

- Often used during the early 20th century for public buildings.

Transparency

- Solid and large scale of building decrease transparency. To show authority of British Empire.

Speed of Movement

- High speed of movement.

- Pedestrians wouldn’t linger around the area due to presence of authority (style and police)

- Uniformity and balance shows authority and fairness

Poetics, Experience

- Palladian architecture (Greek, roman symmetry and columns) instills sense of justice and authority.

St George’s Church (1818)

- Original flat roof converted to gable in 1864 (tropical climate)

- Built by same engineer who designed St George’s Church in Chennai (similar style)

St George’s Church, Chennai

Transparency

- Passive facade (no ornamentations) and small scale does not promote authority.

- Relatively inviting place in contrast with High Court (opposite).

- At the corner of junction, more exposed to show transparency.

Speed of Movement

- Low speed of movement.

- Pedestrians respond and engage with building.

Poetics, Experience

- Wide setback places emphasis on the church and separates it from other buildings showing dominance (religion).

Church of Assumption (1860)Transparency

- At the corner of junction, more exposed to show transparency.

Speed of Movement

- Low speed of movement.

- Pedestrians respond and engage with building.

Poetics, Experience

- Crucifix shaped church with 2 box-shaped bell tower different from the local surrounding buildings (gabled). More distinct = dominance

-Wide plot & setback

-Show dominance of religion

-Contrast with adjacent inferior buildings

• Dominant building typology in the Core Zone of Georgetown

• Introduced in Peninsular Malaysia by Chinese communities who migrated from Mainland China in the 1800s

• Earliest Chinese permanent settlers (of Hokkien descent) were shopkeepers and became the core of the Straits Chinese or Peranakan Chinese – the Chinese elite of the Straits Settlements

• The existence of the Chinese communities gave an aesthetic contribution to development of shophouses architecture

SHOPHOUSES

• Fast: vacant space fronting the row of shophouses allow for vehicular movement

• Clustering of shophouses closely together creates a community of commercial activity for ease of access

SPEED OF MOVEMENT

Five foot ways • Facilitate pedestrian movement and provide direct

access for the publics to the shophouses• Contributes social interaction between customers

and shopkeepers• Able to observe and absorb the people and activities

the town provides

SPEED OF MOVEMENT

• Shophouses collectively forms a city/townscape – as it has strong links to other shophouses

• This townscape with high density of shophouses and population established distinctive urban fabric – “Chinatown”

• Existence of these shophouses in Peninsular Malaysia- symbolises the Chinese as a trading community- strong entrepreneurial spirit of early migrant communities

POETICS EXPERIENCE

• Deep and narrow frontage, facing a street – where trading items are normally displayed

• Front windows are normally full length from floor to ceiling

• Bright colours attract attention for businesses in the shophouses

TRANSPARENCY

• Narrow width: due to taxation according to the width of the front elevation, thus the shophouses were built as such to minimize tax (between 13’-25’)

• Use of party wall: following building regulations owing to fire incidents in earlier years

LEGISLATION

PROGRESSION OF SHOPHOUSES MATERIALITY

1780s: Timber as walls and attap as

roofs

Bricks and tiles were utilized

1790s-1850s: Bricks and lime were more popular

choices

1790s-1850s: Early Penang

Style

1840s-1900s: Southern

Chinese Eclectic Style

1890s-1910s: Early Straits Eclectic Style

1910s-1930s: Late Straits Eclectic

Style

1930s-1960s: Art Deco Style

1950s-1970s: Early Modernism

Style

Introduction of five foot

walkways

Materiality of shophouses were

influenced by building

regulation in the 1880s

Design, details & effort to decorate the façade were limited to how much money owners were

willing to spend

Application of more colours and

patterns

Simpler style with vertical

emphasis on the facade

Influenced by the modernism

movement and European style

SHOPHOUSES STYLE TIMELINE

• Changes introduced during this period were largely due to the Chinese style adapting to the Malay region

• Chinese butterfly vent windows: the only overtly stylistic addition to the facade

• European classical elements: simplified Tuscan/Doric pilasters and cornice mouldings began to make an appearance

• Symmetry: key aspect of Chinese design

SOUTHERN CHINESE ECLECTIC STYLE

• Lack of rules for façade appearance encouraged builders to curate the development of the style – dissemination of techniques and styles of building happened organically

• Proportion and growth in height: elongated vertically and influenced by Classical proportions

• Implement of Classical designs: arched windows and transoms, classical pilasters, pediments, keystones and decorative friezes

EARLY STRAITS ECLECTIC STYLE

• Façade of shophouses during this period became more elaborate – colours and patterns were thrown together for maximum visual effect.

• Chinese and Classical style plasterwork: use of floral plasterwork and other ornate details

• Embellishment of Neoclassical elements: acanthus leaves, sashes and Doric/Corinthian pilasters became more prevalent

• Application of Malay designs: application of Malay geometric and floral pattern work in ceramic tiles that were laid down on the ground of the walkway in front of the shophouses

• Use of bright pastel colours: became popular to attract customers and encourage tourism

LATE STRAITS ECLECTIC STYLE

PUBLIC & PRIVATE REALM

• Streets in Georgetown are traditionally shared spaces, with changing pattern of activities. These practices, performances and rituals create the richness of the culturally eclectic landscape of the historic settlements.

• The network of parks and public open spaces are interconnected via a landscaped pedestrian network, prioritizing pedestrians movement in Georgetown, creating a more comfortable area for pedestrians.

Public Parks and Green spaces

Public Buildings

Tree Lined Pedestrian Priority StreetsPedestrian Priority Streets

PUBLIC REALM

• The Public buildings, open spaces and parks are mainly located along the primary road.

• The huge setbacks of the public buildings and the wide road creates a long road with very few stop points, which makes the road to have faster vehicle and pedestrian movement. Pedestrian walkway and usable spaces are built in front of private buildings within the primary road, to allow for activities and creates landscaped or usable space.

• The open spaces allows activities and can be a potential gathering point for people, which may become a contact point.

Stopping points

Tree Lined Pedestrian Priority Streets

PUBLIC REALM

Kuan Im Teng Temple – urban wall• Facing the primary road, it has a perimeter wall or

structure acting as an urban wall, framing the front courtyard of the public building, creating a large public space in front of the building, which is accessible and encourages people to stay longer within the area and will be able to engage with the activities in the public space.

• High historical and cultural value to attract local community to engage in religious activity.

Wide and deep courtyard as a setback which gives a sense of inviting, allowing religious and cultural activities, making this public space a high intensity contact point.

PUBLIC REALM

St. George’s Church• Considered as a significant landmark due to it’s high

column and huge breathing space, which is used as parking, allowing people to stop by.

• The grand entrance of the facade with minimal enclosure creates a sense of exclusiveness.

• Religious activity hosted in the building for the public.

PUBLIC REALM

Penang Town Hall• The Esplanade is a waterfront located in the heart of

George Town. Originally it was a large, wide, open and level area outside the city wall to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress gun. The cleared field was then later used as a military parade ground, utilized for cricket matches and public events during 19th century.

PUBLIC REALM

INNER REALM• An allocated space in Georgetown which allows

locals to expand mostly business oriented establishment.

• Being the area in between all the other districts, this living hub becomes a necessary stop for locals to get around Georgetown, from portside to living quarters.

• This enforces positive routes and pathing for the locals, both in term of living and business. Thus creating movement patterns along the inner realm of Georgetown.

OUTER REALM• Acts as an outline that focuses on cultural build

up that encage around the living hub in Georgetown.

• It becomes a perimeter to understand the existing stopping point’s general vicinity.

• This also helps solidify the conclusion that throughout the periods that passed in Georgetown, the planning in which living accommodation establishments can be placed is fixed in the inner realm.

STOPPING POINTS

• A multitude of stopping points can be found in the highlighted area.

• Many pathways and movements taken can illustrate those stopping points.

• The highlighted streets acts as the main primary street for everyday needs and service of the locals, making it an ideal stopping point for locals on the way back from work, passing by or in its immediate proximity to check for goods.

• Invisible Boundary: religious buildings as primary gathering spot for the community // offer a higher contact intensity compared to the road // contradiction relationship between one and another // boundary based on the intensifying layers

• Adapting to Control: plot width varies throughout the shop lots area as taxation and land costs are controlled by government // length of shop lots are often longer than the width of the shops as loophole for locals or shop owners to avoid extra tax payment and land costs // sets the tone for the future built environment

• Dominant Rulers: colonial rulers instilling a sense of control to inferiors // large and elaborate scale of buildings create an overwhelming sense of control and order towards the local passerby // walking speed is increased as locals do not wish to linger nearby dominating administrative buildings

• Vibrant Townscapes: serves the interest of cultivating Penang’s cultural diversity // as a historical site, Penang serves as a vibrant and living ‘museum’ // different ornaments and carvings from the shophouses shows different vibrancy of identity, enhancing the rich culture of Penang

• Welcoming Facades: shophouses in the residential area creates a pleasing streetscape by having a consistent facade design, featuring the five-foot-way that connects to the front patio of the interior // thus, creating a sense of welcoming to the people on the street to converse at the continuous walkway

• Frames of Directional Quality: due to the west part of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling being in an old development area, the buildings are built in unorganized arrangement // diversity of road width and random arrangement of coarse and fine grain buildings blurred the sense of direction on the site // the site consisted of fine grain and coarse grain which caused many dead end to emerge // the newly developed east part of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling have a clearer sense of direction due to its constant road width and organized arrangement of fine grain buildings // users are able to frame the street view from one end to another

Conclusion: Characteristics of Georgetown• Diversified Typologies: two typologies, organized and eccentric arrangements in the

area // governmental and religious building are in point form, which is more significant // shophouses are in linear form, which are more identical with each other // grid pockets, linear arrangement of shophouses arranged like a box with private area in the center

• Representational Ornamentation: façade ornamentations depict the influence and affluence of owners // distinct economic disparities between the working class and business/property owners // significance of levels of wealth and status in the community at the time // expression of the evolution of the built environment, economic factors and domestic values of a multi-ethnic community

• Enclosing Edges: higher topography bounded flat paddy field from Eastern part of Georgetown with hills and forests landscaped view // hills became edges disconnecting development in Georgetown from other parts of Penang. colonial development leans towards Western Part of Georgetown (more flat lands) // this clear boundary sets limitation to the local where the ‘end’ of Georgetown is clearly revealed, confining their daily activities and depth of views to the surrounding.

• Engagement Pattern: the nodes along the axial of pitt street encourage movement of users along stretch of the street. The formation of the religious building on the axial creating a point to point circulation and shophouses as transnational space that reconnects the layers. On the other hand, the wideness of the street shows more public realm and walkability quality during the daily activities. // The grid pattern shows the ease of accessibility and less confusing pattern that enable the sense to engage. Thus, the simplicity of the pattern transcending into an engagement on the streets.