book design

+ SHOPHOUSE TYPOLOGY

STREETWARE

STREETWARESTREETWARE

STRE

ETWA

RE + BLOCK and DENSITY

+ REFLECTOSCOPE

+ GREEN STRAATEGY

Penang summer AA visiting project 2012

Signage

Hardware

Sidewalk

Temple

Infrastructure

TransportTree

Boundary

Block

Stalls

Park

Ornament

Building

Square

Urban Furniture

Network

Work

Live

Play

Art

Activity

Tradition

Rules

Law

Climate

Event

Community

Neighbourhood

Gathering

Food

Music

Event

Software

Network

Work

Live

Play

Art

Activity

Tradition

Rules

Law

Climate

Event

Community

Neighbourhood

Gathering

Food

Music

Event

Software

Signage

Hardware

Sidewalk

Temple

Infrastructure

TransportTree

Boundary

Block

Stalls

Park

Ornament

Building

Square

Urban Furniture

StreetWare

001 Streetware

001 Programme Timeline

002 Photographic Journey

002 Workshop Brief003 AA

004 George Town

005 UNESCO World Heritage site

006 Think City

007 Fundacion Metropoli

01SET

EXPERIENCE02

001 Projects Introduction

002 Project01 Agora Network001 Vision

002 Thank you’s

003 Bibliography-Iconography

003 Project02 Shophouse typology potentials

004 Project03 Shophouse typology evolution

005 Project04 Reflectoscope

PROJECTSOUT

SET

03

04

What about the street?

For the first AA Alumni Workshop (AAaw), the capital of Malaysia’s ‘heaven island’ is

inviting the AA alumni community to reflect upon its newly acquired UNESCO Heritage

listing. This unique gathering will be an opportunity to demonstrate the AA’s unique

way of approaching architectural thinking by tackling a world heritage site in George

Town, Penang.

This year’s question will tackle the ubiquitous street, whose death and revival has

been constantly chanted to no avail. We will engage in an open workshop aiming at

answering the proposed challenge of rethinking the obvious – the street - within the

protected – the listed town. Finding the interstitial and necessary space where con-

temporaneity can exist, the street as a surprisingly generic term for a chaotic and

vivid setting, will be our main subject of investigation. Novel design, whereby the

cultural layers perceived sequentially will inform specific interventions on the for-

gotten voids, will aim to highlight the possible and illustrate the unseen. Proposals

will question the specificity of the “The Pearl of the Orient” which sits within the

straits of Malacca as a crossover of civilisations shaping an intrinsic multicultural

society.

The AAaw, is open to members of the AA alumni worldwide community. It is an occasion

for the institution to continue prospective discussions, hands on. The workshop will

provide a setting based on studio work and presentation, together with a platform for

newly developing digital and manufacturing tools. The consideration of the tropical

climate and the traditional multicultural background will define sustainable and sen-

sitive responses that act in coherence with the place, while questioning materiality

and performance. The workshop intends to reflect on the merging of traditional and

contemporary architecture beyond traditional preservation strategies, for the 21st

century development of George Town.

AA. Architecture AssociateThe Visiting School Research Programme of Penang

George Town is a historic city of the Straits of Malacca that has developed over 500

years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Ma-

lacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the town with a specific multi-

cultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible.

Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British

era from the end of the 18th century. The town constitutes a unique architectural and

cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

George Town

|1798| |1803|

The development of the city over the centuries was based on the merging of diverse

ethnic and cultural traditions, including Malay, European, Muslim, Indian and Chinese

influences. All this resulted in a human and cultural tapestry that is expressed in a

rich, intangible heritage that includes languages, religious practices, gastronomy,

ceremonies and festivals.

|1893| |2010|

This multi-cultural tangible and intangible heritage is expressed in the great vari-

ety of religious buildings of different faiths, ethnic quarters, the many languages,

worship and religious festivals, dances, costumes, art and music, food, and daily

life.

Unesco Site

Buffer Zone

Peneng growth

Unesco Site

Buffer Zone

Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca.

UNESCO recognised both cites as World Heritage sites in 2008.

Remarkable examples of historic colonial towns on the Straits of Malacca they demon-

strate a succession of historical and cultural influences arising from their former

function as a trading port linking East and West.

Multi-cultural living heritage originated from the trade routes from Great Britain

and Europe through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and the Malay Archipelago

to China. Both towns bear testimony to a living multi-cultural heritage and tradition

of Asia, where the many religions and cultures met and coexisted. They reflect the

coming together of cultural elements from the Malay Archipelago, India and China with

those of Europe, to create a unique architecture, culture and townscape.

UNESCO George Town site

“UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among

civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly

shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve

global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance

of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of

which are at the heart of UNESCO’S mission and activities”.www.unesco.org

Unesco Site

Buffer Zone

Projects scale of Intervention

SHOPHOUSE TYPOLOGY BLOCKSHOPHOUSE TYPOLOGY

PEOPLE

BLOCK

COMMUNITYPEOPLE COMMUNITY

HARDWARE

SOFTWARE

STREETWARE concept inspire the character projects for thetransformation of Geoge Town

Eat

Study

Read

Cook

Sleep

Cycle

Sing

Shop

Paint

Talk

WalkInformation

Work

Relax

LiveLearn

Leisure

Play

Library

Surface

Stalls

BoundaryStair

Temple

Airport

Supermarket

Street Light

Traffic light

School

Shop

Signage

Playground

House

TransportMuseum

Car Ornaments

Tree

Square

Festival

Gathering

Celebration

Rules

Community

Craftmanship

Traditions

Culture

Concert

Law

Market

Art

Activity

NetworkCommunity

Climate

NeighboursEvents

Parking

Tunels

Highways

Bridges

University Campus

Port

Sewage system

Signage

Ornaments

Tree InfrastructureRoads

Buildings

Green

Stalls

Urban Furniture

Block

Sidewalks

Penang + STREETWARE + Project 001




Pedestrian and Green Strategies Relax, Leisure, Tree, Neighbours, Craft, Climate, Infrastructure,

SHOPHOUSE Typology

Block and Density

Reflectoscope

Work, Live, Shop, House, Museum, Library, Neighbours, Buildings,

Works, Live, House, Ornaments, Buildings,Culture

Works, Play, Leisure, Neighbours, Events, Square, Buildings, Network, Climate

Proposed projects

Work, Live, Shop, House, Museum, Library, Neighbours, Buildings,

Works, Play, Leisure, Neighbours, Events, Square, Buildings, Network, Climate

Sidewalk

BLock

Climate, BLock

Block, Square, Stalls

The pedestrian network is studied with the aim to increment the circulation comfort by introducing a green strategy

Shophouse typology is studied to adapt it to new uses and

opportunities

The Shophouse typology is studied from its evolution and throughout a set of

experiments to get a new volumetric result in block and densities

Digital and material experimentation is used to develop a sophisticated design of simple

application. The reactivation of a new urban fabric guides the areas of implementation

1111

001Pedestrian and Green Strategies

Penang + STREETWARE + ProjectGeorge Town-UNESCO site

Pedestrian and Green Strategies

The goal of the proposal is to provide the already identity-rich ur-ban site with the necessary qualities for an optimal pedestrian use. This, taking in consideration the UNESCO World Heritage status and the governmental plans for the regeneration of city centre.

Kapitan Keling Street (Pitt Street)One of the four major streets in the Original Grid of George Town laid out by Captain Francis Light.Provides a cross section view of the cosmopolitan nature of GeorgeTown, where influences of British, Malay, Chinese, and Indian can be found along the street.The different religious centers include a Christian church at thenorthernmost, followed by Chinese and Hindu temples, and a mosque at the end.

Pedestrian Flow

Others

St. Geoge Church community

Chiness community

Sri Mahamaria Temple Community

Kapitan Keling Mosque community

Khoo Clan Community

Acheen Street Mosque Community

The diagram shows the main pedestrian flow associating to each of the Cult centers

the residential area of the corresponding community. Such association is made pos-

sible through a careful reading of the cultural and architectural expression of the

different ethnicities present around the site.

The emerged pattern emphasizes the high pedestrian use of the Kapitan Keling Street,

providing also the main driver for the strategy of the intervention.

Fig 00.Future Traffic Planform Thnik City

Site - Future Traffic Plan

Main One-way Traffic

Main Two-way traffic

Secondary One-way traffic

Secondary Two-way traffic

In order to articulate a meaningful strategy for the intervention, it is required a

full integration with the Government’s plans for the area.

More specifically, it is necessary to understand the bigger scale strategies

regarding the public transport and the plans for the management of the

traffic flow in the future.

Main One-way Traffic

Main Two-way traffic

Secondary One-way traffic

Secondary Two-way traffic

Pedestrian and Green Strategy : Bamboo Structure

The intervention strategy driven by the main points identified during the site analy-

sis consists in the following steps:

-Improve the Pedestrian connectivity along the Site, regarding both, the quantitative

and qualitative aspects.

-Integrate the use of Vegetation and the qualitative aspects of the pedestrian con-

nectivity.

-Resize the traffic lanes in the Kapitan Keling Street and introduce specific cycling

and public transport lanes, in concordance with the George Town Area Plan.

-Identify available spots for the introduction of public services and installations,

together with urban furniture.

-Make use of the local knowledge and craftsmanship in appropriate level, scale and

interpretation for the proposed intervention.

Green Layer

Bamboo Structure

Existing tree

Pedestrian Sidewalk

Traffic Road

2500

2500

2500

4500 2500

6000

6000

3000

3000

9000

8000

Respect Existing Trees

Respect Existing Trees

RE STRENGTHEN THEPUBLIC DOMIAN IN FRONT

OF MOSQUE

Corridor for walking

Corridor for walking


existing condition

proposal

proposal

MAIN NORTH SOUTHPEDESTRIAN SPINECONNECTING ALL

RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS

GREEN LANSCAPEACTING AS VISUAL

CONNECTIVITY

EXISTING STREETPARKING IS REMOVED

TO PROVIDE MOREPUBLIC OPEN SPACE

COOLING OFF ZONESTHE SUPER STRUCTURE

ACTS AS A SCULPTUREAND PROVIDE SPACE

FOR A MEETING SPACE

Pavement

Pedestrian zone

Traffic zone

RE STRENGTHEN THEPUBLIC DOMIAN IN FRONT

OF MOSQUE

Light Structure

Fig 00. lksdjflsdkjflsdkjfljdlfkjlsdkjf,nf,msdnf,smdnf

dsfmnsdfn

Fig 00. lksdjflsdkjflsdkjfljdlfkjlsdkjf,nf,msdnf,smdnf

dsfmnsdfn

Precedents of the structural principles, material choice or

formal experssion can be found in a series of examples that

could be explore in detail in order to learn how those con-

cepts where best adapted to their specific sites and require-

ments

Fig 00. lksdjflsdkjflsdkjfljdlfkjlsdkjf,nf,msdnf,smdnfdsfmnsdfn

Fig 00. lksdjflsdkjflsdkjfljdlfkjlsdkjf,nf,msdnf,smdnfdsfmnsdfn

The bamboo structure will allow for a Green Strategy that goes beyond the idea of

planting trees into the idea of providing green in a top layer that can help provid-

ing shadow and coolness.

The formal outcome as a dialogue between local craftmen techniques and the contempo-

rary formal languages that relates to existing trees defines the unique presence of

the ligh structure to enhnace the pedestrian confort of people of Penang.


1111

002SHOPHOUSE TupologyPenang + STREETWARE + ProjectGeorge Town-UNESCO site

Potential spatial configurations of the shophouse typology.

The traditional functionality of the shophouse typology can be interpreted into an specific spatial configuration. An exploration of potential spatial reconfigurations thought at the scale of the block rather than the individual type reveals a series of opportunities that endow the evolution of George Town within a contemporary vision.

SHOPHOUSE Tupology

Shophouse Typology Study

The shophouse is composed by a series of sequencial

spaces with specific programmatic arrangement. A

private-public dialogue together with a respond to

environmental-weather conditions determine the ar-

rangement of the spaces.

The configuration can be interpreted into outdoor,

indoor, semi indoor spaces.

Shophouse Typology Study

Shophouse Circulation Pattern

Room

Room

Room

Courtyard

Terrace

Rear Court

Shop

Shophouse Circulation Pattern

Outdoor Space

Semi Indoor Space

Indoor Space

Hall

Kitchen Toilet

Five step-way

Shophouse Typology Shophouse Typology

|One House|

|One Block|

Option 1-Linear

Shophouse Typology : Rethinking Circulation

The evolution of the one-way linear circulation of

the shophouse can create opportunities that have an

impact at the block scale

Street circulation

Street circulation

SHOPHOUSE circulation

SHOPHOUSE circulation

Opprtunity: Community Bond

Activate GATHERING areas WITHIN the BLOCK

Densification

Requestion

The spatial configuration at the back

scale 1:3000scale : 1:3000

N

Shop-LABS

Opprtunity: SHOPLABS

Opportunity for Interaction

Business incubators that Foster interaction

Street

Arcade

Courtyard

Private Use

Active Frontage

Street

Arcade

Courtyard

Private Use

Active Frontage

Courtyard

Business 1 Business 2 Business 3 Business 4

Courtyard

Oppotunities to support Local craft activities

Promote local art by foster-ing and art comunity

Opportunity to create small start ups with interdisci-plinary interaction

Promote new generation of technical and virtual disci-plines

Foster local textile busi-nesses and orientation to international markets

Local craft Artist

Artist

Business man

Computer engineer

Fashion designer

Opprtunity: Hibrid

Existing Old Front Structure

New Intervention Rear

Interior space

Frontage Activation

A

A

Activation of back street by densifying border Civic Use + Outdoor Public Gathering Opportunity

Back Activation that

Retail and Market Activation

Densification of site-south street activation Public Realm with in and out the Hybrid

Public Realm ActivationRetail and Market Activation

Densification of site-south street activation Public Realm with in and out the Hybrid

Public Realm Activation

1111

003Block and DensityPenang + STREETWARE + ProjectGeorge Town-UNESCO site

We do not propose to ‘invent’ or ‘solve’ a Malaysian architecture, but aim to work in the context that is raised by this question. Aware of our position, following the many other groups who have brought to Penang their own cultural export, we seek to perpetuate the cultural synthesis in this contemporary moment, pursued in har-mony with local need.

Block and Density

Site Observation

It has been deemed by UNESCO that George Town is of ‘outstanding value to humanity’

owing to it being a ‘reflection of the coming together of cultural elements from the

Malay Archipelago, India and China with those of Europe to create a unique architec-

ture, culture and townscape without parallel’. As Malaysia moves towards a ‘One Ma-

laysia’ as initiated by the government in recent years questions of national identity

are at the forefront of Malaysian thinking, and in turn the question of a Malaysian

architecture emerges. Located as it is, historically and geographically, at a meeting

place for cultures, George Town is a particularly rich location from where to phrase

questions about architecture at a specific set of cultural crossroads.

The synthesis of cultures evident in the architecture of George Town up until the mid

twentieth century has generated both diversity and commonality, in response to local

climate with elements of design rooted in the multiple cultures that have had a stake

in the city. After the Second World War this pattern of eclecticism coupled with a

sympathy to climatic needs was to a degree lost in favour of what can be described as

the ‘International Style’, characterised by standardisation, industrialisation over

craft, and a limited palette of materials; notably steel, glass, and concrete.

Architecture At A Set of Cultural Crossroads

19th century European style

European louvre shutters

Rows of tall unglazed windows

20th century new materials

19th century European style

European louvre shutters

Rows of tall unglazed windows

20th century new materials

Ideologically the International Style was driven by an emphasis upon functionality,

but examples in George Town are found to be wholly unsuited to the climate with their

flat roofs and panoramic windows. The architecture in George Town that gave precedent

to this style loses its link with the local climate or any reference to the complex-

ity of existing cultures.

Heritage protection as offered by UNESCO seeks in part to maintain specificity

against processes that may be described as globalisation. The question here is: how

might one perpetuate the cultural synthesis that has produced Georgetown while re-

taining its specificity? In seeking to continue the flux of the living city we pursue

this tension along a course of traditions; those which we observe and those which we

join, while aiming to gain the knowledge and empathy to root our endeavour in the

landscape, environment, and social practices of Georgetown.

neo classical

Southern Chinese Anglo-Indian

Southern China

England Victorian

Neo classical

Southern Chinese Anglo-Indian

Southern China

England Victorian

We interrogate the notion of tradition but do not aim to create the traditional. Situating

ourselves firmly in the present, tradition describes not just that which is transmitted through

the generations but specifically that which is made use of and shaped by the contemporary mo-

ment. Tradition is not taken to be the cradling of the heirloom as its contemporary moment

recedes from view. But rather the putting to use that which has been inherited, and its shaping

by the contemporary moment to be passed on again.

PAST

Statement

Internationally agreed terms upon which conservation is practiced hold that all additions

to a historic fabric should be reversible. Keeping this proposition in mind, we do not take

for granted the permanence of our intervention and in our addressing of materials and con-

struction we ask how our intervention might sit benignly upon the temporal fabric.

PRESENT

FUTURE

The preservation of the living city of Georgetown must be aligned with continuity. We address

Georgetown as the perpetual rather than the static and oppose the possibility of the current moment,

that in which Georgetown is formally addressed as a body of heritage, as becoming a stagnating force

upon the built fabric of George Town.

House size and type Evolution

Earl

y Pe

nang

sty

le

1700

1840

s -

1900

s

1890

s -

1910

s

Geoge Town house typology

Sout

hern

Chi

nese

Ecl

ecti

cic

styl

e

Earl

y St

rait

s Ec

lect

ic s

tyle

Thou

gh c

lay

bric

ks a

re u

sed

foll

ow-

ing

Brit

ish

regu

lati

ons

rega

rdin

g

flam

mabl

e ma

teri

als,

the

re i

s a

sugg

esti

on o

f th

e Ch

ines

e co

lumn

and

beam

con

stru

ctio

n wi

th i

ts

prec

eden

t in

tra

diti

onal

Chi

nese

timb

er b

uild

ing.

Sett

led

Chin

ese

comm

unit

ies

beca

me i

ncre

asin

gly

affl

uent

and, wishing

to s

et t

hems

elve

s ap

art

from

the

mor

e tr

ansi

ent

immi

gran

t groups who

came

to

Geor

geto

wn s

eeki

ng w

ork,

inc

reas

ed t

he u

se o

f or

namentation. A

Chin

ese

gabl

e sh

ape

and

func

tion

al d

etai

l su

ch a

s th

e ce

ramic air vent

is c

ombi

ned

with

Eur

opea

n .

As c

ommu

niti

es f

rom

Sout

hern

Chi

na

sett

led

in G

eorg

etow

n th

ey e

mplo

yed

Chin

ese

arti

sans

to

prod

uce

deco

ra-

tive

car

ving

and

ado

pted

ter

roco

tta

roof

til

es f

rom

Euro

pe a

nd I

ndia

1800

Lond

one

hous

etypology

1910

s -

1940

s

1930

s -

1960

s

1950

s -

1970

s

Late

Str

aits

Ecl

ecti

c st

yle

Art

Deco

sty

le

Earl

y Mo

dern

ism

styl

e

Full

len

gth

wind

ows

emph

asis

e th

e fi

rst

stor

ey i

n th

e Eu

ropean manner.

Furt

her

feat

ures

of

neo-

clas

sica

l la

ngua

ge a

re a

rtic

ulat

ed in project-

ing

colu

mns

and

scro

lled

bra

cket

s an

d pl

aste

r re

lief

on

columns while

pron

ounc

ed s

offi

ts d

raw

on C

hine

se a

nd E

urop

ean

moti

fs

Pros

peri

ty,

prog

ress

and

mod

erni

ty w

ere

evok

ed i

nter

nati

on-

ally

thr

ough

the

art

dec

o ae

sthe

tic

of t

echn

olog

y co

mbin

ed

with

lux

ury.

Cin

ema

quic

kly

spre

ad t

his

aspi

rati

onal

yet

obta

inab

le s

tyle

.

Thou

gh s

ugge

stiv

e of

a m

oder

n ma

chin

e ae

sthe

tic

such

sty

le

stil

l ma

de r

oom

for

ecle

ctic

ism

and

roma

ntic

ism,

dra

wing

on

imag

ery

from

all

con

tine

nts

as p

opul

aris

ed b

y co

ntem

pora

ry

arch

aeol

ogic

al d

isco

very

.

Arch

itec

ts e

duca

ted

abro

ad s

eek

to a

pply

the

Inte

rnat

iona

l St

yle

to t

he s

hoph

ouse

. Ch

arac

teri

s-

tic

are

the

reje

ctio

n of

orn

amen

t, a

nd h

isto

rica

l

revi

val.

Wi

de g

laze

d wi

ndow

s cr

eate

the

nee

d fo

r

shad

ing

fins

. Ne

w, m

ass

prod

uced

mat

eria

ls p

reva

il

and

colu

mns,

pre

viou

sly

mark

ing

indi

vidu

al b

ound

-

arie

s, a

re l

ost

from

the

fiv

e fo

ot w

ay i

n fa

vour

of a

can

tile

ver

cons

truc

tion

.

‘Sustainable Timber Building in Malaysia.’

The traditional Malay House found in the village or ‘kampong’ is of a timber post

and lintel construction with timber or bamboo walls and a thatched roof of attap,

a local palm. The house is raised on stilts, providing a semi-private area beneath

while lifting the house clear of potential flooding.

An abundance of forest materials allowed for the building of such houses and their

continued adaptation via an established flexible building system.

Tree

Material§

Timber continues to suggest practical use in the buildings of Malaysia, given that it holds

little heat and cools adequately at night.

Developments in timber construction materials, namely timber panel, now makes timber a vi-

able option for high density urban building, offering an acceptable degree of fire protec-

tion and resistance to water vapour diffusion.

Location

Spirit

Timber continues to suggest practical use in the buildings of Malaysia, given that it holds little heat and cools

adequately at night.

Developments in timber construction materials, namely timber panel, now makes timber a viable option for high density

urban building, offering an acceptable degree of fire protection and resistance to water vapour diffusion.

ShopHouse, Block and Density

These sketches show initial analysis of climatic behaviour in key features of the shop

house. These features are shared with the vernacular Malaysian house. Features observed are

the jack roof, which permits ventilation via the space beneath the secondary roof struc-

ture; the pitched roof which affords shade from projecting eaves; and the low fenestration

which creates cross ventilation at body height. In the traditional Malaysian kampong palms

provide shade throughout the compound. The air well, which can be traced to the shophous-

es precedent in Southern China, creates an open interior space within the building. This

provides ventilation and allows rain to fall on the granite base set at ground level. The

water’s evaporation from this shallow granite basin further aids cooling.

|Climate studies|

Street

Back yard

Shop House

Shop House

Shop House

The shophouse unit characteristically occupies a deep and narrow plot within the block. The

relation of the type within the block is being rethought with a view to creating increased

numbers of smaller units, as fitting with contemporary usage. Studies show the possible

evolution of proportions to achieve this densification within the block.

|The type within the block|

The idea of the raised ground floor allows access to the central blocks and can be used for

parking, markets, playing etc.

Individual stairs leading up to the private houses and flats

Minimun impact at street level

Maximun height at the center of the block

The introduction of high cross walls ensures privacy of the courtyards and living areas

Cantilevering pitched roofs which protect the windows from heavy rain and direct sunlight

The new tripartite arrangement allows for greater density of the block and affordable

houses and flats

The new shop-house applied to the site. The building heights follow the

existing context. The proposal offers a robust and UNESCO compliant re-

sponse to contemporary needs such as affordable housing, small-size flats

for single persons and small families, parking space etc. The ground

floor can be used for shops, markets or parking, or as shaded communal

areas with public courtyards. Higher density can be achieved by three

to five storey shop-houses which are set back from the street. Densely

filled with potted plants the private courtyards offer at least one small

oases for each house or building.

Proposed volumetric experience

004ReflectoscopePenang + STREETWARE + ProjectGeorge Town-UNESCO site

In the last few years many Asian cities have suffered from the pressures of urban speed, encapsulating their historic fabrics within real estate developments and shoppings genericness.Cotinuing the Unesco endeavor, we will concentrate our interests andmaterial research on developing an intervention within the space inbetween. We consider capitalIzing on enhancing authenticitywithin the Penang:The common ground for locals and visitors, we propose a typological negotiation between the public and the private realm focusing on systematic thinking as a driver for architectural generation

Reflectoscope

Site study

Primary rd

When walking at street level, one realizes why Penang is truly the reflection of the many cultures that inhabit Asia. A melting pot of many the traditions and heritage of the far east, Penang still re-tains its own individual character. The colorful Chinese and Indian markets in Georgetown are specifically reflective of this coming together of cultures.

Penang as we saw it at street level, quickly became a colorless sur-face that reflected the many colors of its culture, conceptually, while retaining its own identity. We focused our studies in explor-ing little India. The first approach was site mapping in order to undertand movement, scale and activity.

Primary rd

Primary rd

Primary rd Primary rd

Penang - Street Life

Looking into statistical studies of the square meter usage of these protected sites,

reveals that fashion and clothing as well as textiles take on the lead in the number

of establishments per square foot.

However, our colleagues from the Malaysian University USM argue that despite that

fact, food and beverage should take the lead. Their argument is that these statistics

are based on stable occupancy of commercial retail spaces, while most of the streets

of Penang rely on ‘Hawkers’ to purchase cooked food.

Hawkers are an Asian street food vendor staple. These nomadic, often illegal, mobile

street vendors sell all kinds of cooked food that caters to the wide ethnic diversity

of the area.

An interesting cultural phenomena, the main characteristics of Hawkers is their no-

madic, weather dependent state, and the need for shaded areas to protect from the

elements.

Street life in George town

A quick look at the maps supplied by the UNESCO world heritage foundation reveals the

economic order of the fabric of George Town.

Reading on the zoning laws as dictated by UNESCO, clarifies that the site is further

divided onto different zones of varying levels of permission for intervention within

the borders of the heritage preserved site. We decided to intervene with the infill

spaces, the spaces in between.

The sites where our intervention would be as passive as it is transparent and as

reflective of its surrounding cultural references as it is a bold expression of a

vibrant place.

Alleys in Urban Context

Potential circulation path

Potential circulation path

P-fivefoot path

P-croww road

P-welcome

1

2

3

4

scale 1:3000scale : 1:3000

N

Colour as a reflection

In man made enviroments, structural colors are found in soap bubbles. Soap bubbles

are consistent of grease, water and soap molecules that have different densities that

do not mix.

That difference causes differentiation on the surface of the bubble, reflecting light

at different screening filters, which at varying speeds appear to be of different

colors to the human eye.

In nature, a similar effect at a more scientific level is reflected in the phenomena

of ‘Structural Colors’. Where layers of colorless, or white reflective material fil-

ter colors at different layers due to the varying density of that material.

The Malagasy Jewel beetle is one clear example of that phenomena. Layers of Chitin

fibre reflect light at deferent speeds due to the layering density of these materi-

als. The result is a spectrum of colors that are a filtered variation of a readily

available resource: sunlight.

This phenomena is also found in layered feathers of peacocks, where beuatiful colored

patterns emerge from the intricate positioning of each hair on the feathers, reflect-

ing elaborate patterns.

CD ROM’s also are a reflection for structural colors in the man-made environment.

Layers of ridges at the micro scale reflect bouncing colors at what appears to be

colors of the rainbow. CD’s quickly became an interesting medium to experiment with

due to their redundancy and wide availability. Most media that used to come in the

form of a CD is now replaced by soft alternatives to store it.

A lot of this media is stored on the web, or streamed directly from websites. The

idea of recycling abandoned CD ‘s to make use of their light reflecting properties,

quickly became the subject of our investigation. It made sense within the brief to

use this material as a transparent, widely available and recyclable component system,

that assembles to a continuos, scaly surface.

Material experiment

Componant experiment

Culture of Patterns Moment 1Moment 1

“Our intention is to build a 1mx1m standard block that would allow light into the CD layer and reflect that onto the tensile tent.

By repeating that block, a pattern would emerge that would make for the overall surface of the canopy”



Moment 2 Moment 3



Moment 2 Moment 3

“The time needed to assemble those blocks was calculated to approximate the amount of time needed to assemble a structure that would span the entire street level.”

Material experiment

CD use : 4

Time taken : 5 minutes

CD use in 1 block : 16


CD use in 4 blocks : 64


CD use in 1233 blocks : 4932

Time taken : 17 days 3 hours

3m

5m

6m

3.5m

Day and night

The undulating surface of the CDs is contrasted by the linear surface of the tensile

membranes. The undulation would also create differences in the intensity of the re-

flected light as it relates to the sun angles.

06:00 12:00 18:00 24:00 06:0009:00 15:00 21:00 03:00

We wanted the canopy to also act as a public space generator at night, so we tested

artificial light conditions and how the reflections from that could vary within the

structure of a tensile membrane surface.

06:00 12:00 18:00 24:00 06:0009:00 15:00 21:00 03:00

THANK YOU

THANK YOU

THANK YOU

Thank you to

Think City

Fundacion Metropoli f

AA

for ..............

Thank you to the following people for their involment and suppert of the programme:

-Hamdan

-Neil

-Laurance

-Surya

-Veronica

Ken Yeang

Amna Emir

xxxxxx 1

xxxxxxx 2

xxxxxxx 3

xxxx USM

Nathalie

Michel

Spetial thanks to all the AA participants for all the hard work and enthusiam

Christopher Pierce

Judith Ryser

Alice Yanghee Lee

Thank you to

Think City

Fundacion Metropoli f

AA

for ..............

Thank you to the following people for their involment and suppert of the programme:

-Hamdan

-Neil

-Laurance

-Surya

-Veronica

Ken Yeang

Amna Emir

xxxxxx 1

xxxxxxx 2

xxxxxxx 3

xxxx USM

Nathalie

Michel

Spetial thanks to all the AA participants for all the hard work and enthusiam

Christopher Pierce

Judith Ryser

Alice Yanghee Lee

book design

Documents

aa alumni workshop aaaw

open workshop

aa alumni community

aa alumni worldwide

ubiquitous street

listed town

straits of malacca

unesco heritage listing