A Revitalization Plan - People's Park Complex

A REVITALIZATION PL AN FOR

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PEOPLE’ S PARK C OMPLEX

“We should not spend on destroying what is left , but instead spend on savingwhat is left.”

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Vol 01. ( RESEARCH )

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INTRO.

10-11

PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

14-21

URBAN ACUPUNCTURE

24-35

MASTER-PLANNING

38-43

ADAPTIVE RE-USE

46-51

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Vol 02. ( DESIGN )

CONTENT PAGE

SOCIAL SQUARE

56-101

HEALING SPACE

106-143

MAKERSPACE

146-171

CONCLUSION

172-180

“ Every ending has a new beginning”

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INTRO.

ABSTRACT. People’s Park Complex The concept behind People’s Park Complex was to be a room in the city for the people. People’s Park Complex was designed to serve and support the vision in creating a new nation through planning and architecture. This would result in a process of social bonding. It was DP architecture first experimental architecture in Singapore that adopts the concept of “high-rise living room”. However, through the years, the historical building has started to age and the programmes in people’s park complex has been perceived to cater towards the foreign Chinese nationals and tourists. Although it still has a wide array of retail services like massages and fashion, it doesn’t seem to draw huge crowd like it used to in the past. As shopping centre proprietors are principally concerned with retail mix, rental returns and efficient customer movements to and from their retail outlets, this can lead to an overall disregard for tangential pursuits like the development of human relationships and social networks. Therefore, my project would be an experimental design to revitalize people’s park complex to its former glory. My plan consists of three interior spaces, where they work together as catalysts to provide change and creates a new lease of life for the complex.

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Peoples park complex has been in Singapore since 1973. The complex has a three-storeyed atrium in the podium block with a plaza that is accessible from all sides of the building, where all the shops visible at once. The public atrium was designed to be “the people’s living room”, open at all hours for Chinatown residents to eat, shop and play. However, throughout the years, the business in people’s park complex has been on a decline, due to various reasons. With the 99-years lease being halfway through, the building is now in process of a collective sale. While building aged and cleared for our nation’s growing needs and ambition, can I as an interior designer play part to save this historical building from getting demolished in the future?

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“ PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE.”

History People’s Park Complex People’s Park Complex was sited on what used to be an open public park at the foot of Pearl’s Hill and along Eu Tong Sen Street, in Chinatown. The park later became People’s Park Market (or Pearl’s Market) with outdoor stalls that was destroyed by a fire on 24 December 1966. It was announced in 1967 that a new shopping centre is to be constructed to replace the Pearl’s market. The complex was completed in stages: The six-storey podium of shops and offices was completed and opened in October 1970 followed by the 25-storey residential block in June 1973.

“Shops and commercial space changes over time. To cater to the modern generation, buildings must have the capacity to adapt to the new demand. People’s park complex is one of them, it’s not dead, its adaptable.”

-Koh Seow Chuan, founder of DP architecture

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The Beginning

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People’s Park Complex had been hailed as a masterpiece of 1970s experimental architecture. The larger of the two atria, the “city room”, of the shopping centre was Singapore’s first and a concept first pioneered by the Metabollist Movement of Japan in the 1960s. On the whole, the development’s pure geometric lines, seen in its rectilinear forms and curves, visible through the circular potholes at the vertically extended roof, along with its overriding concept of high-rise living dubbed streets in the air, was as much influenced by Swiss architect Le Corbusier’s idea of high-rise living and by the Housing Development Board’s desire to revitalise the Chinese enclave of Chinatown in post-Independent Singapore.

The shopping space is known for its diverse retail tenants, especially jewellery, electronic goods, travel, money-changing services, and knick-knacks for Chinese New Year celebrations. During the Lunar New Year festive period, the complex will be lit up along with the rest of Chinatown area. The central city room inside the shopping space consists of two multi-storey interlocking atriums, of which the ground-level has many turn-over shops and kiosks. This, in part, recalls the busy activities of the street hawkers in Chinatown. The integrated podium-tower block design stemmed from the architects’ ideas on urban renewal – a desire or all activities of the city to be ‘under one roof ’, allowing inhabitants to live, work and play all in one place, not unlike the traditional way of life in old Chinatown.People’s Park Complex was built on the site of People’s Market a popular bazaar in the past to bring back the notion of a buzzling street or place where people can gather.

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18 Void filled with people and buzzling with life. The building was originally built in raw concrete, therefore resulting a monochrom colour scheme throughout the space

Holding a selection of shops and offices, the podium block was a pioneering attempt at capturing the bustling lifestyle of the informal streets into a planned retail space. I felt that the architects were trying to retain the lost shophouse spirit of Pearl’s Market, by creating a “Shophouse City”. Arranged around two interlocking atria, the podium block accomplished a clear orientation for the user of the space. This in my opinion has allowed people explore the layers of shops and atrium, recreating and evoking the sense nsotalgia from the old baazar.

Though it has survived several colourful rebirths, People’s Park Complex is one of the Brutalist architectural styled building in singapore and was popular at that time. The building was finished in raw concrete, with circular windows and distinctive profile. “One may also see an apprehensibility and coherence of the building as a visual entity which contributes towards an image” which resembles some defining qualities of Reyner Banham’s idea of Brutalism.

To save, or not to save?

People’s Park Complex Relevance People’s Park Complex is widely recognised by experts as architecturally and historically significant to the Singapore’s landscape. It was part of the Government’s first Land Sales Programme beginning in 1967 where land parcels were offered for sale with 99-year leases. This was a major turning point in transforming downtown Singapore from a landscape of shophouses to modern highrise development. The building is significant to our history as it was hailed as a masterpiece of 1970s experimental architecture, inspired by the Japanese Metabolist movement. This building holds the history and help Singaporeans to remember it as a visionary architecture, designed entirely by Singaporean architects, and was one of the first few experimental architectures in Singapore that were large-scale megastructures that shaped the visual character of Chinatown’s built-landscape. “However, the buildings has aged, repair and maintenance costs are rising,” said Mr Lee, who listed a list of problems that is happening, ranging from unreliable lifts to leaking water tanks and air-conditioning systems.

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There were many reasons to support the idea of demolishing the old building and rebuilding it was the better approach compared to restoring the aging building. Ranging from faulty building systems, to consumer complaints in people’s park complex, this building proves to be a problematic one. With cons outweighing the pros, in the eyes of investors and owners, demolishing the building was the easiest and efficient way out. However, is our historical building worth that little? If we choose not to restore a building and decided to demolish it instead, we are never sure of what is being destroyed. Through the years, buildings have aged beautifully but we have been demolishing and rebuilding buildings when we deem it old and useless. Yes, I agree that demolishing old buildings is cost efficient, but would this be a bad message if we treat our pioneers that shaped singapore the same way like we do to the buildings?

Even the most old and outated looking building can be hiding a treasure trove of gems from rare architectural details to a significant historical past.

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This contested site has mixed views for its future. Analysts believes that demolishing the building is the right and efficient way in dealing with the problems that people’s park complex is currently facing.

Although efforts in raising awareness of our modernist icons has taken place, the fact that the building is facing lots of problems is apparent. The building systems and stores are outdated and it’s no longer attractive to the younger demographics. Even Elderly whom have fond memories of the mall, tends to avoid entering the space and preferred gathering outside near the people’s park market, where there are more public seats for them to “hangout”.

However, I believe that the building can be improved and restored slowly from the inside to the exterior. Through case studies and a list of theories that has been done to revive cities and dying malls, my project aims to be a platform to kick-start a movement to revive the neglected mall and to revitalize the historical building through an adaptation of urban acupuncture and adaptive re-use.

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A Glimmer of Hope

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“URBAN ACCUPUNCTURE?”

Application of Theory Understanding the context Urban acupuncture is a philosophy that is used to solve social problems in urban areas. In the book, matter of things, has allowed me to understand how urban acupuncture, classified a city as the human body. The physical structures that exist in a city such as buildings, public spaces and streets regarded as ZangFu (organs) in Chinese Traditional Medicine system, while the pattern of activity and movement of people in the city regarded as Qi, energy that flow in the body. The main purpose of urban acupuncture is to maintain energy flows in the body (city) so it can work properly. The concept of urban acupuncture refers to the healing of the urban landscape, improving the surrounding environment with a few catalytic interventions.

Manuel de Solà-Morales is one of those whom was responsible for Barcelona’s rehabilitation, he was the one that coined the term “Urban Acupuncture” as a strategy, in reviving urban landscape through catalytic architecture and design.

De Solà-Morales i Rubió Manuel, et al. A Matter of Things. NAI Publishers, 2008.

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However, this theory has been used by urban designer and architects to revive a larger context like cityscapes and urban environment, but how can this theory work and be translated for interior design? In urban acupuncture, architects and designers employed little actions and small projects with the expectation that together they can create a sense of holistic change in built environment. This study can be adapted into the interior aspects of a building too. Instead of removing the whole city(complex), adding a few catalytic spaces (interior function or spaces) into people’s park complex would acts as catalysts in reviving the dying mall in Chinatown. Therefore, my project involves three phases. Site studies, master-planning and designing.

The Theory

By understanding the hot spots around the complex, this would allow me to understand what are the factors affecting the traffic flow and what can be done to improve the area which were neglected.

Guggenheim Bilbao In order for my project to be effective catalysts in the building, the new projects had to be precisely located and precisely design to achieve social interaction and at the same time ensuring convenience for the users. This notion of precision in design may sound somewhat presumptuous, but studies like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, was well-known to have created a “Bilbao effect” through urban acupuncture. I used Bilbao museum as my case study was because the degree of contrast between the city’s lowly status and the artistic and architectural ambition.

This kicked-start a process of regeneration in the city. The project was not about the building, but also a “sustainable” plan for a regeneration of Bilbao’s urban and economic growth. Bilbao effect was successful not because of the design of Guggenheim museum but also the consideration of the surrounding infrastructure and other urban essentials.

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SITE PLAN 28

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was a key component of the Revitalization Plan for Metropolitan Bilbao, a huge renewal strategy in the heart of a region whose economic support had become outdated. The revitalization Plan for Metropolitan Bilbao transformed the city into a service metropolis within a modern industrial region in the European arena. The allocation of the museum has emphasized on the significance of visual presence. The museum has to be able to catch people’s attention from afar and the accessibility from various routes. This shows the importance of visual presence of the site and how it was chosen to aid and boosts the surrounding programmes and activities. As you can infer from the collage, the museum stands out in terms of it’s form and materiality.

Guggenheim Museum collage to show it’s strong visual presence in the urban landscape

In the bigger picture, what I am trying to achieve is to open opportunities for recreational activities and social programme to be placed in a ‘perceived’ shopping mall and transforming these malls into a livelier space apart from being just retail spaces.

With the implementation of contemporary design, my vision for this project is to promote and encourage local malls in Singapore to become more neighborhood friendly with more community involvement with retail spaces but also preserving and restoring historical building through the use of adaptive re-use, this helps in maintaining the architecture structure of the space and developing and creating more relevant interiors inside a story rich building. To revitalize People’s Park Complex with the use of urban acupuncture theory, I understand and selected a few zones and areas that needs improvement and the specific spaces to place the catalysts in the building.

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F&B outlets are found only on the outside As compared to the main entrance, the side entrance has a lesser visitor count

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Street paddlers and food are located near the main entrance, which led to more crowd in this area

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The interior lighting and ambience has a very cinematic tinge to it. For me, the coolours and lighting were enought o evoke nsotalgia for me

Walking through people’s park complex, it brings back childhood memories and made me realized how much the building has aged. Colours on the walls were decolouring and an increasing amount of vacant stores on the upper floors. However, I felt that the building has aged beautifully and the building was monochromatic in the past as it was a brutalist styled building.

During site visits, I have taken notice of materials and patterns through the complex. This would aid me in achieving familiarity and coherence in my design by adapting and translating some of the materiality into my design.

Site Contexts

Abstracted materials

The atrium has a wide view of all the stores that were located around the atrium. The second level has the highest human traffic flow.

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Second atrium which is smaller, with an overview of the layers in the building.

After visiting the complex for site analysis and planning, I can conclude that the stores on first and second storey is thriving compared to those located on the third floor. The reason was because of the re-emittance on the second floor. This brought crowd up from first to second level. With a wide range of similar retail stores selling the same products like gold and watches, customers prefer to visit stores on the lower level compared to the upper levels.

However, the consistency of the stores is what makes people’s park complex unique. This still brings about the traditional way of “ haggling” this makes Chinatown still unique compared to modern malls with the repetition of common brands. Most products sold in people’s park complex were catered for the Chinese or tourists.

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Shopfront are arranged in manner where the signages are in contrasting colours that resembles the colour schemes of the baazar in the past.

Elements like railings and floor design were extracted and applied in my 3 projects. As the elements are decorative, I have to translate it into a simpler form to make it cohesive for everybody but also cohesive in the complex.

Abstracted patterns

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This are the circulation paths throughout the three levels, which I have have identified the hotspots and the best place to locate my projects which helps to create a strong visual presence throughout the the levels.

By studying the circulation route for visitors and shoppers, I was able to identify the popular entrances and the more popular stores in people’s park complex. The red boxes above are the stores that are most popular during the weekends. The number of elderly visting the place is not significant, however, there are still a handful of them visting stores like watch repair and chinese reflexology outlet in the building. With the circulation path being mapped out, I was then able to strategically choose the spaces for my 3 catalysts.

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MASTER-PLANNING

Application of Theory First level The red marked area would be the space I would be placing project 01. The reason why I chose this particular area was because of various reasons. First of all, based on the case study of Guggenheim museum, the building has to be able catch and pique people’s interest. As this area is facing the Eu Tong seng street, this creates visual presence from both opposite and along the street of people’s park complex. With that in mind, by adding a coherence with the urban materiality into my space, it could create a visual connectivity of the street by bleeding urban materials into the space. In term of accessibility, it is near a bus-stop and a wheelchair ramp for the disabled. The space would act as a transitional and public space for the people visiting people’s park complex and bringing crowd into the space and into the complex atirum. The function of the space aims to be a social space that provides a venue for learning and social bonding. This project aims to understand how the urban fabrics could be applied in an interior context to build a space familiar to the people with the concept of layering.

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Catalyst for transformation

Category : Public & Transitional Space Area : 670 sqm Function : To provide a venue for community bonding and learning space.

Second level On the second floor, the space I have chosen is currently used to house the overseas emporium. The space is strategically located near escalators and is overlooking the complex’s atrium(void).

With the atrium being the anchor point for the complex, the circulation path (highlighted in white) are all connected towards the overseas emporium, which is a potential spot to meet. As the healthcare space is located on the second floor, accessibility is crucial for the elderly. Therefore, the space that I have chosen is near escalators, carpark and toilets. The space consisits of two level which would bring visitors up through the circulation.

Project 02 would be designing a Chinese acupuncture clinic with the experiment of organic shapes and materials. This project aims to bring people together and find a new way in approach for healing spaces. With the implementation of a healing space in peoples park complex, this clinic would be the pinnacle for my project. The location selected for the healing space is not only near escalators and toilets, it allows the view of the main atrium in the complex. This creates visual presence from all level, pivoting the three projects together.

Category : Retail & Workshop space Area : 460 sqm (Total), 150sqm (Makerspace) Function : To house a maker space, and va enue for pop up stores.

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Third level On the third floor, the best area to place the makerspace would be in between the two atriums in the mall. Being placed there, the makerspace would create commotion and liveliness on the third floor. During my site visit, I realized the third floor is underused and not many people are visiting the third floor. With the makerspace being located at the third floor, it would bring curiosity for people to check the space out, bringing people up towards the third level. This would boost the exposure of the remaining stores to visitors and the customers visiting the makerspace and pop up store.

Category : Medical & Healthcare Area : 910 sqm (Second Storey), 810 sqm (Third Storey) Function : To provide a venue for healthcare, wellness and herbalism.

Project three would be a makerspace that promotes inter-generational sharing among the users. Regardless of age and ethnicity, this space aims to promotes apprenticeship and innovation. Currently the space has double voids with an open concept layout on the third floor. Therefore, this project aims to create activity and liveliness in the mall to pique visitor’s curiosity in visiting the third level.

My masterplan.

Catalyst for transformation The selection of the location for my catalysts are prime areas as they are visually open location to draw people’s attention and curiosity to the following levels. My selected acupuncture points are a strategy for my projects to bring crowd and businesses into the space to revitalize the historical building into a busy and lively shopping arcade. As the three projects are able to thrive as a whole, people’s park complex could go through a phase of adaptive reuse with the help of this 3 spaces as the econnomic contributor during renovations. The 3 projects are to work together and create a full programme for visitors.

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As i was designing the individual spaces, I used my grandfather as my persona. If I would to bring him to people’s park complex, to buy or to have a regular health check-up, what are the things that I could look forward to being there. My projects aims to promote inter-generational bonding, by providing venues and platform for different age groups to come together and share knowledge and happiness. This help build a more inclusive society that values seniors and help both young and old to better understand one another. With an increase of intergenrational bonding in the space, the mall would finally fulfil the role of a living room for the people.

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These 3 projects aim to achieve through a process adaptive reuse. With the changes and design of a new programmes in people’s park complex, this in turn hopes to promote intergenerational bonding among people in the space and bring businesses and back into People’s Park Complex.

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ADAPTIVE RE-USE

Application of Theory Adaptive Reuse My goal is to create environments with an appropriate aesthetic atmosphere that functions efficiently involving research on the best ways to provide solutions for the historical building. Applying knowledge to develop a cohesive space, adaptive reuse would be a go to strategy in revitalizing such structure.

Adaptive reuse is a long practiced method of adopting a pre-existing structure for new purposes that are often different from the original intent. This method is outlined to preserve the visual identity that the building contributes to a community. People’s Park Complex is a very significant and prominent building in Chinatown.

Ghirardelli Square, is my case study in understanding adpative reuse. The building was once a factory, however, it went through a phase of revitalization, creating a new of life for the building.

“How will we know it’s us without our past? “ -John Steinbeck

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The Theory What to get out of all this information, was to understand how to balance out what to be changed and what not. In my case study, all of the buildings but one was reused for a new purpose and a construction of new units were limited to maintain the site’s original atmosphere and characteristic architecture.

Circular Theory of Adaptive Reuse This case study has gave me the understanding of Circular Theory of Adaptive Reuse. The theory plans to achieve a boom of commerce. Over time market demands change causing production to evolve in any number of ways including growth, reduction, relocation, or elimination. In the circumstances of reduction, relocation, and elimination adaptive reuse oppotunities are born. The Important aspects and guidelines for the designers were to preserve any structure, complex, district, or city so that the community does not lose connection with its past.

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By adapting the circular theory of adaptive reuse, I decided to remove certain stores to place new industy into the historical building. However, the adaptive reuse project is not about focusing on the individualism of the three projects, but more of how my 3 projects are able to work together to bring people into the mall.

With a new type of store or industry is located at peoples park complex, it would pique both locals and forgeingers into the space.

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All in all, what I am trying to achieve is to open opportunities for recreational activities and social programme to be placed in a ‘perceived’ shopping mall and transforming these mall into a multi-functional space apart from being just retail spaces. My vision of the final outcome for this project is to promote and encourage local malls in Singapore to become more neighborhood friendly with more community involvement with retail spaces but also preserving and restoring historical building through the use of adaptive re-use, the interior space could be contemporary but the site’s history remains.

With the help of adaptive re-use studies and strategies, this helps in maintaining the architecture structure of the space and developing more relevant interiors inside a story rich building. Instead of proposing a single program that ‘solved’ the current pathologies. My proposal suggest 3 experimental design to stimulate the building in it’s revitalization plan. With a new and contemporary design implemented at peoples park, this would help to attract visitors and ensures the site remains nostalgic to the people.

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pg 106-143

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pg 146-171

pg 56-101

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SOCIAL CIRCLE

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SOCIAL CIRCLE

A Familiar Place Urban context My first project would be designing a social space on the first floor of people’s park complex. I had chosen this particular spot due to its location. It is able to tap on the pedestrian circulation along Eu Tong Street and would also attract visitors from pagoda street through the design of the entrance. When designing the space, I came out with three proposal of space planning and circulation to create a space that depicts or resembles the movement through the back alley along Chinatown.

As the back alley of chinatown has a very street type of look, to recreate the scene of a alleyway requires me to choose hard and natural materials to bring in the urban look and also achieve a sense of familiarity and nostalgia through design.

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The stroll along the red bricks brings out all the contrasting colours that is against it

La Serena House / SebastiĂĄn Gaviria GĂłmez My case study is La Serena house as this project was focused on in the transition between exterior and interior. As my project would be using bricks, this projects allows me to understand the detailing in curving brick walls and glass facades.

Initial concept sketches for the form and experience in the space.

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Form and Colour I have decided to use red bricks which can be found throughout Chinatown to be the material that highlights the space. While the red bricks create a layer of porosity, this piques passer-by curiosity and draw them towards the space. By using red bricks, I have to use softer colours for furniture to balance the intensity in the space. In addition, I would love to express the rawness of the concrete column by contrasting it against the red bricks in the space.

By abstracting familiar geometric patterns around chinatown, I have used this few similar shapes to create the initial form and experience in the space.

1. Social Circle

4. Alleyway

5. Book Store

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Familiarity.

Layering By using the bricks as the backdrop, the space develops a different layer in the space. With a foreground and background, people walking past the window display and seating becomes involve in a screen play during the day. During the night, the neon lights brightens up the space and resembles the stretch of shops along Chinatown. The porosity of the bricks creates an illusion of the roller shutter of older shops from afar. This space is catered for people to read the books they bought or rented form the bookshop as well as public seating. With the inclusion of seating and window display tables, this individual module of space is configurable by the user of the space, making this space a multi-purpose space.

Brick wall stacking formation with steel bar supporting at the edges of the wall.

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Night view of brick wall

The design of my shopfront was inspired from the shophouse along chinatown.

Day view of brick wall

A purpose This space is not only use for window display and seating area, it also has an important role in bringing people into the space.

This acts as a transitional space from the outside of people’s park complex into the main atrium. Initially, my design was to fill the space with brick walls among the exposed concrete of the space. However, due to the lack of sunlight, the brick walls seem too heavy for the overall space. Therefore, changing into a glass facade creates a contrast with the brick wall and makes the space seems lighter and spacious. This was a better approach and achieves my vision in recreating the coherent shopfront for peoples park complex.

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Proposed design for the current shopfront

Initial design with the undulating brick walls

The mood and materiality As mentioned above, this space is used a few purpose, the lighting has to be selected carefully to provide a enjoyable experience for the user. There are a total of 2 lighting fixture in this space, downlights and indirect lighting. The neon sign could be controlled by the user from the side of the modular space. This provides interaction between the space and user, creating a sense of belonging and interactiveness. The mood im trying to achieve in this space was inspired from the bustling streets in chinatown.

With the window front just right next to the road, this creates an interesting composition for people’s park complex both in the day and in the night.

Lightings along chinatown market 71

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Material used in the space : wood, concrete, bricks and lit up with neon lights.

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Knowledge.

Learning space Apart from being a transitional space, there are other spaces that is beneficial and created for a more communal living for residents living near the complex. One of it would be a workshop studio for residents to learn new skills and to help teach elderly useful knowledge like iBanking and purchasing housewares with smartphones. This way it would engage the phone retailers to give courses to elderly in return of a boost in phone rental services.

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Learning space The workshop space is also a collaboration with the makerspace on the third level of people’s park complex. Courses ranging from soft-skills to traditional crafts are carried out in this space or on the makerspace. This creates a new topology for the shopping mall with an inclusive of community programmes that helps the residents visiting the complex. Materiality used in this space is adapted slightly from the makerspace, to make it coherent with social circle and the makerspace itself.

Makerspace

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Studio space

The class creates window of opportunities for young adults and teenagers whom are tech savvy to teach the elderly on using the smart devices. This in turn also works for skilled elders whom is keen to still contribute back to the society by sharing and teaching skills that they know.

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The windows manipulate light into the space, casting dramatic shadows and offering short glimpses outside during the day, while mainting the comfortable envirnoment for customers to browse the books.

Library or Bookstore?

The current people’s park complex has a book store along the walkway to the main atrium. What was interesting for me was it is a make-shift type store, but many people occasionally stop for a quick browse before moving on. Therefore, I felt that a book store has a potential in making people stop by to have a quick look with what is in store for them. Therefore, by integrating the book store with a seating area, open an opportunity for the bookshop to provide rental services for their book, where readers could sit around the social circle to read books of their interests. This provides a side function and economic revenue for this social space on the first level.

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Bookstore

Materials used in the bookstores is similar to the social spaces. However, the bookshelves is in a shade of red, to create an continuity in the space that blends with the brick wall along the bookstore.

BACKDROP. The concept behind the start The whole idea of creating a social space in people’s park complex was the consideration i had for the residents living in people’s park complex. For people living in the HDB, void deck is the common area where we meet neighbours and friends living in the same block. However, people living on the top of the complex does not have a void deck they can call their own. Therefore, why not have a public space in a mall that provides for the residents by providing them a community where they can meet new people and enjoy their time in a comfortable environment. As there are many malls in Singapore, not many has a space allocated for the community. As we are moving towards land constraints soon enough in Singapore, we should consider the need to integrate community spaces into commercial spaces to provide a variety of functions in high rise-buildings.

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Communal Space

A space where a community can grow together with a thriving commercial space

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The screens have a board that allows visitors and children to scribble and draw on the section, this create a sense of belonging by allowing visitors to leave traces in the space.

A void deck in a mall?

As the communal space is open for the public to use, elderly and teenagers could use the space to play board games, Chinese chess and make new acquaintances. With wooden cabinets that is removable, this space can be organized to house events and functions. As I feel that learning does not pessary be confined to a classroom or generally a room, causal lessons or courses can be done at the communal space or the social circle. As the screens has a board that allows drawing and scribbles, lecturers or trainers could use it as teaching tools. Screens around the space are inspired and designed in the various geometries that are common in Chinatown.

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Due to the openness of the space, the acoustic has to be controlled in the space to ensure the experience of the space. Therefore, I have used a few soft fabric touches to reduce sound reverberation in the space.

The materials used to design the space is heavily reliant on the earthly wood tones, creating a homely envirnoment fot the communal space. By creating a strong contrasts with the brick wall, it makes the brickwall a backdrop, highlighting the variation of layers in the space due to the porosity of the brick wall.

Social Circle.

The social circle is a space where people could just sit and have a break from their schedule when they visit the mall. The space was designed to create a public seating area for everyone, creating an intimate space for people to hang out. The reason why I used the bricks to create an organic shape was because in terms of materiality, I felt that bricks is heavy and by designing a curve done in an unlikely material, such as bricks, this makes the space more impressive and intriguing. With a circle shape that symbolizes unity, the space aims to achieve a sense of unity and continuity. Therefore, I placed mirrors at the end of the curve, creating an illusion the curve is still continuing.

With a circular shaped ceiling and space, it resembles a bazaar or a courtyard space where natural lighting shines into the space.

My previous design for the circular space was too predictable and did not create an experience for the people. Therefore, I change to circular space that has a built in fixture instead of free flow furniture.

Porous and therefore attractting people’ attention and curiousity 89

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Initial sketch of a round gathering space bore executing my design

Previous axo that shows the intention of the circular space, bringing people together to share a common space with everybody in an open space.

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Not just a gathering space My intention for this space is to allow people to use this space as a meeting point before their workshop starts or even bringing their parents to the Chinese TCM on the second floor for massage. Basically, this space can be used for a myriad of events, talks and even performance. This could work hand in hand with the mall’s main atrium if the venue is on a larger scale. This enclosed yet porous space develops a pocket space for people to rest and even sit down for a chat. As this serves as a miniature atrium in the mall, this provides a more intimate type of public space. The “artificial� skylight is a Led screen where display can be set to provide mood lighting or performance in the space.

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As benches on the upper deck is built in, benches on the ground level is movable, this provides a configurable space layout in a long run.

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Conclusion of social space The first project is the experiment of layering and the use of urban materials to draw people in through visual presence. This piques visitor’s interests and also provides a community space for residents living near the vicinity. This space is under my master-planning in achieving a social space for the overall idea in revitalizing the mall. Using the adaptive re-use guidelines, I have not removed or destroyed the original state of the building, just the cladding of the columns to let it express the raw concrete of the building.

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Specifications

Choice of furniture

Communal space table : 635mm x 1400mm Communal space stool : 450mmx450mm

Communal space table : 635mm x 2400mm chair: Chair : 550mmx450mmx450mm (HxWxD) bench: 1200mmx450mmx500mm

Display space bench : 1165x450mmx600mm

Display Shelve: 1165x650mm

The table and chair selected to be placed in the communal space were lightweight and provides comfort for a small period of time. As the long table share among 4-5 people, the bench is to create a diversity of seats in the space to provide for different function.

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The benches are generally heavy weighted to recreate a sense of the urban culture into the space, with wood and steel structure to ensure the seats from moving or falling over.

Communal space bench : 2400x450mmx600mm

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HEALING SPACE.

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HEALING SPACE.

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Why a TCM clinic?

Healing spaces The whole intention of this project is to explore the various ways of designing a healing space. As the function for this space is a TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine) clinic, the space has to consider the accessibility and design as it would affect the elderly visiting the space. So why is the second project a TCM clinic, the reason is simple. After looking through the interviews I carried out at people’s park complex, results shown that health and spaces for wellness is favourable. It is also a great way to promote family and intergenerational bonding. As health is mostly everyone’s top priority, a clinic in people’s park complex would likely be chinese related which would be a TCM clinic. This provide a venue for both the elderly and young people seek to get health treatments together regardless of age.

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Hadid, Zaha. The Complete Zaha Hadid.

Thames & Hudson, 2009.

My case study would be Zaha hadid’s maxxi museum as the layout of the design was what I was aiming to achieve. By understanding how she controlled the curves and designing organic shape in a linear space, this would aid me in achieving a organic space in a linear and angular building.

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The lines overlaying each other, creating layers of trellis forming a scene of a natural landscape.

Initial concept model for the form and exploration in the space.

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Form and Colour The form of the space is generally derived from a curved wall through an exploration model as shown. As I wanted to expriment a design that avoids being too clinincal for the chinese TCM clinic. Therefore, by designing something very organic(flowy), it will guide a person through a room or space through their fluidity, gradually exposing new views, and revealing new spaces in a continual manner. This is definately unlike the sudden sharpness from a hard corner or a linear wall. This helps to maintain a continuity through the space. With a guideline not to touch the columns in the space, I derived a form by interceping two organic lines which caused develops an overlay of two spaces, which create a define contrast between two spaces through the use of materiality, highlighting the curves and linear walls in the space.

Materials used in this space is on a neutral tone, which I am trying to achieve a space that portrays Zen and tranquility

Initial ideation.

Curves and Continuity Initially, my design was based on solely the grid lines and curves.

Therefore, as the images below have shown, there were many large circulation spaces which makes my design not practical.

Materiality in this phase was what I had in mind, however, I realized there has to be an equal balance in materiality unless I want a prominent materiality to pop in the space.

After studying zaha hadid’s maxxi museum, i realized that even in a orgaic form there must be some right angles to ensure room efficiency and layout. What i realized was lacking in my space was walls that form a proper room for usage, as it was wasted in trying to follow the form.

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Renderings from previous draft design.

Renderings from previous draft design.

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Form follows function.

Curves within straight lines Inspired by zaha hadid’s work, I had used her methods in designing a organic form and applied it into my space. With a more integrated space with organic and linear lines, the space carries out the function and at the same time producing a organic and flowly circulation in the chinese tcm clinic.

As it is two storey high, I created a void in the centre to make it visually spacious and to create visual presence that links the space with nature and materials. This consequently affects lighting, smell and sound throughout the whole tcm clinic.

The Forest.

Screens that curves The whole idea of the bamboo forest was to use greens and plants to make the space looks fresh and meditative. What I wanted to achieve with this design, was to promote people to move around the space. With that concept, people who are waiting for their turn to consult the Chinese doctor, would be able to explore the space instead of sitting and waiting for his turn. In collaboration with social space on the lower level, staffs could teach the elderly how to use their smart phones to download and use an app that allows them to manage their appointments or view their queue number.

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Bamboo forest

Bamboo forest view from consulation room on the first level.

The screen design was abstracted from the peoples park complex’s ceiling design. I felt that if it was in an undulating order, it would be an brautiful organic shape.

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Alternate paths in the Chinese TCM, allows visitors to choose their preferred paths and experience the bamboo garden. As the void allows the bamboo to bleed onto the second level, visitors are able to appreciate the garden from the four corners of the void.

Hidden Behind the Screen As the screen provides privacy for the individual rooms in the space, it also creates a feature wall in the outside space, blending in with the bamboos.

The screens act as the backdrop for the green bamboo, creating a scene of bamboo overlays in the space. With the sweeping curve of the timber strips, it forms a curvature in the bamboo forest which helps conceal the various support of the timbre strips,making the structure looks like its floating. With lighting placed under the timber strips, the lights creates an illusion of water with the irregular pattern produced by the timbre screen.

The reason why i chose bamboo to be placed in the space was because in Chinese culture, bamboo is a symbol of beauty. Bamboo became a symbol for consistency and integrity because it grows straight and upright. Therefore, by using bamboo the space has a mixture of curves and straight lines, directing people where to look and creating an informal path with the curves in the bamboo garden.

Orientation lighting

View of the bamboo garden on third level 119

Exploded view of the screens

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Detailing for the screens- The structure is cantilevered by a metal structure attached to the strips through a metal pipe. The timbre strips are then screwed onto the the metal structure at the other end. Led strip-lights are then placed in under the timber structures to create orientation lighting in the bamboo garden.

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Cha Herbal Tea House Screens that curves The herbal tea store located in the Chinese TCM clinic aims to sell herbal drinks that are infused with Chinese herbs. The cafe was designed where rooms are defined by light linen drapes, offering tranquillity and peace in the space. Customers can pull the linen drapes according to their preferences. This was inspired by the tea filters used when making tea. As the space is porous and open, customers would be able to smell the aroma of the Chinese herbs, throughout the space.

The ceiling design was focused in creating an outdoor mood, mimicking the sun light entering the space through sky portal. Due to the lack of natural light in the spaces, I have design a few areas with “Sky light� to illuminate the spaces.

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The space is defined through the use of drapes to differentiate the public and private space.

The flooring is made of laid with a rattan mat, seperating the public space and private space.

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The cafe counter has the traditional medicine box, where they contains fresh chinese medicine. Customers has a wide array of choices to choose from.

Organic Circulation.

The stairs The staircase at the end of the space is curved according to the form of the plan, achieving a continous path upwards to the second level of the clinic. The stairs detailing and design was inspired by the apple store stairs in Singapore, where the railings and steps are curved upwards, leading people to the upper levels of the space. With the bamboo plants next to the stairs, the connectivity and interaction with natures continues from the bamboo forest to the upper levels of the clinic.

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Apple store stairs have a seamless railing from the walls. This makes the stairs clean and beautiful.

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An interactive chinese medical hall, where customers can open cabinets to smell and learn about the chinese medical herbs.

A Interactive Library for Herbs The function of this space acts as a pharmacy or we can call it Chinese medical hall that sells medicine and herbs to customers whom are keen in natural herbs. The intention of this space is to work hand in hand with the herbal tea house, where customers can learn how to brew certain drinks with the Chinese herbs. This space provides a sensory experience for customers whom are interested in learning more about herbalism and engaging them to understand the benefits the herbs provides for the human body.

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Design Process.

Learn, grow and eat The design of the traditional cabinets was abstracted and transformed into a more contemporary looking cabinets, which is cantilevered by metal rods and supported by rubber stoppers.

This allows the owner or staff to shift positions of the cabinets along the poles. The whole idea of the cabinets is for customers to interact with the herbs through smell and touch. However, the more expensive herbs that requires care would only be kept at the cabinets at the cashier. With this design, there is a mix of counter medicine and herbal medicine, creating a variety of medication and health products for customers to easily identify what they are looking for. By placing the medical hall next to the clinic’s dispensary, this would engage customers whom are waiting for the medicine to have a look at the retail store. Medication from the clinic’s dispensary and medical hall would then be kept together to save on storage spaces around the clinic.

The colour scheme for the retail outlet is identical to the herbal tea shop, keeping a consistent and choherent colour scheme throughout the space

Shelves for counter medicine while box cabinets are storage for herbs

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The interior design of a accupuncture treatment room. The colour scheme and materiality is constant with beelding design elements from the exterior space into the interior, carrying out the concept of continuity in the space.

Conclusion on the healing space The second project of my experimental design is an experiment on the concept of continuity with the use of organic shapes to draw people towards the space and allowing them to travel at ease in single continuous route, nature filled environment. Using the same methodology, materiality was kept almost similar and coherent to the first project. By exposing the concrete columns, the materials in the space would bring contrast with the old and new materiality in the space. As this is an experiment of organic forms and space, I believe there are still areas to improve. After designing this space, I have realized organic forms creates wasted spaces if it was not planned properly and lack of linear lines to anchor the space for a functional form for the individual rooms.

My strategy in creating a visual coherence in the space was to use a singular material for the main path and the use of plants to guide elderly around the flowy environment. As the bamboo are almost double volume, the space allows user to enjoy the interaction with nature on both levels. This space aids in the revitalization process by producing economic growth and bringing crowd exposure towards the upper floor of peoples’s park complex.

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Medical hall and Herbal tea house would then engage visitors to work mingle with one another and creating friendships through the common interest in tea and medicine.

Specifications

Custom Cabinet : Size veries, Height : 2200mm

Custom Table: 900mm (H) x 2400 (W) x 2600 (L)

Retail Chair : 550mmx450mmx450mm (HxWxD)

Cabinet : 900mm (H) x 900mm (W) x 500mm (D)

Choice of furniture The table and chair were slelected to be round and organic to fit the curvy space. However, the traditional cabinets are sqaured shape to keep the familiar design and essence.

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Cafe Table : 635mm x 1400mm Cafe Chair : 550mmx450mmx450mm (HxWxD)

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Maker-space What’s there to learn?

The intention of this project is to introduce a makerspace on the third floor of people’s park complex. This makerspace mainly focus on creating a community, interconnecting and inspiring tenants to share retail spaces. The makerspace functions as a space for innovation and entrepreneurship.

People’s park complex has a few stores that still sells traditional crafts like calligraphy and services like tailoring. I felt that this kind of retail and crafts should continue staying in the site. As Singapore is moving forward in a very fast pace, crafts like this are slowly dying. The makerspace is basically a workshop that tries to preserve this trade by giving courses to young people whom are keen in learning this skill. However, the makerspace is not restricted to just workshops in learning this trade. It is configurable to hold different types of workshop and courses to accommodate the various skills that is popular and useful for the people.

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My case study and works was inspired by Montreal studio Appareil Architecture ( Pastel Rita Cafe). They differentiated spaces inside a cafe and artist workshop in the city through colour coding and layering of patterns and materiality.

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A Familiar Design Screen design The screen design is the single unifying approach of the whole intervention. Instead of walls, I replaced it with a abstracted screen to achieve an image of blending and continuity. The screen design was abstracted from the railings all around people’s park complex.

By abstracting the railing design around people’s park complex, I went through a series of composition and came up with a final design which was symmetrical and oriental, creating a sense of familiarity with the site. The materials and colours used for the screen seeks to minimise the visual impact by gently integrating themselves within the environment and creating pocket view of the existing site of peoples park complex.

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This collage was to determine what were the appopriate amount of screens to be placed in the space to create a simple yet interesting space for the people.

Initial conceptual screen abstracted from the people’s park complex railing

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Maker-space Oriental screen design The whole idea of the project is exploring the different degrees of separation whilst maintaining visual connections and familiarity in the space by using a series of perforated screen panel.

The design of the screen has two version. The one that is placed in the retail area, has no glass panel design while the one around the makerspace has a small glass panel design on its geometric pattern. The screen itself creates a subtle yet define separation of spaces. Therefore, the makerspace within the retail space has a pattern different from the retail space to define the separation of the two zones in the area, while ensuring coherence in their overall spatial design.

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As makerspace is within the retail space, the only thing that differentiates them are the screen design and materiality used in the two different zones.

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The Makerspace is an open concept studio that has a configurable layout. With a cutout wood walls along the side where splits the retail space and makerspace, the cut out would be able to close, in times when the makerspace requires a more private space configuration or due to the loud noises during workshops.

Modular layout Make shift layout Although the makerspace commonly uses 3D printers and laser cutters, I had considered of events where workshop requires sawing and cutting of materials might cause acoustical problems to the retailers around the area. Therefore, the makerspace is designed in 3 types of configurations that can be used in times when the makerspace required a sound tight room.

The panels around the makerspace can be inserted into a track system where the panels can be locked into the selected modules. This way, the makerspace is adapted to different scenarios and creating a comfortable and conducive environment for the people using the space.

However, generally the makerspace is meant to create commotion and liveliness in this space to piques people interests to find out where the sounds is coming from in the complex.

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The colour sceheme uses earthly tone to blend with the off white floors in the makerspace.

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DETAILS While the screens along the retail space is the one not removable and without glass panels, the screen panel is clipped onto a track system which holds it through the false ceiling. The track systems has washlighting which provides a trail of light alone the retail space.

While the screens around the makerspace is made with glass panel design, the tracking system is a roller type of track which allow the screens to be locked and inserted according to the user’s preference. As the makerspace might change the layout every once in a while, the panels are removable and kept in storage in the space.

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Pop-up Store Make shift retail The main retailer of the retail space would be the management of the makerspace. Products done in the makerspace would be placed on display at the window display in Social Circle, gaining exposure from the urban to the interior of people’s park complex.

The makerspace can be rented to the retailers in people’s park complex to give talks and workshops to young and old.

The material and colour scheme for the retail space follows a simple palette of stone and wood to create a harmonious space with a crafted feel. The light wood walls set the tone in the space, with its naturally neutral and textural quality, it brings out the screens along the space. This brings contrast and a clear view through the retail space, aimed at encouraging spectators to move through to participate in the screens from outside and inside of the retail space.

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The difference between the makerspace and retail space are the colours of the screen and their material and furniture used. By using the glass panel design, it shows sensitivity and coherence to the surrounding space and bringing a sense of intimacy in the makerspace.

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Conclusion for Makerspace The third project of my revitalization plan is to experiment the notion of familiarity and privacy. The use of the screens separates the private and public space without using walls to differentiate spaces. The makerspace placed in between the two atriums was intentional in creating liveliness for the complex and gives a space for innovation and making to keep the Chinese culture of apprentice and mentorship going.

Using the similar materiality as project 1 & 2, the space resembles a tinge of earthly colour schemes that makes all 3 projects visually coherent. With the exposure of the concrete columns, the space has a defined demarcation of the individual zones. This project has made me learned how screens visually creates privacy while at the same time an important ornaments in Chinese culture. The ornamentation o Chinese geometries creates a timeless association with the Chinese culture, which instantly makes people recognize the relation with the Chinese. The familiarity of the space is dependent on the screen design and the glass panel to create a coherence with the surrounding. As the space is located on the third floor, it cannot be too jarring but distinct to attract people’s attention.

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Specifications

Choice of furniture As the makerspace is for both young and the old, the furniture was considered thoroughly for them. The high tables and chair were meant for younger users to use, while the lower tables and chairs are for the elderly to use as it is less rigid and heavy compared to the workshop tables. As the makerspace has a few configuration settings, the box table and chair is easier to move around in the space and allows shifting of furniture more convenient.

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Box Table : 600mm x 1400mm Box Chair : 450mmx450mmx450mm (HxWxD)

Retail Table : 600mm x 1200mm

The furniture used in the retail space is selected to be coherent to the screens, creating a illusion that the wood panels are floating when aligned to the screen geometry.

Workshop Table : 800mm x 1600mm

WorkshopChair : 1200mmx450mmx450mm (HxWxD)

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Conclusion 3 catalyst, one idea, one goal In view of the recent En-bloc issue faced by people’s park complex, my project aims to revitalize the iconic building through 3 experimental projects as the design strategy adapted from urban acupuncture. The 3 spaces would act as catalysts in engaging Singaporeans to communicate with one another by providing a venue promoting communication with like-minded people in the space. This would open opportunities for inter-generational bonding, as families would start visiting the complex for health services and family orientated events at people’s park complex.

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Each space that were designed followed the guidelines of adaptive reuse, creating venues for function that are relevant to Singaporeans. Although the individual spaces were experimenting different concepts like layering, continuity and familiarity, the spaces specifically designed to look coherent in the complex.

While the designs were not specifically designed for the just the Chinese in Singapore, I incorporated the Chinese elements with contemporary design to preserve the traditions and create a universal design for the people.

As my master-planning were based on interview results, the 3 projects would hopefully cater what the residents and Singaporeans need and help bring a new lease of life for the people’s park complex.

With the 3 catalyst in place, People’s park complex could go through a process of adaptive reuse as this 3 spaces would be the economic anchor when the rest of the building are going through renovations. This would work if revitalization plan for people’s park if it is through façadism. However, my master-planning is to achieve the same results as Ghirardelli Square where certain areas of people’s park complex are preserved to keep the rich history of the building, while the other spaces are adapted into relevant and contemporary design.

With the 3 proposed design, the atrium becomes the mid point for the 3 spaces connecting them through their contemporary facade. This creates a story and connection through visual presence and stands out among the other stores in the complex.

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Bibliography 1. De Solà-Morales i Rubió Manuel, et al. A Matter of Things. NAI Publishers, 2008.

2. Urban Acupuncture. Island Press, 2016 3. Wong, Liliane. Adaptive Reuse: Extending the Lives of Buildings. Birkhäuser, 2017.

4. Hadid, Zaha. The Complete Zaha Hadid. Thames & Hudson, 2009.

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References & Image references https://www.ghirardellisq.com/ http://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Ghirardelli_Square https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/lifestyle/darren-soh-photograph-singapore-heritage-buildings-hdb-10636928 https://mothership.sg/2018/03/pearl-bank-golden-mile-peoples-park-en-bloc/ https://wdarch.com/project/ghirardelli-square/ https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/From-downtown-to-the-Inner-Harbor-%3A-Baltimore-’-s-R%C3%ADo/2f97574c22c320e92cc9afbe9d22056da27431fa https://www.archdaily.com/43822/maxxi-museum-zaha-hadid-architects/50120d5328ba0d55810003c2-maxxi-museum-zaha-hadid-architects-photo https://www.yourtcm.sg/single-post/2018/09/24/Singapore-Chung-Hwa-Medical-Institution-66-Anniversary https://www.dezeen.com/2017/05/30/foster-partners-opens-apple-store-orchard-roadsingapore-green-trees/ https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/07/appareil-architecture-colour-coordinates-spaces-at-pastel-rita-cafe-in-montreal/ MARCUS CHOO JUN FEI | 1700692