Penang Sketchjournal

Penang SketchJournal Sakina Halim A0101477L

Preface Georgetown, Penang was a vastly different experience from walking down the streets of Singapore. I learnt alot from my experiences there, and I would like to share them through my sketches.

I hope to come back to visit Penang again, it was a wonderful place.

Interior vs.

Exterior Walking through the streets of Penang, I was especially intrigued by the variety of shophouses in Georgetown. Changes in the scales of shophouses are constantly present, and it changes our experiences of the spaces greatly.

Axonometric: Klins Maison Shophouse

The Exterior Shophouses in Penang are built such that we walk under the buildings, through the arches that connect each shophouse. As we walk through these arches, we barely notice the change in scale of the shophouses we are walking through. It takes a large change in the scale of the buildings’ exterior for us to notice it.

Elevation, street view Shophouses in the city center were built during different periods, which results in the differing heights of the shophouses.

ELEVATION: close up view of shophouses

0.5m 2.6m

Walking through the arches of the shophouses

Although the change in height of the shophouses are quite significant, we do not feel the change in scale as the arches that we walk through do not vary in height as much.

2.74m

3.25m

3m

Only a much larger change in scale, such as these bigger buildings, would make us sense the change in scale of the buildings.

ELEVATION: Lebuh Light

ELEVATION: Lebuh Pantai

4.37m 3m

4m

The Interior While small changes in scale are barely noticeable to us on the buildings’ exterior, it is not the case for its interior. Little changes in the interior of the building, such as taking away a wall or partition or extending the space, results in a big change in the way we perceive the scale of the interior.

Typical facade of a shophouse built in the 1800s

Roof partly exposed to show beams

Partitions taken out, broadens the space

Sekeping Victoria Inn once was a shophouse too. After removing the roof and walls, the space is opened up. Standing in the space, we feel small compared to the vast length and height of the shophouse. The trees planted within the building adds to the largeness of the scale.

The gentrified houses along Lorong Bangkok also demonstrate how small changes in the interior can change our experiences within the space completely. Traditionally, these houses were meant to be a living space, carefully partitioned according to the functions of the rooms. However, when some of these partitions are removed, the house transforms into an open public space to display artworks, like the A2 Art Gallery.

Conventional house on Lorong Bangkok

A2 Art Gallery, Lorong Bangkok Usually a more closed, intimate space, the walls are opened up to allow for more space to view the paintings

Windows covered to create more wall space to hang A0 size canvases

Space expanded

One of my favourite paintings in the A2 gallery. Significant wall space is required to hang an A0 size painting such as this.

End.