Orchard Road [Architecture/Fashion/History]

Sy bW

Singapore

Project 2 Case Study: An Asian Street

[architecture/fashion/history]

[ARC 2213] Asian Architecture

Orchard Road Lecturer: Mr. Koh Jing Hao

* Syaza Yunos Editorial Design Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2012 Published by Syaza Yunos & Beulah Wong Of the July 2011 intake Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture) School of Architecture, Building & Design Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus No. 1 Jalan Taylor’s, 47500, Selangor Malaysia All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed in Malaysia Project Team Project Editor & Art Director Syaza Yunos Publication Team Syaza Yunos, Beulah Wong Photography & Research Syaza Yunos, Beulah Wong All visual aids credited to Syaza Yunos *

CONTENTS table of

[an introduction]

5

[a submerge]

6

[a contrast]

21

[an apt]

22

an Orchard road is a premier shopping district of Singapore and a major tourist attraction.

But unlike shopping streets like Champs Elysée of Paris, the fifth avenue of New York, and Mayfair of London, Orchard Street holds unique local expression of shopping.

This 2.4 km long street derived its name from its early state as a fruit and nutmeg plantation with small clusters of pepper orchards in the early 1830’s. Vernon Cornelius, the author of the Infopedia’s article on Orchard road, mentioned that other references to the street name have pointed to a Mr. Orchard, a keen gardener who owned plantations which stood at the corner of what is now Scott’s Road and Orchard Road.

In the 1840’s, houses began to make way for residential development and houses spread across the street until Tang Road.

The first mall established is Tangs in the 1950s. As the region developed, new malls flanked the pedestrian street. By the 1970s, Orchard Road had replaced into a High Street as the city’s main shopping street, and the introduction of cinemas and a bowling alley during the ‘60s and ‘70s heralded the area as a main entertainment hub. The first multi-story shopping mall, Plaza Singapura, was built in 1974 on the site where it still stands today. Plaza Singapura, Ngee Ann City, and Lucky plaza were the first few major malls that still exist in the street today.

The 20th and 21st century hailed the likes of ION Orchard, Orchard Central, Orchard Point, 313 Somerset and many more.

Today Orchard road holds 22 shopping malls, 6 departmental stores housing close to 5,000 brands. It ranges from cheap affordable retails to high-end brands. It has become a main shopping nucleus for both tourist and locals.

It wasn’t until the early 20th century that Orchard Road started to sprout malls. After the opening of the first mall, Tangs in Orchard Rd., new developments started to occur. More and more malls arise as more and more response it got from the local and international society. Eventually, Orchard Road became the finest and most important shopping hub in Singapore with more than 20 malls in hand.

“Orchard Road is the prototype for a new shopping typology that is becoming more prevalent in Asia: the urban linear mall…” 1

“

INTRODUCTION

the ION Mall is one of the major malls of the street. Supposedly it can be even seen within its architecture. ION was designed with influence from the early history of the road as a nutmeg and fruits orchard. This is apparent in its structure its form. The external support resembles a tree trunks holding up the roof and sheltering the mall. One of its other main attractions is that the MRT station that stops inside the mall. Due to the station’s name as Orchard Road, many tourists and foreign people will naturally stop at this station for their visit.

In the end though, Orchard Road is

”

Orchard Road is the East’s answer to New York’s famed Fifth Avenue, Paris’s Champs Elysée, London’s Mayfair and Sloane Square and New Delhi’s Janpath, all rolled into one...

Around 2005, there was a talk about how much Orchard rd. has grown and how much more developed it should be to advocate the fast forward development - its society. Hence, the question of an iconic building or a significant building surfaced the calm; should a notable building be designed, be built and how would it be fitted in Orchard Road?

However, a significant building does not have to be built anew but a mature one can gain the same sense of importance or may attain most attraction towards the people, such as the ION Mall. In the midst of Orchard Road, many have claimed that

Alex Abraham, Awestruck on Orchard Road, 2003 still not a statement of many different malls of different kinds on one street but a single linear urban mall that comprises the whole collection of malls.

It is very obvious that the people that use this street treat this street like the red carpet. Everyone sparkles and shines with their marvellous dresses and pretty tops that is followed by printed and patterned leggings or denim pants. These people basically dress-to-impress and it is the street that they make an impression on. The street has become their stage and they are nothing but actors in daily scenes.

The street is filled with people of all kinds such that they are basically from different countries, race, ethnics and languages but they have all come for only one specific reason: for shopping. And since shopping is the main emphasis of the street besides having the deluxe events, parties and festivals, keeping up-to-date with the fashion industry is important. Moreover, it is very much visible within the way society reacted to this fact also. The population of Singapore is quite fast-forward and they keep up with the trend reasonably au fait.

Fashion is then the main emphasis of the street and even architecturally, it is visibly perceptible. Around the high-end parts of the street where Hermes, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Gucci sits, the architecture of the outlets are more of the stores’ own signature architecture style and this gives the architecture of the street a golden taste of style. So if architecture is influenced and has been impacted by the fashion industry itself, the people must have also been impacted in a way as well.

A comparison can be seen in the superior fashionable taste of the general dressing of the people on Orchard Road as compared to the other neighbouring districts such as Bras Pasar and Little India. The locals that go to orchard road can evidently be seen a Louis Vuitton bag or Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch from the latest season’s collection. So as to say, they are very well on the leading edge with the fashion trend. As fast as the fashion industry is moving, the society is moving with it gracefully as well.

Fashion unconsciously moulds the one’s life and culture – it becomes a part of one’s life.

5

a

SUBMERGE

Credits: Syaza Yunos

The street atmosphere and the people are prominently in synced with the fast forward Fashion trend and industry.

7

Credits: Beulah Wong

Three boys, aged 8-10 years, pimped up with their hats and skateboards hits the street of Orchard. The language of looking good and fashionable carries even to school children.

8

Credits: Syaza Yunos

Carrie Bradshaw and her girls of Orchard Road

9

Credits: Syaza Yunos

The teenagers of Orchard Road manifest the allure of their own sense of fashion.

10

Credits: Beulah Wong

Her outfit is in the modern 50’s style and her posture is held very elegantly.

11

Credits: Syaza Yunos

ION Mall One of the major malls of Orchard Road with the Orchard Station MRT stop.

12

Credits: Syaza Yunos

A personal favorite building of Orchard Road: a fine example of playing with space and form.

13

Credits: Beulah Wong

Displays a fast paced lifestyle of the average local shoppers.

14

Credits: Syaza Yunos

‘Come and buy me’ Mannequins enticing the passersby.

15

Credits: Beulah Wong

Being dressed fashionably increases confidence, it empowers, and it makes one feel addictively good. Fashion is tool that many Singaporeans wear very well.

16

Credits: Beulah Wong`

A candid shot taken on at the pedestrian crossing. The two women’s faces share a similar expression.

17

Credits: Beulah Wong

I took this photo from the street into one of the shops. Here two young children play with the shoe products while waiting for their mother (on the right side of the picture picking up a shoe).

18

Credits: Syaza Yunos

Marc by Marc Jacobs to Gucci to Tory Burch: ultimate

shop-hopping

19

Credits: Syaza Yunos

Form follows Fashion It is visible that the building on the left, the ‘Gucci’ building is very well influenced by the signature style of Gucci (brand).

20

a

The events that mark Orchard road range between holiday festivals to fashionable retail events all ushered in parallel to the great sales and discounts from the malls. Being a main shopping district, Orchard Road’s association works to keep the shoppers and tourists happy and frequent. Every year the Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA), under Singapore’s Board of Tourism, hosts series of events and programs such as Christmas Light-Up @ Orchard, Fashion Steps Out @ Orchard and Rev-Up @ Orchard.

During the days the events stretch across, the street will be filled with locals and tourist shoppers looking around. The visitors of the street comprises of families with children, couples, young adults, groups of teenagers, foreign workers on break and even the elderly.

During the stretch of events, people take the effort to dress up tastefully for the occasion. The street takes on the purpose of more than shopping also but also as an area people hang out at. An interesting observation is the way people dress. The street of Orchard has come to form a dressing culture.

Christmas as the main event for the year:

A main event, hailed by all the people of Singapore and celebrated widely by Orchard Street is Christmas. Every year Orchard Road invites the spirit of Christmas with open arms.

Within the month of November, the whole street will be transformed into a fantasy of lights and colours. This year’s Christmas themed ‘A Great Street’ is the 29th consecutive annual festive light-up on Orchard Road. Christmas

CONTRAST

on A Great Street, classed as one of Frommer’s World’s Best Holiday Lights in 2010; Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Christmas Markets of the World in 2011; and IDA Achievements – Merit Award Winner 2012, is an annual signature event that heralds the start of the festive season here in Singapore, which many look forward to as an unforgettable experience.

The events of the street are not limited to only the ones designed by the association. There are many minor events, shaped by the local society, which takes place on the average day in Orchard. The important group of people that gives character to the street is the lower income that adjusted to the supremacy of the high-end malls. This group takes on the role of the ice-cream vendors and the street musicians and street artists. The vendors sell a variety of Potong ice cream and ice cream sandwiches for only a dollar. Regardless that it is a simple occupation, it is very challenging for them to find a livelihood. There is high competition on the street. On same side of the street, within one’s view, four to six vendors can be seen selling the same products for the same price. The musicians and artists on the other hand, play for the people’s giving.

There is no fixed income for them. Both these groups of people are often displaced by the strict law of permits in Singapore, regardless if he or she has been practicing in the same spot of many years. Overall the vendors, street musicians and artists may have a happy demeanour but being unable to hold higher positions placed them in a situation is challenging.

21

an

APT

Credits: Beulah Wong

Forum, one of the older malls, decorates its entrance with a Christmas tree.

23

Credits: Beulah Wong

Orchard road provides a very enjoyable environment for a stroll with friends.

24

Credits: Beulah Wong

The events on Orchard Road, transforms the street into a stage filled with colors and lights, where all its visitors are the stars. In this picture, a Pilipino tourist dressed in a rich red gown, poses under a Christmas arch.

25

Credits: Syaza Yunos

A back scene of Orchard Road.

The less fortunate struggling for survival.

26

Credits: Beulah Wong

The Christmas events that decorates Orchard road attracts families. This family took the opportunity of the public holiday to jog and ride a bike on Orchard.

Here a little girl rides safely in the strong shoulders of her father as her mother jogs on ahead.

27

Credits: Syaza Yunos

Local street artist playing an old Chinese folk song with a traditional musical instrument.

28

To provide meaningful architecture is not to parody history but to articulate it Daniel Libeskind

Sy

Nur Syazwani Binti Md Yunos (Syaza Yunos) 1007p79444 Semester 3

bW

Beulah Dorothea Wong 1007p78979 Semester 3

July 2011 Intake

July 2011 Intake

Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)

Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)

Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus

Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus

S y Wb Syaza Yunos Editorial Designs 2012