Design My Place

Group 9

School: St Andrew’s Junior College

Proposal: Backalley Boardwalk and Spiral

Site 9 is a family-oriented enclave and includes characteristics such as a slow paced buzz and an understated nature. Locals state their desire of conservation over transformation, whilst visitors beam about the site’s rare characteristics. It is this stark contrast in pace and urban aesthetics to the site’s surroundings that the team wishes to respect and exhibit in tandem. However it is also our wish to still allow the area’s cultural fabric to morph at will.

Backalley Boardwalk

An elevated platform that offers an aerial perspective of historical grounds, it provides a unique and thought provoking experience for visitors. The undulation of the platform creates a non-uniform wave, with crests reaching rooftop level and troughs dipping to the 2^nd storey of selected shophouses. This provides a subdued sense of adventure that will quietly thrill the entire family whilst observing the understated nature of the site. Crests will open out to verdant gardens cum rest spots in designated areas, serving as observation posts for visitors to stop and enjoy the aerial views of the site and beyond. Observation “peeper” gaps will also be placed randomly on the platform, allowing more light through to the alleyway at certain areas while simultaneously giving visitors elevated perspectives of the urban landscape below. In addition, observation decks facing North Bridge Road will be constructed, offering visitors ample space and opportunities to enjoy the surrounding landscape framed by historical shophouses and landmarks such as the Sultan Mosque.

To provide a friendlier environment for the wheelchair-bound, the boardwalk will almost entirely be devoid of stairs, with gentle gradients and ample spaces aiding the easier movement of wheelchairs. Dual-directional lighting attached to the platform will provide lighting to both the ground-level alleyways and the elevated platform itself, allowing the infrastructure efficient use of energy that lowers the carbon footprint of the structure. The ground level alleyways will not be transformed significantly, with the team picking up on existing habits of locals to extend the green space created in the back alleys.

The boardwalk will begin from a link bridge, sculpted based on modern architectural influences, connecting from the Golden Landmark complex before branching out into the area encompassing low-rise shophouses via platforms constructed from materials that reflect the historical significance of the site.

The link bridge is constructed in part by steel and glass, with the rest contributed by wood. The elevated platform is constructed of wood, propped up by steel and wood composite columns on both sides. The platform threads through the centre of the back alleyways, leaving a gap of 0.5m of both sides. This allows linear bands of light through to the alleyways below and convectional currents are facilitated to bring heat out of the alleyways. Entry/exit points via stairways are available at 3 points, all fronting Victoria Street, to provide connectivity to the surrounding areas.

The Spiral

The Spiral is a playful yet considerate addition to the overall project, being the combination of a lift, staircase and slide housed in a refurbished shophouse facing Jalan Pisang. It is an attempt at fulfilling all considerations of an inter-generational family visit to the site, as it encompasses three methods on commute to and fro the boardwalk platform.

The spine of The Spiral consists of a traditional spiral staircase leading up to the 3^rd storey of the newly refurbished shophouse, while the body is supplemented with a slide running on its outer perimeter that would prove irresistible to any child. Finally, the structure is completed by the insertion of a cylindrical modern lift in the circular core on The Spiral, an access point for the wheelchair-bound, forming a spiral body consisting of both old world and new world technology.

The spiral staircase and slide are to be constructed of wood, while the cylindrical lift wall is to be constructed of transparent glass. The structure will be connected to the boardwalk at the rooftop level, with the entrance to the skywalk framed by the shophouse’s tiled roof, giving visitors a breathtaking panoramic welcome to the site. The shophouse housing The Spiral will be equipped as a welcome centre, with information and photographic galleries on the history, culture and architecture of the site.