Group 10
School: Victoria Junior College
Proposal: Park Malabar and Victoria Walk
1. Background of Our Site
Our site consists of three blocks of shophouses of mixed retail use. And on the other side of the road are Masjid Malabar and a large undeveloped green. A few ancient tombstones belonging to members of the Johor royal family can be found in the green behind the Masjid. Overall the site is uninviting. The shophouses are too varied and confusing while the unkempt green space appears eerie and daunting.
2. Our Aim
We aim to create a place that is inviting and refreshing. In order to tap on the existing potential of the site, we have decided to separate the site into two: Park Malabar and Victoria Walk Area. Connecting the two would be two bridges and shophouse murals.
3. Our Plan
3.1. Park Malabar
We have decided to utilize the entire plot of land and turn the unkempt greenery to a well-preserved historic park that serves as a piece of nature in the modernized city. The purpose of Park Malabar is to respect the sanctity of life and death by preserving the tombs of these early Muslim settlers in the current cemetery, as well as providing a serene and peaceful retreat for people in the city to unwind and appreciate nature and heritage. The close proximity of the Masjid Malabar serves as a unique highlight of the park; it gives the park its purpose of being a tranquil place for reflection and spirituality. Furthermore, the presence of the strong religious presence of the Mosque and the ancient tombstones sating back from the 1800s adds to the early heritage history of the park and it gives the park the cultural vibe that cannot be found in other parks.
One unique feature of the park is that it has no pathways on the ground, instead, our pathways are slightly elevated above ground, at a height around 0.5m, but not above the tombstones. This ensures that the tombs will not be disturbed and be given their proper respect. These elevated pathways will be boardwalks - wood was chosen as the material for the pathways as it gives off a natural feel.
The most distinct feature of the park is that it will incorporate flora from around the region not commonly found in Singapore today. This provides a compelling reason for locals and tourists alike to visit the park.
In addition, there are two smaller huts and a relatively larger pavilion in the park, the huts are connected to the boardwalk and serve as a resting place and shelter for visitors to the park. The pavilion is located near the mosque, and provides space in the tranquil park for Muslims to gather after prayers.
3.2. Victoria Walk Area
The area is located just at the edge of the Central Business District, and at the junction of two primary roads: Victoria Street crossing into Kallang Road and Jalan Sultan. Therefore this area is accessible and convenient. The shophouses in the area serve a variety of purposes, from commercial to mixed retail and educational, and it caters to a wide variety of people. This is something not often found in Singapore, especially in the central area, which is a highly organised place with specialized hotspots to serve different needs. From this, we see that the area has the potential to become a place for locals and tourists alike to visit, as it has a wide range of facilities for everyone.
Due to its unplanned uniqueness that is seldom seen, we have decided to preserve its cultural significance and way of living. We want to encourage the organic growth of local heritage and trades that are exclusive to the area. Therefore we have decided to maintain the current façade of the shop houses and at the same time incorporate the history of the street life around the area which includes the changes of the shop houses over time through the use of mural paintings, tiles and roofs of the houses.
In order to make the area more pleasant, we intend to tile the back alleys with ceramic tiles and paint murals about the history of these shophouses along the walls in the back alley. This fulfills our aims of making the area more pleasant, as well as promoting awareness of the early heritage of the people.
Next, we intend to add roofs to the murals using different styles of roofings to show the various designs of shophouse roofs in the area. This allows us to make use of the early heritage of the area to beautify the surroundings.
The back alleys will also be pedestrianised – motorcycles and vehicles will not be allowed to park there so as to allow people to walk through, allowing access around the area to be even more convenient. Tiles will also be placed around the edge of each shophouse block, these tiles are 1m in width, and this will help improve the connectivity of the area for pedestrians.
When the pedestrian walks down the alleyways, he can experience the transitions throughout the history of the place and the evolution of the shophouses in the area.
3.3. Connecting Park Malabar to Victoria Walk
Although the two zones serve different purposes and have different atmospheres, there is a need to connect the two zones so as to join the soft-edged park with the hard-edged shop houses in a seamless transition without being too jarring.
The design of the two bridges is as follows: wooden planks serve as staircases up and down the bridge, the staircase on the side of Park Malabar transits into the elevated boardwalk, and they will be made of the same material. Reinforced wooden beams also support the bridge. This wooden element brings out the rustic charm of the area and gives it a natural feel. Shrubs line the interior of the bridge walkway along wooden railings to give the area a more natural feel. In addition, short glass panels (relatively chest level in height) support the railings. As they are glass panels, they give the visitors a more “open” and less “enclosed” feel about the bridge.
The murals enhance the seamless transition from the park to the shop houses. We will also paint murals on the walls of the shophouse blocks. There are a total of 5 of these walls, 4 small ones from the two eastern blocks of shophouses and a large wall from the southwestern block. For the 4 small blocks, we intend to have a “detached” painting, in which we feature an assortment of food, clothes, ornaments and other trinkets found along the area to depict the area as a very varied and exciting place. For the large wall, we will be painting a large map of the area depicting the various shops found in the area. This prominent feature will catch the eye of tourists and locals alike and attract them to visit the area.
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