Mapping The Townscape

CENTRAL MARKET - PETALING STREET

Tales of Three Cities
Instructor: Dr Suchi Sri

Team Members:
Darshiini Vig
Eng Shi Yi
Kooi Yong Kai
Lee Pui San
Lim Joe Onn

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The
townscape
that
encompasses Petaling Street
and Central Market is known
to be one of the old historical
centres of Kuala Lumpur. Both
are
KLs
most
familiar
landmarks, famed for their
plentiful merchandise and
scrumptious food, making the
townscape
bustling
with
wandering tourists from all
around the globe. This area
maintains
much
of
its
traditional atmosphere and
heritage, presenting the true
essence of KL to visitors.

Figure Ground Analysis

Figure Ground Analysis // Mapping The Townscape

Grid System
-

Deformed grid

Random distribution

Many small alleys and junction

Figure Ground Analysis // Mapping The Townscape

Traffic
-

Major six-lane road (Jalan Pudu)

carries most traffic

Roads diverge into smaller alleys

Some alleys are pedestrian-oriented

Figure Ground Analysis // Mapping The Townscape

Form and Scale

-

Newly developed buildings are mostly

high-rise and modern office, banks or
commercial structures

Older Buildings exhibit vernacular

elements and are mostly shop houses
with smaller scale

Figure Ground Analysis // Mapping The Townscape

Solid and Void

-

Linear arrangement around Petaling

Street

Orientation of buildings are mostly

inconsistent

Land Use and Activity

Land Use and Activity // Mapping The Townscape

Petaling
Street

Commercial
Accommodation
Cultural Venue
Education
Miscellaneous Space

Land Use and Activity // Mapping The Townscape

WORK/
SHOPLOTS

Land Use and Activity // Mapping The Townscape

LIVE /
ACCOMODATION;
HOTELS

Land Use and Activity // Mapping The Townscape

RELIGIOUS PLACES/
GUANDI TEMPLE
SRI MAHA MARIAMMAN TEMPLE

Land Use and Activity // Mapping The Townscape

Variety of activities
Presence of local food and culture
Activities in interstitial spaces navigate people through the city which applies
the cause and effect theory
Various type of fake branded products and local accessories are sold on the
street
The diversification of activities creating a sense of complexity

Central Market is one of KLs most familiar landmarks and a popular tourist
attraction. The focus of the citys artistic community.
A warren of boutiques, handicraft and souvenir stalls with traders selling local
merchandise
Central Market is strategically located close to major public transportation
links, making access easy from all major KL destinations.

Movement Pattern

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

forms

Dictate movement

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Exposed Routes

Covered Routes

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Circulation

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
TRAIN STATIONS

PUBLIC TRANPORTATION BUS

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Circulation

PEDESTRIAN
PATHWAYS

VEHICULAR CAR,
MOTORCYCLE, BICYCLE

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Circulation

FAST MOVEMENT
(VEHICULAR)

SLOW MOVEMENT
(PEDESTRIANS)

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Nodes

Landmarks

Movement Pattern // Mapping The Townscape

Layering
Overlapping of zones with
different functions complicate
the movement pattern of
people, thus creating a
bustling sight due to a complex
urbanscape

Sense of Place & Serial Vision

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

copious
Layering of
buildings of
a variety of
styles and
scale forms
the skyline
of the
building

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

directive
Big structures
serve as
indicators that
guide
movement of
pedestrians

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

horizontality
Strong linearity and
repetitive elements
indicate distance

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

linear
Pedestrians are
shown with a
clear sense of
where to
proceed

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

irregularity
Strong linearity
together with
ununiformed
buildings along
the street adds
up to its
complexity.

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

gaps
Narrow spaces
between built
forms create
additional options
for pedestrian
access, increasing
the citys
permeability

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

macabre
Hidden alleys
shadowed by the
presence of solid
forms became
spaces of storage
and activity for
small businesses

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

traffic order
Regulations are
abided within
the chaos and
clutter of the
central city

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

Scale
Larger roads allow
vehicular movement
between buildings,
pushing pedestrians to
the five-foot ways in
front of the buildings.
Pedestrian experience is
less defined as walkable
space makes way for
dominant, faster
movement

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

Scale
Covered street shades
pedestrians from the
unpredictable weather
of the tropics, enabling
more flexible space for
activity and movement

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

Scale
Tall, bulky buildings on
both sides creates a
strong sense of linear
pattern movement in
the narrow passage in
between. Pedestrians
are dwarfed by the built
environment.

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

8
5

8
6

A-A
Petaling Street
A

Kasturi Walk

A
B

B-B
Jalan Tun HS Lee

B
Jalan Hang Lekir

SERIAL VISION 1 [A-A]

Compact Node to Open Node

1) Movement is restricted to pedestrian

walkway. Heavier traffic on major road
prohibits free pedestrian movement.
Hence, pedestrian movement pattern is
restricted along pedestrian sidewalk.

A
2) Approaching an open street square
located in front of central market.
Pedestrian movement pattern is much
more dispersed as street opens up via
zebra crossings to the other side of the
street, where the central market sits.
3) Pedestrian movement is no longer
constrained to the sidewalk. Street
becomes a pedestrian priority street,
allowing unobstructed circulation.

SERIAL VISION 1 [B-B]

Intimate Scale to Urban Scale
1) Tight, quiet alleys which are busy
hawker stalls at night are present beside
Petaling Street. As no activities are going
on in the morning, alleyway appears to
be dodgy and creates an unsafe
ambience.

2) As we slowly approach Petaling Street,

the alley way opens up, exposing what is
above and beyond. High rise buildings
start to be visible from a distance.
3) Approaching the node of Petaling
Street, pedestrian movement increases
drastically. Stalls can be seen throughout
the entire street with series of activities
happening at the same time. High rise
buildings and shop houses start to be
visible.

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

apparent

obscure

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

Welcoming to Reluctance

From a pedestrian prioritized entry into a vehicle

prioritized street exit.

Entry A is more pedestrian prioritized due to a less dense

vehicular movement. Entry B is vehicular prioritized due
to being main street and a two way street, causing dense
vehicular movement. Making it impossible to move
across streets in a safely manner. A disruption to
movement pattern.

Entry A consists of mostly low rise buildings, making the

entrance a prominent feature. Entry B consists of high
rise buildings, causing the entrance to lose its visual
significance.

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

Enclosure to Openness

Transition from a congested, busy, enclosed

atmosphere to a more open space.

At B, street is constrained to pedestrian

sidewalk due to busy street and constrained
pedestrian sidewalk.

At C, node is formed at intersections of

street. Pedestrian movement across streets
are promoted through proper zebra
crossings as well as traffic lights.

Sense of Place & Serial Vision // Mapping The Townscape

Arranged to Vibrant

A street with rows of shop houses with similar built

forms arranged in an orderly manner throughout
the entire street.

Cultural related activity spaces such as stalls are also

arranged in an orderly manner, located at the side
while the central path is focused on pedestrians
linear circulation.

Ends with view of high rises, fully commercial shop

houses dealing non cultural related activities such as
selling phones, hats and et cetera.

Collage City

Collage City// Mapping The Townscape

BUILT FORM

FORM

- IRREGULAR INTERVALS OF
SPARSENESS AND
COMPACTNESS
- MIXED COMMERCIAL AREA
- SPACES MAKES IT LESS
COMPACT, RESULTING THE
AREA TO A LANDMARK
- VERTICAL LINEAR TYPOLOGY

SOLID & VOID

SCALE
- DIVERSE RANGE OF BUILDING
SCALE
- INCONSISTENCY CREATES A
COMPLEX STREETSCAPE

- MASS OF BUILDINGS ARE

INCONSISTENT
- SPACES ARE MOSTLY IN A
LINEAR PATTERN
- HUMAN ACTIVITY IN SPACES
ARE GUIDED

DIRECTION & NODES

CULTURE

ACTIVITY

MOVEMENT PATTERN

SLOW / FAST

LAYERS

- SLOWER PEDESTRIANS MAKE

WAY FOR FASTER VEHICLES
- SEGREGATION OF SLOW AREAS
DETERMINES SMOOTHNESS OF
VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
- OCASSIONAL OVERLAPPING OF
PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES

- UNPLANNED AND OVERLAPPING

ZONING DIVERSIFIES
STREETSCAPE
- VIBRANCE IS ENHANCED AS
SENSE OF DIVISION BETWEEN
AREAS OF SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS
IS ABSENT

LINEAR

DIVERSE
CITY

Conclusion
Order vs chaos, consistency vs irregularity, the
townscape is a tolerance and contradiction of
multiple opposing elements as well as an
amalgamate of a variety of elements that makes it
uniquely diverse. It is the result of interaction of
cultures and a progressing timeline.

COMPARING THE THREE CITIES

INTANGIBLE
DIMENSIONS

KUALA LUMPUR

KUCHING

GEORGETOWN

FUNCTIONAL
DIMENSION

Busy with various choices

of public transportation
Presence of large city
gardens

Relatively quiet due

to geographical
isolation
Clean waterfront

Deformed, organic urban

grid
Early development refers
to Gombak and Klang
rivers
Modern skyscrapers

Deformed grid
Irregularity in
pedestrian
movement

Built environment
encourages social
interactions with open
public realms

Mixed use to
preserve pedestrian
priority streets

MORPHOLOGICAL
DIMENSION

SOCIAL DIMENSION

Small and compact

city
Dense heritage
shophouses

Well planned urban

grid.
Emerging high-rise
and vertical build
forms.
Tourist oriented
Narrow streets
encourage walkability

INTANGIBLE
DIMENSIONS

KUALA LUMPUR

KUCHING

PERCEPTUAL
DIMENSION

Complex integration
of cultures, history
and modernity
Diverse economy

Strong will of

introducing the
uniqueness of its
context

Richness of
heritage and
cultural identity

Sprawl of old
shophouses
create a huge
complex

Tranquillity is
emphasized
Harmonious
pace of life

Nostalgic
ambience with
deep historical
and cultural
merit.

VISUAL
DIMENSION

Blend of historical
elements of
contemporary
architecture

TEMPORAL
DIMENSION

Distinction of

contrasting
timelines

Reminiscing the past

and progressing into
the future

GEORGETOWN
Strong historical
elements
Vernacular in
nature

Tales of Wishes
DARSHIINI

JOE ONN

Urban living with grid form enhances the compact living within the city of Georgetown. Penang
Island is currently booming well and cultural diversity can easily noticed. Despite the urban
development is going towards a successful direction, it could be a good use to be a functional
city. In addition, as Penang is rich in its cultural context, developments rises equally to make it a
better living city with multifariousness.

Georgetown is a city with a long and rich history that adds up to its cultural value. One of the
charms of Georgetown is its nostalgic ambience that allows us to witness the true essence of
the old eclectic Malaysia. This is reflected within its streetscape which is a cornucopia of
heritage buildings. The city is small enough to encourage human interaction, yet big enough to
offer easy access to goods and services for a comfortable lifestyle.

Tales of Wishes
YONG KAI

Kuching is a city with a balanced built environment, allowing users to live a peaceful
lifestyle. As the urbanscape is not overcrowded with tourists, the locality and sense of place
is preserved. The citys identity is maintained as the rich cultural background contributes to
the soul of the place. Besides that, it has a high vegetation coverage, marking its potential to
become an even better, liveable urban environment.

SHI YI

Kuala Lumpur is a city which boasting gleaming skyscrapers, colonial architecture, charming
locals and a myriad of natural attractions. As it is the capital of Malaysia, the city has
embraced modernity while retaining a deeply entrenched adherence to local traditional
customs, which represent the identity of the country. Cultural patchwork formed the
coexisting communities and unique townscape that contribute to the vibrancy of the city.

PUI SAN

Kuala Lumpur is a modest little city with aesthetical architecture. It is colourful, vibrant and
chaotic, constantly oozing vitality. The city is equipped with facilities for citizen convenience.
The diversity of forms and activities found in KL enriches our lives.

References
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http://content.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1994946_1994941_1994884,00.html
GoKL (n.d.). Petaling Street. Retrieved 20 November 2016 from http://www.gokl.my/petaling-street/
Bailey, B. (n.d.) Old KL Photos. Retrieved 22 November 2016 from https://es.pinterest.com/pin/568368415451043901/
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