Friday, December 11, 2009

Urban Arts Oasis II

An evolution phase of the on-going design since the inception. Weaving in new requirements from the Client and the various arts groups to be housed within the arts oasis, the design has taken on a different stance.

Emphasis is now on accommodating the differing and sometimes conflicting needs of the various arts groups whilst ensuring a shared communal facility is within the reachable means of the inhabitants, and all within a challenging restraint budget given the trying times of the economic conditions.  In design terms, this is akin to achieving the "maximum with the minimum".















And as its name suggests, being an urban oasis, the architecture besides accommodating the functional needs, also serve as an urban reprieve from the dense concrete jungle that towers over this site.

For the main building facing Cecil Street, and as part of the urban strategy to increase greenery within the downtown core, the building perimeter is enveloped with dense vertical landscaping that are comprised of hardy green climbers that are accustomed to the tropical climate. Randomly placed slit windows are stitched along the intermediatory spaces between the green climbers, allowing natural light to flow into and dance within the interior space.
























On the secondary hall building facing the Telok Ayer Street, the building is to be retained as a structure for the storage of the stage props. For this building, the architectural language takes on a more complex nature to echo the hustle and bustle of the commercial activities arising out of the adjacent food court building. The complexity is reflected via the intricate patterning of the mosaic tiles cladded onto the existing wall surface, with a colouring scheme as noisy as the chatterings from the lunch time office patrons.











In contrast to the rectilinear forms of the arts venue, amorphously shaped street furnitures are placed as part of the urban landscaping. Constructed out of polished stainless steel, these furnitures are designed as dynamic forms that appear to be seemingly moving and act as a sleek companion to the static building forms.