We are required to write a 200-300 word essay on the selected topic (hybrid morphology), to best describe the place assigned (Medan Pasar) and analyse its quality based on topic.
Exercise a: Research Essay
Title: The Study of morphology in Medan Pasar
Morphology in architecture is the study of the evolution of form within the built environment. We found out that Medan pasar is suitable with our term “morphology” is because it is contained old and new building with different style which is built in different decades.
At the early stage, Medan Pasar was originally a residential area of Malays who inhabited the village along Gombak and Klang rivers. (state building with malay style) Due to the mining activities, area around Medan Pasar developed rapidly. There are more residential area and shophouses built due to the immigrants from mainland of China and India. These residential areas with small shops were built with timber and root. After a great fire and followed by flash flood, they urged all buildings to be built using brick and tiles, these had brought in the flourish of eclectic architecture style. During the rules of Yap Ah Loy, Chinese took Medan Pasar up till Petaling Street. For Malays and India, they set at Tun Perak Street and Brickfields separately.
Medan Pasar building had influenced by the British, the ornate Neo-Classical shophouses facing Medan Pasar were the result of guidelines put in place by AB Hubback. Unfortunately, most of these shophouses are not as well maintained today as they thought to be. They demolish and rebuild it with modern and high-rise building. As traveling around Medan Pasar, surround the clock tower, there are actually a UOB bank building with modern style slotted into a row of original shoplots. From Medan Pasar, the contrast of old and new architecture is clear, the old and new buildings are layering front and back, the old shop lots around the clock tower and the replacement or lately built of the new modern buildings at the back of Medan Pasar.
Around 1960s to 2005s, Medan Pasar are car accessible trading area. After 2015s, Medan Pasar have changed to pathway for preservation of this area as a historical building area, from my point of views. There are a lot of preservation on building around Medan Pasar site.
As a conclusion, Medan Pasar were chosen to representing the term of morphology, it act as the centre of city since late 1800s, due to the transition of “old” and “new” is clearly depicted in the building architecture style, and the types of activities today compared to the olden days. From my point of views, these buildings should maintain in a well condition to preserve the old architecture style for the next generation to explore.
Exercise b: Photos and sketches
