Eco-Urbanism and the South East Asian City : Climate, Urban-Architectural Form and Heritage

This book traces the history of urban design in tropical South East Asia with a view to offering solutions to contemporary architectural and urban problems. The book examines how pre-colonial forms and patterns from South East Asian traditional cities, overlaid by centuries of change, recall present notions of ecological and organic urbanism. These may look disorganised, yet they reflect and suggest certain common patterns that inform eco-urban design paradigms for the development of future cities. Taking a thematic approach, the book examines how such historical findings, debates and discussions can assist designers and policy makers to interpret and then instil identities in urban design across the Asian region. The book weaves a discourse across planning, urban design, architecture and ornamentation dimensions to reconstruct forgotten forms that align with the climate of place and resynchronise with the natural world, unearthing an ecologically benign urbanism that can inform the future. Written in an accessible style, this book will be an invaluable reference for researchers and students within the fields of cultural geography, urban studies and architecture. Preface Acknowledgements Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Tables Introduction A Definition of Urban-Architectural Form Eco-urbanism Definition of a City Climate and Wind Movements Thermal Comfort Definition in the Urban Tropics Heritage: The Tangible and Intangible Part I 1: Eco-Inflections of the ‘Mandalic’ City-Form: Morphologies of the Pre-Colonial Urban Cores Introduction ‘Inflections’ of Morphological Form South East Asian Urban Core: From ‘Mandalic’ to ‘Maritime’ Historical Backgrounds A Comparative Characterisation Lessons for the Future Conclusions References 2: River and City: Microclimatic Ameliorations and Accretions of the Ancient Urban Grain Introduction Palembang City, Sumatera Urban Ventilation and the Urban Fabric Urban Fabric and Heightened Densities Conclusions References 3: The Mound and the Malay Nusantara Historic Landscape Introduction The Mound and Cosmography Mounds and the Cities Hill Mound, Cosmography and the Sacred The Hill Mound: Sea Duality in Planning and Siting Mound and River Mound and City-Shore Dynamism: The Southeast Asian Cosmography Mound, Climate, and the City Transcending the Earth Mound as Gateways Mound as Artisanal Element Gunongan as Ornamentation Penanggungan Mountain in Majapahit Civilisation The Hill Mound as ‘Breaker’ and ‘Beacon’: Palembang and Melaka Jugra Hill and the History of Selangor Epilogue References 4: The Malay ‘Garden City’: An Ethos of Malay Historic Urbanism Introduction Tracing Historical Roots A History of the Taman Key Features of the Taman: Hardscapes and Elements Encircled by Walls or Clouds The Garden (Taman) as City Budi as ‘Ethos’ of the Garden References 5: Bioclimatic Alignments of the Alun Alun: A Genealogy of the Nusantara Open Space Framework Tracing Origins The Evolution Reconstructing the Roots of the Padang Definition: From Primordial Space to Padang Trees, Gardens, and Fields Climate Alignments Climate, open space and Morphology: A simulation of urban comfort conditions Conclusions References 6: Traditional Compactness of the Urban Core: ‘Walkability’ and the Malay Public Realm Introduction Traditional Cities South East Asian Traditional Cities South East Asia’s Traditional Urban Core The Compactness of Traditional Urban Core Spatial Configuration of Urban Core Walkability around Public Realm Discussion Conclusion References 7: Animals and the City: A Southeast Asian Historical Perspective Etymology of Place Establishment of Cities Due to Incidents Involving Fauna Fauna in Functional and Symbolic Roles Architectural Reverberations Past Planning of Cities: Animals as Transportation Seedings of Towns Historical Urban Infrastructure in Colonial Southeast Asia Mythical Animals and Iconography Fauna-Based Ornamentations Urban Assimilation of Fauna Conclusions References Part II 8: From Archipelago to Architecture: The Sacred Center and the Pillared Space Introduction Centricness within the archipelago Srivijaya as Center The Era of Islam The Pillared Space—Architectural Nature of the Center The Central Pillar—Symbolism and Significance The Islamic Era: Constructional Roots of Pillared Space Conclusions References 9: The ‘Punctured’ Pavilions The Basic Archetype Historical Origins From Mosque to Aristocratic Residences Pavilions as Transitional Spaces Evolution of Punctured Pavilions Punctured Pavilion as Elevated Plane in Urban Context Climatic Character Conclusion: Punctured Pavilion in Eco-Urban Context References 10: Climate and Archetype: Vernacular House-Forms as Tropical Urban Ideations Introduction Origins of the Modernist City Conflating the Climatic and the Cultural The ‘Permeable’ Fabric The Elevated Pedestrian Plane Conclusion References 11: The Matriarch, the Matrilineal System, and the Minangkabau Rumah Gadang Introduction Minangkabau Culture The Matrilineal Kinship The Rumah Gadang Cultural and Architectural Sustainability Architectural Sustainability Climatic Considerations Analysis The Strength of Adat in the Matriarchal Structure and Its Slow Shift Conclusions References 12: The Layered Space: Permutations of the Portico Introduction Portico Space From Anjung to Balai Penghadapan From Pre-Islam to Post-Islam Post-Islam Climatic Character of Palatial Portico Space Review of Typology of Layouts and Variants of ‘Portico’ Space The Compact Typology The T-Shaped Typology The Split Typology A Climatic Verification Conclusion: Remembering the Portico as a ‘Space’ of Appearance References 13: In the Sanctity of Light and Shadows: The Traditional Mosques Introduction History Background of Nusantara Mosques Structure History and Islamisation of the Region Daylight: The Character of the Nusantara Space Ventilation Lighting and Carvings References Part III 14: Re-acculturising the Tropical City: From Theory to Practice Introduction Re-acculturising Façadescapes from Archetypes Meaning of Archetype Re-culturalising Urbanism: The Tropicalised ‘Portico’ Street Residuals of Indigenous Models An Exploration of the Aristocratic Portico as Facade Archetype Potential Streetscape Interpretations of Porticoes Shaded Recesses in Middle Portico (T1) Shaded Recesses in Side Portico (T2). Shaded Recesses in Front and Side Portico (T3) Opaque Projections Without Recesses (T4) Further Streetscape Typology Permutation Axial Typology Forms of Streetscape Binuclear Typology Facadescape Asymmetrical Typology Streetscape An Interpretation: Fusing Streetscape, Public Space, and Greenery as a Continuum Conclusions References 15: Marking Boundaries of Water and Land: Bridges and Gateways Introduction Water Routes and Identities The Symbolism of the Gateways Patani Threshold Gateways of West Borneo Kingdoms Bridges as Gateways over Water Contemporaneous Examples from Surrounding Regions Eclectic-Islamic and Colonial-Era Influences References 16: Ecology, Structure and the Regalia: Framing the Evolving Language of Malay Architecture Introduction Malay Architectural Language and Variation of ‘Four Elements’ Evolvement of Vernacular into Four Essential Elements Walls The Plinth or Mound Plinth Base and Full Column Type History of Traditional Malay Roof Roof Decorative Elements of Traditional Malay House The Hearth—A South East Asian interpretation Cogan and the Kris: Symbols of ‘Strength’ Conclusion Endnotes References 17: Tracing Water-Land Architectural Symbolisms of the Malay Nusantara Introduction The Makara—A Water-Land Symbol of Pre-Islam Makara in Traditional Architecture Formal Evolution Across Time Resonating with the South East Asian Subconscious References 18: Vernacular Typography as Reflections of the Nusantara: Cultural Inflections in Street Vendor Signages Nusantara Cultural Identity Eco-Urbanism in Nusantara Archipelago Evolution of Design in Nusantara Archipelago Typography in Nusantara Archipelago Vernacular Typography Vernacular Typography in Signage Street Vendors from West Sumatra Street Vendors from East Java Conclusion References 19: Epilogue: Sustainability, ‘Sejahtera’ and the South East Asian Continuum Eco-Urbanist Cities of South East Asian Memory The Concept of Sejahtera Conclusion References Index