REBUILD

Once a flourishing port, the Docks of the Malacca River Estuary used to be  the  center of the lives of its people. With time,  urbanisation and development turned the town away from its waters, and daily activities moved  inland. The River Restoration Plan of 2005 was a second chance for the River, as the government saw its potential in heritage tourism. The commercial success brought by the  stream of tourists revived the town; the people have a new River, and shops are their new Docks. However the privatisation of the Docks placed it out of the government’s plans, and its benefits.

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REPAIR

The Shophouses: a case study. Part of its charm comes from the preserved authenticity of its typology, yet the inherent nature of public-private spatial relationship is threatened by the influx of foreign visitors. This push-pull tension of both spaces shaped the façade of the Jonker Street. Shophouses that succeed in balancing this tension have a strong link between Public and Private, in the form of Courtyards and Staircases. For the Docks, Decks can serve this role along with familiar components, and repair the link between the Docks and its people, the public and private.

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REMEMBER

A linkage is a good introduction for the minds, while memories and sentiments are what leaves a lasting impression. The town had lost its heart for personal and intimate interactions between the people, only serving short and temporary instances of visitation. Community spaces enable people to remember the town not for its temporality,  but personal and intimate sentiments build upon interactions and memories, in remembrance of the docks.

 

“What will the Docks of Melaka River Estuary develop into, if given attention and emphasis in its natural course of development, while preserving its  vernacular architecture and spatial systems?”