PLACE AND PLACELESSNESS: A DIALOGUE IN BENCOOLEN

Abstract

As the Digital Age gives rise to the New Economy and creates a knowledge-based society, a new demographic of people has emerged – one that enjoys the luxuries of travel, whose interactions and activities are set in a non-physical space; and with the diversity the internet provides, allows them to take on multiple identities to produce a complex entity. For a Place to capture and serve this new generation of people who simultaneously engage with the physical and virtual space, this thesis argues that the conceptions of Place have to be updated to accommodate this development, where Place and Placelessness are engaged in a dialogue with each other. In following this trend, no longer is it likely for a Place to be defined by a homogenous community, especially where it intersects with the public. Neither is Place going to be of a homogenous urban fabric, given how urban renewal efforts are conducted in piecemeal over the years, and which will continue to be in the future. Yet, the elements of the city still form the basis of the urban fabric – paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks remain to be aligned and connected to facilitate a vibrant urban life. These elements may also have to be rearranged and transformed to better cater to the public and private user, the former being highly mobile, diverse, and who may also seek temporal involvement and engagement in the local community much like a tourist would, while the latter is more heavily engaged and in use of the institutions and buildings in place. Running parallel to this is the ostensible conflict between Public Art and Institutional Art, that occupies two different spaces (public and private), and engages two different audiences (the public and the artist’s circle). The identity of an Art District cannot be solely upheld by the mere presence of Institutions with no community, culture and life around it – of which the public’s involvement is a key factor. The site at Bencoolen presents an interesting conundrum, wherein the presence of several Art Institutions and Schools, supporting amenities and a concentrated arts student community exist, but does not lend itself to public impression as the Art District despite its designation by the urban planners. While there is also evidence of Place (represented by the institutions) and Placelessness (represented by Public Spaces) coexisting and occasionally interacting, poor pedestrian access through the site hinders the person from a coherent experience of the place. Drawing from the ideas of Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl, the intention is to look to the streets, using them link these spaces of Place and Placelessness and serve as a catalyst to activate the site.