STITCHING URBAN SPACE : AN EQUILIBRIUM OF FLUX & REPOSE

Abstract

With the chosen site located at an urban void - an existing surface carpark adjacent to the Somerset MRT station, the project aims to stitch the urban fabric and enhance the connectivity of the shopping experience along Orchard Road - the prime shopping district in Singapore. On top of that, it seeks to assume the role of a pause space in the overall scheme of shopping on Orchard Road, demonstrating the fact that shopping spaces are no longer mere places of economic transactions, but also places of social interaction & relaxation in the city. On the micro scale, the shopping centre seeks to exemplify the different sales methods utilized in the retail sector- hard sell versus soft sell, and tackle the problem of homogeneity in shopping spaces due to multiple replications. The strategy used is a central datum separating the flux of shopping along Orchard Road and the apparent need for repose spaces, yet seeking equilibrium between the 2 qualities.