Urban comparative essay

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
Theories of Architecture
and Urbanism( ARC 61303 )
Part 2 : Comparative Analysis Essay
Sisavangvong Road
&
Bandar Kajang
VOON SAY LOON
0331708
TUTOR : Mr. Nicholas Ng

2. TABLE OF CONTENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 SITE BACKGROUND
2.1 BANDAR KAJANG
2.2 SISAVANGVONG ROAD
3.0 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
3.1 CONTACT POINT 1
3.2 CONTACT POINT 2
3.3 CONTACT POINT 3
3.4 CONTACT POINT 4
4.0 CONCLUSION
5.0 REFERENCES
2
3 - 6
7 - 16
17
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3. 1.0 INTRODUCTION
First of all, this project is an extension from the part 1 case study project. The
part 2 of the project was an analysis project on comparing the part 1 case
study with our Design studio site. Both comparing site was located in Asia,
Sisavangvong Road, Laos a tourism place from the part 1 case study and
Bandar Kajang, Malaysia a under development urban town from the Design
studio site.
In the comparative essay, we are require to analyse the elements determining
similarities and dissimilarities with regard on social pattern, human activities,
environment, background, also the identification of contact points and intensity
between two sites of different context in Asia.
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4. 2.0 SITE BACKGROUND
2.1 Bandar Kajang, Malaysia
Bandar Kajang, located in Selangor, on the eastern banks of the Langat Rivers.
The name of Kajang has multiple possible based on different dialect meaning or
historical event. Kajang was once a glorious town due to economy boom of
rubber and tin mining in the European influence period 1800s. The rise of
economy cause the traditional shoplots fill up the town. But until 1960s, the
glorious of kajang was starting to fall become a quiet trading town due to rise
of other cities. The people of Kajang also leaving to the other cities, and soon
what was left was only those heritage and historical tracks from the past.
But after a decade, in the period of modernism of Malaysia, Kajang start to rise
again due to its location as a bypass location. Although it was only a bypass
city it give a chance Kajang to rise again. Until nowadays, Kajang was still an
under development city, new building keep rising, old shoplots started to
rebuild and even MRT station was extent to here. The famous food Sate Kajang
was rerise and even a Sate gallery was built beside MRT station. Also the
heritages of Kajang was continuously preserved, all this hardship regain the
popularity of Kajang in Malaysia.
Figure 2.1.1 Street of Bandar Kajang
Figure 2.1.2 Aerial view of Bandar Kajang
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5. Founded during Klang War. The
first settlement were built by the
Mendaling, located by Sungai
Chua
Morphology study on Bandar Kajang
1850
Rich for its tin mining, the British
built railway track to transport tin
to the nearby port. Migrants from
mainland China were drawn in as
labours and merchants
1900
After Malaya gained
independence the town
undergoes a mass development,
by building schools, stadium and
TV station
1950
During the modernisation era,
more residential areas were built.
Many locals chose to move out of
the old town, leaving the
foreigners staying in the old town
2000
In the present day, with
the new MRT line and
bigger new development
building up. As a result,
many of the old building
seen today, some were
displaced for new
purpose and some left
neglected.
2019
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6. 2.2 Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang Laos
Sisavangvong road, named after the king, Sisavang Vong (1905 ~ 1945),
located in the Northern Province of Laos, formed between the Mekong River
and Nam Khan River. Once it became the capital of Laos but still remains as the
country’s main religious city. It is now being known as “backpacking universe”
as it offers a lot of tourist spots and activities, such as the national museum,
heritage centers, and street markets from sunrise till sunsets.
The road is being bounded by huge mountains and lush greeneries, as well as
the integration of traditional and colonial built form. Bright yellow temples
occupy the street and kept sacred for its religious practice often opened to
tourists. The vibrancy of the street has led to the locals running commercial
practices to appeal more to the tourist, the variety of street activities and
commercial experience tends to enhance the experience of tourists. The city has
received UNESCO World Heritage status, which thriving tourism sectors
gaining popularity in the international profile.
Figure 2.2.1 Street of Sisavangvong Road
Figure 2.2.2 Satellite view of Sisavangvong
Road
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7. Morphology study on Sisavangvong Road
During the 1350s, the Lao monarchs
consolidated the first Lao kingdom
known as Lan Xang. the Kingdom od
Lan Xang then experienced a split into
smaller Kingdom resulting the
formation of the Luang Phrabang
During the 1707 and Muang Phuan
become a tributary state of Luang
Prabang.
1353 - 1886
After a attack by the Black Flag Army
in 1887, the Royal Palace was built in
1940 during the French colonial era of
King Sisavang Vong and his family. The
site for the palace was chosen as
official visitors to Luang Phrabang
could desembark from their river
voyages directly below the palace and
be received there and big volumes of
brick and stucco buildings was built
giving the city a colonial atmosphere.
1887 - 1975
During the 1989, Laos opened to
foreign tourism for the first time since
1975 after the Luang Prabang was
granted the Unesco’s World Heritage
status, as to preserve and enhance the
historic architecture. The Royal Palace
was renovated and reopened to the
public as the National Museum.
1975 - 1995
A rapid growth of tourism in Laos
especially near to the Sisavangvong
Road can be observed from the
transition of residential area towards
touristic residential area showing great
richness in term of street cultures.
1996 - Present
Before 1980s
After 1980s
Present time 6

8. 3.0 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
This comparative analysis was based on Jahn Gehl’s LIfe Between Building, in
the essay we comparing both sites contact points, activities, intensity level
effects of environment on the place. Through these we can understand the
similarity and dissimilarity on two different site.
Contact points are place that offers people to meet and carry out their daily
activities. The activity can be divided as necessary, optional and social activities
in relation to the environment
The intensity level is based on the various contact form. The type interactions
and user within an activities will determine the level of intensity. As
Figure 3.0.1 Relationship between type of activity
and quality of environment
Figure 3.0.2 Simplified outline of various contact forms 7

9. Location of contact points on site
Contact point 1 : Restaurant Luang Prabang
Contact point 2 : Back Lane Night Market
Contact point 3 : Haw Pha Bang
Contact point 4 : Heuan Chan Heritage House
Contact point 1 : Medan Sate
Contact point 2 : Pasar Kajang
Contact point 3 : Shen Sze She Yar Temple
Contact point 4 : Kajang Heritage Center
Figure 3.0.3 Site plan of Sisavangvong Road
Figure 3.0.4 Site plan of Bandar Kajang
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10. 3.1 Contact Points 1 - Restaurant Luang Prabang & Medan Sate
Restaurant Luang Prabang in Sisavangvong and Medan Sate in Kajang are the
known eatery nodes. They had most similar in their activities but with the
different environment, this cause a lot of dissimilarity. And so it was interesting
to have a comparison on both eatery place of different site. First of all, as we
know they are both nodes on each site, located in between landmarks and
provide cultural food that represent their local sense of place. They are both
places for the local and visitor to come gather around and enjoy their food.
From that we can conclude that both places had a high intensity on relationship
between people. The locals and visitors tend to be inspired and drawn into a
spaces with activities and crowded people as people attract people.
In both eatery nodes, they both had a setback in front of both buildings, which
is the public walkway or five-foot walkway. Although they had the same main
purpose of letting people to walk bypass both building, but due to the
environment background from the previous part, both eatery nodes had
different purpose on the public walkway. In the Restaurant Luang Prabang,
since Sisavangvong is a tourist site and a much rural area, the walkway is much
more bigger and was an extension to outdoor, it provide the restaurant as
extended dining spaces and for hawker stalls. Bestides, the traffic of the whole
road is low, in a case of event, the road will be temporary close become another
extension for hawker stalls.
Figure 3.1.1 Restaurant Luang Prabang
Hawker stall was set along the street, people
can move freely as the traffic of the road are
slow.
Figure 3.1.2 Medan Sate Food Court
Surrounding crowded with vehicles was
exposed to heat temperature as we can see
people only tent to stay under shade.
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11. As for Medan Sate, Bandar Kajang is an urban area with high traffic, the main
purpose of five-foot walkway is for the public to excess in or pass by the shops.
They are the connection between shop to shop, or block to block. From there
we can see that Medan Sate had lesser public space that Restaurant Luang
Prabang, but this doesn’t affects the intensity level of Medan Sate. As Medan
Sate was located at the shoplot corner, it have a bigger semi-open dining area
for the customer. Unlike Restaurant Luang Prabang, the dining area had only
little amount of indoor space, although it had an upper floor, but it was for the
hotel rooms, all their public space was depends on their extension space. This
resulted mots public space in Restaurant Luang Prabang had lower climate
resistant.
While we talk about climate, since both site were located within South Asia
country, both only require shade from sun and rain. As mentioned before
Restaurant Luang Prabang will face more issue in climate than Medan Sate,
their only shade for outdoor was the portable umbrella and the building itself.
This will effects the quality of comfort level and social activity of the place.
People can’t enjoy much while it was too hot or in rainy day. As compared to
Medan Sate resist all this with its semi-open space and can easily access from
the five-foot walkway.
Figure 3.1.3 Street/road beside
Restaurant Luang Prabang.
The dining area was one
walkway close to the road.
Figure 3.1.4 Medan Sate interior
seating and five-foot walkway.
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12. 3.2 Contact Points 2 - Back Lane Night Market & Pasar Kajang
Back Lane Night Market and Pasar Kajang are the known local trading center,
where mainly for local to buy cheap groceries, basic necessities and local food.
As from the previous contact point comparison, the environment of these
contact point is similar to the previous one. As the Pasar Kajang was located in
an urban area surrounded by shoplots where almost only the locals will go, the
Back Lane Night Market was just located inside the alley of Sisavangvong road,
although it was hidden for locals but was labeled as one most tourist
attraction. Besides, the night market was much focus in food as main attraction,
unlike Pasar Kajang was selling more random stuff, ingredients, vegetable,
fruits and meats.
In the level of interactions Back Lane Night Market and Pasar Kajang are much
the same. They are both local traditional market. In there people have to contact
when buying stuff especially in negotiation. It was a tradition for buyers
negotiating and communicating with sellers in this kind of traditional market.
Besides, it was common to see people greet each others even non-locals while
buying or pass by the stalls, unlike modern groceries today, people only interact
at the counter while paying their stuff, or even just using eye contact.
Figure 3.2.2 Back Lane Night Market
Figure 3.2.3 Pasar Kajang, food stall mostly
located at the front
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13. So far, both markets share the same intensity level, but in a different day time,
because obviously Back Lane Night Market happen at night and Pasar Kajang
happen in day. As for the location, Back Lane Market is located in an alley,
under a simple roof structure, the back lane is closed of to a place constraints to
vehicular traffic for the accomodation of foot traffic. But for Pasar Kajang, it was
a building that have an upper floor, isolated form the shoplots, but this gives the
pasar an extension space for more hawker stalls and more parking for people.
With this two different space, we can say that Pasar Kajang had more enough
breathing space for the people to walk around. But for night market with the
stalls places along the alley and makeshift tables, this create a tight and narrow
path resulting in high density of people due to slow foot traffic. This contact is
inspired by seeing others in action, whereby the night market activity acts as as
attraction.
Continue on, due to the time when the night market open, this lead the night
market to avoid most of the heat issue on daytime. This higher up the quality of
space in the night market. As for Pasar Kajang, the building shade does did
much of the job, but since it was isolated from other building people still need to
expose under sunlight and rain to get in there.
Figure 3.2.3 Narrow walkway of night
market. It was a trouble when it was
crowded
Figure 3.2.4 Distant between Pasar
Kajang and other shoplots. Gab
between buildings would make people
expose to sun and rain.
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14. 3.3 Contact Points 3 - Haw Pha Bang & Shen Sze She Yar Temple
Following to the next contact point, Haw Pha Bang in Sisavangvong and Shen
Sze She Yar Temple in Kajang. Both place was temple, a cultural site for local
prayers to proceed their daily religious activities and ritual. But as for the
location, Haw Pha Bang was located beside and center of the Sisavangvong
Road, opposite to a night market. As for Shen Sze She Yar Temple it was
located more hidden at the edge of bandar Kajang, corner of the shoplots
beside the Langat River.
Although Haw Pha Bang (2006) was far more newer than Shen Sze She Yar
temple ( 1800s), but they both are cultural buildings and so carry on an
important role of representing the cultural identity of the site. The temples also
were functioned as attractions on a pedestrian street and local prayers are able
to attract tourist to visit the temple as their religious activities.
Figure 3.3.1 Street view of Haw Pha Bang
Figure 3.3.2 Street view of Shen Sze She Yar
Temple
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15. As both contact point are cultural place, this effect the divide the intensity level
into two space as indoor and outdoor. This is due to different activity happened
on two place. Typically, temple mostly had the holy respectful ambience that
keep the surrounding silent and calm, as a respect people won’t really interact
or talk much in there unless a crowded event was happening there. As for the
outdoor area of both contact point was more active space for public, this make
much more contrast of intensity level on indoor and outdoor. While the Haw
Pha Bang had a night market at the opposite side of road, Shen Sze Shen Yar
Temple own a restaurant beside it as a secondary space. From that we can
conclude that the purpose of place determine the type of activity, hence affect
the intensity of a place.
Moving on to the quality of place, similar to the Medan Sate, the Shen Sze She
Yar Temple was connected to other shoplots, beside the temple and restaurant
was connected internally. For the Haw Pha Bang, it was a stand alone building,
people will need to expose to sun or rain to get there, as for the night market
was only set up by temporary tent. This conclude different layout of a place will
affect the user experience of a space.
Figure 3.3.3 Road beside temple
was temporary closed for night
market event.
Figure 3.3.4 Restaurant connected and
owned by the temple
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16. 3.4 Contact Points 4 - Heuan Chan Heritage House & Kajang Heritage Center
For the forth contact point, we have both heritage center on both site, Heuan
Chan Heritage House in Sisavangvong road and Kajang Heritage Center in
Kajang. The Kajang Heritage center was one of the shoplot unlike the previous
contact point, the Kajang Heritage center is a rebuild shoplot, that blended into
the urban block. For Heuan Chan Heritage House it was hidden beside the
Sisavangvong Road, surrounded by greeneries, the house was a preserved
house, a part of the heritage which was built long ago.
Both contact point provide the same activity which is an exhibition on historical
item, telling past story to let people learn the cultural history and identity of the
place. Besides, both places invites locals and visitors and acts as a centre of
social interaction, like becoming a small public community centre for social to
interact with each other and knowing the place. Through that we can conclude
that the intensity of both heritage center is quite high, people tend to ask
question on the exhibition and start a conversation to understand the history
culture of others.
Figure 3.4.1 The exterior part of Heuan Chan
Heritage House. Surrounded by greeneries,
suitable for social activities.
Figure 3.4.2 A normal facade of Kajang
Heritage center, blended into the urban block.
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17. As mentioned before, Heuan Chan Heritage House was surrounded by
greeneries, this rises the quality of space of the heritage. The trees provide
shades that cool down the surrounding temperature, provide a better
environment for the outdoor activities. For the Kajang Heritage center as a part
of the shoplot, it doesn’t come with much enhancement to the quality of space,
due to the limited outdoor space and unextanable building layout, the indoor
air-conditioned space was the only enhancement to the building.
With that minimum of upgrade from a old shoplot, Kajang Heritage center still
fulfill the space need for the activities, as an museum gallery for the public.
Figure 3.4.3 Showcase of history
Figure 3.4.4 Gallery of Kajang Heritage
center
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18. 4.0 CONCLUSION
As a conclusion, both site Bandar Kajang and Sisavangvong Road have quite
different looking in bigger picture as where one is more towards tourism and
another one are more localise. However through these differences, there are
still have similarity within both street.
Both site have the contact points that had similar activity and similar relation on
its intensity level. They both carry almost the similar necessary, optional and
social activity. But the only the environment layout was causing the different
how people would utilise the space while carrying out they activities. They are
both unique in the way of experiencing personally.
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19. 5.0 REFERENCE
Gehl, J. (2011). Life Between Building: Using PUblic Space. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Heuan CHan Heritage House. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Heuan Chan Heritage
House/@19.8928759,102.1374038,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipMb9MgiUe2x
kmAKMlj5E7ITwzZigghQRSRYyQ7D!2e10!3e12!6shttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/p/A
F1QipMb9MgiUe2xkmAKMlj5E7ITwzZigghQRSRYyQ7D=w203-h135-k-no!7i1296!8i86
4!4m5!3m4!1s0x312f2a6ba67b2d83:0x38dbdb9b1c536e00!8m2!3d19.8928759!4d102.1374
038
Kajang Heritage Centre - Picture of Kajang Heritage Centre, Kajang. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1813816-d12791269-i2784250
77-Kajang_Heritage_Centre-Kajang_Hulu_Langat_District_Selangor.html
Kajang Heritage Centre乌鲁冷岳社区文物馆. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/Kajang-Heritage-Centre乌鲁冷岳社区文物
馆-1391604977809760/
Quite a length of the road with stalls - Picture of Luang Prabang Night Market, Luang Prabang.
(n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.tripadvisor.ie/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g295415-d1727836-i120896361-Luang
_Prabang_Night_Market-Luang_Prabang_Luang_Prabang_Province.html
Roadschooling to Pasar Kajang. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://juanadiah.blogspot.com/2015/07/roadschooling-to-pasar-kajang.html
Temples of Laos: Haw Pha Bang, Luang Prabang. (2012, December 06). Retrieved from
http://www.theroadtoanywhere.com/temples-of-laos-haw-pha-bang-luang-prabang/
User, S. (n.d.). 首页. Retrieved from
http://angkongkeng.com/malaysia/22-selangor/899-shen-sze-she-yak-temple
Yip Yoke Teng Low Lay Phon. (2015, October 17). Digging up on a bygone era. Retrieved from
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/focus/2015/03/31/digging-up-on-a-bygone-era-students-a
nd-volunteers-eager-to-preserve-kajangs-history-and-heritage/
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