Chow Kit Wet Market
design
inspiration
Wet market has been run since 6000 years ago. Wet market is a place consists with series of stalls that sell fresh ingredient to the customers. However, wet market is always a palce people thought of buying and selling things only because it has become a strong image based in people's mind. People nowadays didn't realize that wet market can actually become a gathering spot for a community.
selling merchandises
Meeting
place
Leisure
place
Performance
stage
market
importance
This robust condition is what make the wet market so important in an urban context. This is because it intangibly playing a role as an active public space, a component to spark urban revitalization, a cultural symbol, and at the same time *being a catalyst that boost the local economy.
spark urban revitalization
Active public space
cultural symbol
economy catalyst
market
declining
Terrible environment
Urban Obsturction
Weak Human comfort is one of the main issues that causes the declining of the wet market. Especially when it comes to the terrible surrounding environment that causes serious urban obstructions. Moreover, with the coming Covid-19 pandemic, people's impression of going to wet market is even worst. The unsafe condition greatly increase people's dissatisfaction, causing the amount of people going to wet market decreases follow the time.
Dying of wet market
E-commerce
Small convenient shop
Shopping complex
This further lead to the branching out of the new competitors such as the small shop like convenient shops, shopping complex, e-commerce and so on, which provide good quality of space and services to their customers.
Chow kit
wet market
While Chow Kit wet market is one of the case that actually reflects the situations mentioned above.
cHOW kIT WET MARKET
LOCATION
Chow Kit Wet Market
The diagram shows the exact location of Chow Kit Wet Market within the Chow Kit district. It located next to the busiest road in the district, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR). The road punches through the district, becoming the spine that connects Chow Kit district with Titiwangsa district and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
By looking at the building land use diagram, the district is surrounded by multiracial and diverse programmes, causing it to be one of the most humane city in Kuala Lumpur.
Chow kit WET MARKET
iSSUES
Urban Issues
Urban issues such as unpleasant streets, being blocks by the high-rise buildings, not permeable streets, illegal parking and harsh environment makes the place less approachable.
architectural Issues
The high dense stalls that arranged in a very pack configuration, making the business competition to be very competitive. Some of the stalls or shops that cannot sustain the ecosystem end up closing their business.
The inconsiderable space configurations and the stalls design causes low permeability and visibility to the visitors, leaving an uncomfortable impressions for them.
Low storage spaces becomes a reason increase in the cost of the merchandises.
Due to low storage spaces, there are quite number of the buildings surrounding the wet market are illegal converted to become storage building. These illegal converted storage spaces causes a big loss of opportunity in creating a prosperous city. These situation causes people only will not go to the district during the night time. Eventually, Chow Kit district will slowly becomes a doughnut city.
new development
failure
Even though there are new development has been done, but the overall situation does not get any improvement. However, with the increasing in the size of the modal, the overall situation is still deteriorating. This causes the spirit of the wet market is losing. As a consequences, lesser and lesser people will go to visit Chow Kit Wet Market in the coming days.
overview
issues
In short, all the mentioned issues lead to the amplification of the local social issue. Thus, it comes to the fallen of the wet market follow the time.
design
concept
The main concept to bring in human traffic into the wet market is by improving the sociability of the wet market. Sociability is the social living of a place depends on the quality of enjoying spending time with the other people. A good quality of place increase human's comfortability, therefrom enhances the in and out of the market's public participation.
literature
review
Based in the reviewed literature, according to Islam Karami, sociability of place can be improved by achieving 3 types of dimensions and respective components as what shown in the diagram. By achieving high sociability, this help creates a new kind of sense of place, making the place are safer and friendlier to visit. It is important for a place to have a good sense of place because this can improve the sense of attachment between the people and the place. This allow the Chow Kit Wet Market become a new social node, causing the attracted people willing to spend more of their time carrying their activities around the place.
design
strategies
form
development
site
zoning
building
zoning
longitudinal section of the building.
building
circulation
Grey water duct
discharge system
While the whole wet market is actually introducing this grey water duct discharge system to provide a more tidy, safer and cleaner market environment for the customer.
In term of technicality, the size of the working station for each vendors has been considered, which manage to fit in merchandise display area, and also efficient storages underneath and on top of the working table. Electrical and clean water piping follows the side of the column to provide vendors resources. Each column are incorporate with water basin to allow the customers clean themselves.
The floor system is different from the usual wet market that uses tiles or cement as the floor finish. The floor is constructed with openable steel grating walkway is allow water flow to the drainage, while at the same time ensure human safety by preventing slippery. The grey water will then be channel to the refuse chute located at the end of each floors.
The stores are being arranged at the side of the passageway so that the steel grating can be open during maintenance period.
The diagram shows the proper size of fittings fitted to the storage and display space.
Store's
configuration
In this design, There are 2 types of store’s configuration. By combining these 2 configurations, It manage to separate a long corridor with both side store into a few islands. The hierarchy ensure the flexibility on the customers circulation, also provide constant exposure for the vendors.
video
walkthrough
