CONTEXT GENERATED ARCHITECTURE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE CULTURAL IMPERATIVES AND THEIR APPLICATION IN URBAN ARCHITECTURE. A Dissertation presented to the FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA SRI LANKA FOR M.Sc(Architecture) Examination f/3 9 f 7z e 'n 7 * 1 W'^c D.A.N . D. Dasanayake Faculty of Architecture University of Moratuwa June 1997. 71594 ouwi'Ewrs - ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - A B S T R A C T - L I S T O F I L L U S T R A T I O N S - I N T R O D U C T I O N T O S T U D Y - I N T E N S I O N O F S T U D Y - L I M I T A T I O N S O F S T U D Y - METHOD O F S T U D Y - CHAPTER 1 ARCHlTbaCTUKK OF A CONTEXT 1 . 1 CONTEXT : T h e D e f i n i t i o n 1 . 1 . 1 W i d e r c o n t e x t 1 . 1 . 2 L o c a l c o n t e x t 1 . 2 Components o f c o n t e x t 1 . 3 What i s u r b a n c o n t e x t 1.4 What a r e t h e components o f an u r b a n c o n t e x t 1 . 5 A r c h i t e c t u r e o f a c o n t e x t 1 . 6 A r c h i t e c t u r e o f an u r b a n c o n t e x t 1 . 7 C o n c l u d i n g Remarks - CHAPTER 2 CULTURE OF A CONTEXT 2 . 1 C u l t u r e o f a c o n t e x t : T h e D e f i n i t i o n 2 . 2 C u l t u r e a s an e s s e n t i a l c o n s t i t u e n t s o f a c o n t e x t 2 . 3 T h e u n i q u e n e s s o f a c u l t u r e i n a g i v e n c o n t e x t 2.4 C o n c l u d i n g R e m a r k s CHAPTER 3 CULTURE OF A CONTEXT AS A COMPONENT OF ITS ARCHITECTURE 3 . 1 Components o f a r c h i t e c t u r e 3 . 2 C u l t u r a l i m p e r a t i v e a s a g e n e r a t o r o f a r c h i t e c t u r e 3 . 3 C u l t u r a l i m p e r a t i v e a s a g e n e r a t o r o f a r c h i t e c t u r e i n an u r b a n s i t u a t i o n 3.4 C o n c l u d i n g R e m a r k s CHAPTER 4 CASE STUDIES 4 . 1 . 1 I n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e ' F o r t ' & ' P e t t a h 1 4 . 1 . 2 I d e n t i f y i n g t h e c u l t u r e o f t h e ' F o r t ' ( Y o r k S t r e e t ) 4 . 1 . 3 A r c h i t e c t u r e o f ' F o r t ' ( Y o r k S t r e e t ) 4 . 1 . 3 ( i ) B u i l d i n g f o r m 4 . 1 . 3 ( i i ) O r i e n t a t i o n and l a y o u t 4 . 1 . 3 ( i i i ) E l e m e n t s (maj o r and s e c o n d a r y ) 4 .1.4 C u l t u r e r e f l e c t e d i n A r c h i t e c t u r e 4 . 2 . 1 I d e n t i f y i n g t h e c u l t u r e o f t h e ' P e t t a h ' 4 . 2 . 2 A r c h i t e c t u r e o f P e t t a h 4 . 2 . 2 ( i ) B u i l d i n g f o r m 4 . 2 . 2 ( i i ) O r i e n t a t i o n and l a y o u t 4 . 2 . 2 ( i i i ) E l e m e n t s ( m a j o r and s e c o n d a r y ) 4 . 2 . 3 C u l t u r e r e f l e c t e d i n A r c h i t e c t u r e 4 . 3 . 1 I d e n t i f y i n g t h e c u l t u r e o f t h e Maradana J u n c t i o n 4 . 3 . 2 A r c h i t e c t u r e o f Maradana J u n c t i o n 4 . 3 . 2 ( i ) B u i l d i n g f o r m 4 . 3 . 2 ( i i ) O r i e n t a t i o n and l a y o u t 4 . 3 . 2 ( i i i ) E l e m e n t s ( m a j o r and s e c o n d a r y ) 3 Culture reflected in Architecture Conclusion - Bibliography ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I w i s h t o e x p r e s s my d e e p e s t g r a t i t u d e t o t h e s u b j e c t c o r d i n a t o r , D r . L . S . R . P e r e r a , F a c u l t y o f A r c h i t e c t u r e , f o r h i s c o n s t a n t encouragement and v a l u a b l e g u i d a n c e t h r o u g h o u t t h e r e s e a r c h w o r k . S p e c i a l t h a n k s a r e due t o t h e D i s s e r t a t i o n A d v i s e r , P r o f . N i m a l de S i l v a , Head o f t h e D e p a r t m e n t , F a c u l t y o f A r c h i t e c t u r e f o r h i s i n v a l u a b l e s u g g e s t i o n s and g u i d a n c e t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t u d y p e r i o d . My t h a n k s a r e a l s o e x p r e s s e d t o M r V i d u r a S r i N a n m u n i , S e n i o r L e c t u r e r , F a c u l t y o f A r c h i t e c t u r e , f o r h i s i n v a l u a b l e c o - o p e r a t i o n i n t h i s s t u d y . M o r e o v e r t h e i r comments have been k e p t i n v i e w w h i l e c o m p l e t i n g t h i s . Acknowledgement i s a l s o due t o t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f M o r a t u w a , w h o s e l i b r a r y p r o v i d e d me w i t h a l l t h e n e c e s s a r y f a c i l i t i e s . F u r t h e r m o r e , I am g r a t e f u l t o my c o l l e a g u e s , S h e n u k a , D e e p i k a and L a v a n y a f o r t h e i r k i n d c o n t r i b u t i o n i n v a r i o u s w a y s . T h e a s s i s t a n c e g i v e n b y A r c h i t e c t M r J a g a t h M u n a s i n g h e and M r S . S a m a r a d i w a k a r a a t t h e v a r i o u s s t a g e s o f t h e d e v e l o p m e n t s o f t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n i s acknowledged w i t h much t h a n k s . F i n a l l y , I am g r a t e f u l t o N a l i n f o r h i s f u l l e s t c o - o p e r a t i o n a t a l l t i m e s and p a r e n t s and M r s H i r a n t h i F e r n a n d o f o r t y p i n g t h e d i s s e r t a t i o n w i t h i n a s h o r t p e r i o d o f t i m e . ABSTRACT T h e d e n s l y packed n a t u r e o f s t r u c t u r e s o n a m a j o r p a r t o f a n u r b a n c o n t e x t p r o v i d e s t h e p e c u l a r i t y o f u r b a n q u a l i t y m i x e d w i t h a n x i e t y , i n t e n s i t y and d y n a m i s m . D e n s l y compact s e t o f b u i l t f o r m s , g i v e r i s e t o an u r b a n c o n t e x t , i n w h i c h t h e i n t e r - r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e b u i l t e l e m e n t s p l a y a m a j o r r o l e t o a c h i e v e a h a r m o n i o u s e n v i r o n m e n t t o t h e human b e i g n s . I t i n t e r - r e l a t i o n s h i p i s n o t m e a r l y a r e s u l t o f p h y s i c a l s e t t i n g . I t s e e n t i a l l y i s bound w i t h t h e c u l t u r a l n o r m s o f t h e u s e r s o f t h a t p a r t i c u l a r u r b a n c o n t e x t . T h e r e f o r e t o have a v i v i d p i c t u r e o f t h e c o n t e x t i n d e s i g n i n g a r c h i t e c t u r e , c u l t u r e i s an i m p o r t a n t a s t h e o t h e r a s p e c t s f o r a r c h i t e c t s and t h e u r b a n d e s i g n e r s i n o r d e r t o c r e a t e a h a r m o n i o u s b u i l t e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e i n d i v i d u a l i s t i c n a t u r e o f b u i l d i n g s e m e r g i n g i n many u r b a n s e t t i n g s n o w a d a y s , seem t o n e g l e c t a l l p o s i t i t i v e r e l a t i o n s h i p s , t h e y c o u l d make w i t h t h e o t h e r e l e m e n t s o f t h i s c o n t e x t , v i o l a t i n g t h e h a r m o n i o u s s e t u p t h a t had been t h e r e b e f o r e and t o t a l l y n e g l e c t e d t h e c u l t u r a l i m p e r a t i v e i n t h e c o n t e x t . W h i l e t h e c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n c u l t u r a l i m p e r a t i v e s and a r c h i t e c t u r e h a s been u n d e r s t o o d now v i t a l , i t i s e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e new t e c h n o l o g i c a l w o r l d , i n u r b a n a r c h i t e c t u r e h a s u n f o r t u n a t e l y n o t been a p p r e c i a t e d f u l l y . T h e c u l t u r e i s p e r h a p s t h e d e s i g n i n p u t t h a t may s a v e m o d e r n u r b a n a r c h i t e c t u r e f r o m t h e i m p e r s o n a l s t e r i l i t y h a s t h e r e f o r e n o t s t r u c k t h e m w i t h s u f f i c i e n t i m p a c t . T h i s s t u d y t h e r e f o r e seem t o s t e p i n add a t t e m p t t o a c c o m p l i s h t h e i m p e r a t i v e o f t h e c u l t u r a l c o n t e x t i n an u r b a n a r c h i t e c t u r e . I t w i l l s h o w w h a t t h e c u l t u r a l i m p e r a t i v e s a r e i n a r c h i t e c t u r e . How i t h a s b e e n e m p l o y e d , e x p l o i t e d r e s p o n d e d t o , s u c c e s s f u l l y r e s u l t i n g i n g l o r i o u s l y a l i v e i n an u r b a n c o n t e x t . LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FIG. NO DESCRIPTION PAGE 01. Context a white box standing 09 02. Context Generated Architecture 11 03. Activity in street bring in a Character 12 04. Image is the collection of dicrenable components in an urban Complex 13 05. Streets and tall buildings giving a particular character 14 06. The components of an Urban Context 14 07. The buildings in an Urban Context play a vital role in its form 15 08. Different activities demand different spaces 15 09. Forming wall along the Street 15 10. Different in built form 16 11. New York City 17 12. Manhattan 18 13. Echelon Square - Colombo 19 14. Different forms 22 15. Socio - Cultural values affect the city form 23 16. Identity Unique them to each 24 18. Street giving a particular Character 25 19. Orchard Road in the City Singapore 26 20. City of Paris 28 21. Square 28 22. Different architectural expresions in varied ethnic Social contexts 30 0 2 F I G . NO D E S C R I P T I O N P A G E NO 2 3 . T h e C h a r a c t e r o f P l a c e ' e x p r e s s t h e e t h n i c a n d s o c i a l t h e m e 3 2 s e g m e n t s 2 4 . T w o / i n F o r t o n e b e a r s 1 O l d C i t y C h a r a c t e r ' a n d t h e o t h e r ' n e w a r c h i t e c t u r a l S t y l e s ' 3 3 2 5 . T h e u n i q u e n e s s o f a c u l t u r e i n a g i v e n c o n t e x t 3 4 2 6 . C o m p o n e n t s o f a r c h i t e c t u r e 3 7 2 7 . B u i l d i n g f a b r i c i n d i s o r d e r 4 0 2 8 . D i f f e r e n t a c t i v i t i e s d e m a n d d i f f e r e n t s p a c e s 4 2 2 9 . N a t u r a l S u r r o u n d i n g d o m i n a t e d b y m a n - m a d e e l e m e n t s 4 4 3 0 . B u i l d i n g d i p i c t t h e i r c u l t u r e 4 5 3 1 . Map o f t h e F o r t 4 6 3 2 . Map o f t h e F o r t 5 1 3 3 . A c i t y a s an a s s o r t m e n t o f b l d g s 5 5 3 4 . P o r t u g e s e p e r i o d ( 1 5 0 5 - 1 6 5 6 ) 5 6 3 5 . D u t c h p e r i o d ( 1 6 5 8 - 1 7 9 6 ) D u t c h S t r e e t i n F o r t 5 7 G a b l e r o o t s a n d d e e p v a r a n d a h s p o m i n e n t c h a r a c t e r i s i t i l s i n d u t c h b u i l d i n g s 5 8 3 6 . B r i t i s h p e r i o d 5 8 3 7 . L a y o u t p a t t e r n o f Y o r k S t r e e t 5 9 3 8 . A r c h i t e c t u r e i n Y o r k S t r e e t 6 0 3 9 . V a r i e d A r c h i t e c t u r a l f o r m s i n Y o r k S t r e e t 6 0 4 0 . D i s c o r d e r l y a r r a n g e d b l d g f a b r i c 6 1 4 1 . S t r e e t L a y o u t 6 1 4 2 . Map o f F o r t 6 2 4 3 . B r i t i s h p e r i o d 6 3 4 4 . C o n t i n u e s A r c a d e s 6 4 -: 03 :- FIG. NO DESCRIPTION PAGE NO 45. A new building violating the window to wall propertion of neighbouring bldg 46. Details of the Windows 65 47. Details of the grand arcades 65 48. Culture reflected in Architecture 66 49. Culture reflected in architecture 67 50. Map of Colombo 68 51. Map of Colombo 69 52. A view of "Olcott Mawatha" 70 53. Different forms 71 54. Layout pattern in Olcott Mawatha 72 55. Street activity has Social Character 73 56. Socio cultural values affect the City form 74 57. Map of Maradana 75 58. Street activity brings out typicale character 76 59. Image of Maradana Junction 77 60. Image of Maradana Junction 77 61. Lay out of Maradana Junction 78 62. Change of the City Sky Line 79 63. Different forms of architecture 79 64. Culture mirrored in architecture 80