The Bukit Cina Visitor's Interpretive Center is designed to guide visitors through the history and culture of Chinese pioneer settlers in Malacca. It includes a central courtyard with symbolic elements like timber pillars and a reflection pond, as well as interactive galleries showcasing artifacts and life stories of the settlers. The center features a living archive, workshops, and a roof deck for community activities, providing a comprehensive experience of the area's heritage.

1. B U K I T
C I N A
V I S I T O R ' S
I N T E R P R E T I V E
C E N T E R
ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN STUDIO 3
"REMINICE THE PAST,
EMBRACE THE PRESENT,
CARVE OUT THE FUTURE."
JOURNEY
THROUGH
TIME & SPACE...
A
CONTINUOUS STRING
OF
OUTDOOR & INDOOR
GALLERIES
IN THE FORM OF
A SPIRALLING UP
SPACE.

2. VISITORS ENTER VIC THROUGH A DARK, NAR-
ROW & COMPRESSED PATH, TO REPLICATE THE
FEELING OF UNCERTAINTY AND ANXIETY OF THE
CHINESE PIONEER SETTLERS COMING TO A
NEW LAND IN MALACCA.
ARRIVING AT THE CENTRAL COURTYARD, VISI-
TORS GREETED BY GIANT TIMBER PILLARS THAT
HAVE MULTIPLE SYMBOLISM:
SYMBOLIZE SAIL MASTS OF CHINESE JUNKS -
FERRYING THE CHINESE ENTOURAGE TO MA-
LACCA.
SYMBOLIZE INCENSE STICKS -
TOKEN OF RESPECT TO THE PIONEERS WHO AR-
RIVE & CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
NATION.
CENTRAL REFLECTION POND RELECTS EVERY-
THING IN THE COURTYARD. TOGETHER WITH THE
GIANT MASTS IN THE MIDDLE, THEY RE-TELL THE
STORY ABOUT THE TURBULENT VOYAGE- A RE-
FLECTION OF MEMORIES OF THE HISTORY.
THE POND IS A WELL OF COLLECTION- SYM-
BOLIZES THE GOAL OF THE NEW IMMIGRANTS
TO COME TO NEW LAND TO CREATE WEALTH,
HAPPINESS AND KNOWLEDGE.
GLIMPSE OF A MAJESTIC GRAVE OUTSIDE FROM
COURTYARD THAT REMINDS THE ACTUAL FUNC-
TION OF BUKIT CINA AS THE BURIAL GROUND
FOR THE CHINESE SETTLERS.
CENTRAL COURTYARD

3. BRIEFING PLACE ABOUT HISTORY OF BUKIT
CINA, THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE
V.I.C. & HOW THEY WILL BE SHOWN AROUND
THE BUILDING.
A LIBRARY HOUSING DOCUMENTS, JOURNALS,
ARTICLES, BOOKS, MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPER
CLIPS ABOUT BUKIT CINA AND LIFE OF PEOPLE
THERE.
THE INTERESTING PART OF A “LIVING ARCHIVE”
IS THAT MOST OF THE KNOWLEGDE & INFOMA-
TION IS IN THE HEAD OF THE ELDERS. PEOPLE
WHO BORN & RAISED IN BUKIT CINA WILL BE AS
A TOUR GUIDE TO TALK & EXPLAIN ABOUT THE
HISTORIES, CUSTOMS, STORIES & ETC.
A PLACE FOR INTERACTION: A PLACE THAT AL-
LOWS THE VISITOR TO HAVE A HANDS ON EX-
PERIENCE OF THE WAY LIFE OF THE CHINESE
SETTLERS INCLUDING THEIR VARIOUS SKILLS,
CUSTOMS AND RELIGION.
LIVING ARCHIVE

4. BEGINNING OF JOURNEY VIA A ROUGH CON-
CRETE RAMP IN THE COURTYARD GOING UP TO
L2.
CONNECTED TO THE ARCHIVE IS THE SOUVENIR
SHOP SELLING NICK AND NACKS RELATED TO
BUKIT CINA AND SOME LOCAL SNACKS. THERE
IS A LIFT PROVIDED FOR THE HANDICAPPED TO
REACH THE GALLERY AT 1ST FLOOR.
THE RAMP GOES ROUND THE COURTYARD
IN A CIRCULAR MOVEMENT, ALLOWING THE
VISITOR TO CONSTANTLY OBSERVING THE ELE-
MENTS AND ARTIFACTS IN THE COURTYARD IN
EVER CHANGING PERSPECTIVES.
RAMP TOWARDS 1ST FLOOR

5. VISITORS ARRIVE AT AN OPEN PLATFORM BEFORE
THE ENTRANCE OF GALLERY AT 1ST FLOOR.
FREQUENT VISITORS AND PARK GOERS CAN ALSO
REACH THIS PLATFORM AT 1ST FLOOR VIA A STEEP
EXTERNAL RAMP THAT DOUBLES AS STEEP SLOPE FOR
EXERCISE.
RAMP TOWARDS 1ST FLOOR

6. BEFORE ENTERING THE VIC GALLERY, ONES
WOULD NEED TO PASS THROUGH A HEAVY
PIVOTED TIMBER DOOR . A SYMBOLISM OF A
GATEWAY THROUGH TIME & SPACE.
THE FIRST SPACE IS NARROW AND DIM, WITH
SHATTERS OF LIGHTS; TO IMITATE THE POOR LIV-
ING CONDITION OF THE ENTOURAGE IN THAT
ERA; SHATTERS OF LONG FORGOTTEN MEMO-
RIES, GATHERS AROUND HERE.
IT GRADUALLY WIDEN INTO A FLOWING, CUR-
VILINEAR SPACE THAT RAMPS UP TO THE NEXT
LEVEL ALONG THE WAY.
THE SPACE DISPLAYS EXHIBITION BOARDS WITH
NARRATIVES AND PHOTOGRAPHS GIVING THE
BRIEF HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF BUKIT CINA
FROM ITS ORIGIN AS A FORESTED MOUND TO
WHAT IT IS AS SEEN TODAY.
GALLERY OF THE PAST

7. VISITORS ARRIVE AT THE MIDDLE SECTION OF
GALLERY, A SPACE WITH BIG OPENINGS ON
THE WALLS ON BOTH SIDES ALLOWING VIEW
OUT THE BOTH THE COURTYARD ON THE LEFT &
THE OVERVIEW OF BUKIT CINA ON THE RIGHT, A
TRANSITIONAL SPACE FOR REST, VIEW & PAUSE
AND REFLECTION.
THIS IS A SPACE FOR INNER PEACE AND FOR
REORIENTATION OF ONESELF IN THE BUILDING
WHEN THEY RELATE TO THE EXTERNAL VIEWS.
WHERE AS THE VERTICAL COLUMNS HERE SYM-
BOLIZES INCENSE STICKS, AS A TOKEN OF RE-
SPECT TO PEOPLE WHO DIED IN THE WAR AND
BURIED IN BUKIT CINA.
GALLERY OF WAR & PEACE

8. NEXT SECTION DISPLAYS THE ARTIFACTS
AND OBJECTS UNEARTHED IN AND AROUND
BUKIT CINA OR DONATED BY THE RESIDENCE,
INCLUDING THE EARTHENWARE, POTTERIES,
COINS, MONEY NOTES, DAILY UTENSILS AND
APPLIANCES, COSTUMES, FURNITURE, RICK-
SHAWS, SEDAN, RICE AND SPICES, OLD BOOKS.
GALLERY OF PRESENT & QUESTIONING FUTURE

9. THE GALLERY ENDS WITH A HEAVY PIVOTING
TIMBER DOOR. ONE ARRIVES AT 2ND FLOOR,
AN OPEN PLATFORM WITH AN ISLAND STYLE
CAFÉ CUM WORKSHOP AREA WHERE VISITORS
WOULD CHILL OUT, INCLUDING THE PARK GO-
ERS WHO COME TO EXERCISE ON BUKIT CINA.
THEY COME UP TO THIS LEVEL VIA AN EXTERNAL
RAMP LOCATED IN THE COURTYARD.
CAFE & BAR AREA

10. VISITORS CONTINUE TO WALK UP THE ROOF
OF THE GALLERY WHICH IS A GIANT RAMP
TO REACH EXTENDED ROOF DECK. A GREEN
ROOF WITH TIMBER DECK IN THE MIDDLE AND
PLANTERS OF LOCAL MEDICINARY HERBS AND
PLANTS ON BOTH SIDES FOR THE COMMUNITY
TO PARTICIPATE. CONCRETE PARAPETS TRANS-
FORMS INTO GLASS BALUSTRADE TO ALLOW
UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OUT.
THE EXTENDED FLAT VIEWING PLATFORM PRO-
VIDES 360 DEGREE PANORAMIC VIEW OF BUKIT
CINA AND MALACCA CITY.
ALSO ACT AS AN ACTIVITY PLATFORM FOR TAI-
CHI, WUSHU, AEROBICS & PERIODIC CEREMO-
NY & COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES ORGANIZED BY
THE BUKIT CINA TRUST COMMITTEE OR LOCAL
CHINESE GROUPS.
YET, ANOTHER ‘GALLERY‘ TO SHOWCASE ‘LIFE‘
OF BUKIT CINA’S COMMUNITY. VISITOR WILL
GET THE CHANCE TO JOIN WORKSHOPS & AC-
TIVITIES TO GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT BUKIT
CINA’S CULTURES.
ROOF DECK

11. AT THE ROOF DECK, VISITOR CAN VIEW DOWN
UNTIL TO THE BOTTOM OF V.I.C. CENTRAL RE-
FLECTION POND THAT REFLECTS EVERYTHING IN
THE COURTYARD.
TOGETHER WITH THE GIANT MASTS IN THE MID-
DLE, THEY RE-TELL THE STORY ABOUT THE TURBU-
LENT VOYAGE - A REFLECTION OF MEMORIES
OF THE HISTORY.
THE ATRIUM CONNECTS VISITORS ON UPPER
AND LOWER LEVELS THROUGH VERTICAL RELA-
TIONSHIP VISUALLY.
WHERE ONES LOOKING UP SEES “PRESENT & FU-
TURE”; LOOKING DOWN SEES “PAST & REFLEC-
TION”.
VIEW DOWN FROM ROF DECK

12. EXTENDED GREEN ROOF DECK

13. THE GOING DOWN FROM THE VIEWING PLAT-
FORM AT ROOF DECK TO GROUND LEVEL
NEED NOT PASS THROUGH THE GALLERY BUT
THROUGH THE EXTERNAL RAMPS ENCIRCLING
THE COURTYARD. EVENTUALY VISITORS WILL
COME BACK TO THE CENTRAL COURTYARD
FOR FINAL REFECTION OF THEIR JOURNEY AND
FOR RESTING.
THE REGULAR VISITORS CAN BY-PASS THE
COURTYARD AND LANDED OUTSIDE VIA THE
OTHER STEEP RAMP AT 1ST FLOOR.
RAMP DOWN BACK TO 2ND FLOOR

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L E G E N D S
1. LANDSCAPE TRANSITIONAL COLUMNS
2. MAIN ENTRANCE
3. SUB-ENTRANCE
4. ROOF DECK
5. EXISTING TOMB(S)
6. EXISTING STELE
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C H O K J I A J U N
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C O N T A C T : 0 1 6 - 7 3 3 1 1 0 2
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