Kuala Lumpur began as tin mining sites along the Klang and Gombak Rivers in the late 1800s. As the mining industry grew, the city developed an urban pattern centered around transportation needs. By the 1920s, Kuala Lumpur had transitioned to a major administrative and business center. Today, the city is densely built up with mid-to-high rise buildings, though some heritage areas have been preserved. Jalan TAR remains an important arterial road connecting various districts. Authorities are working to revitalize the Klang River. The document analyzes the urban morphology and human experience of spaces in Kuala Lumpur over time.

1. O
S
T
N
I
R
T
A
I
N
TO MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur exists as a National & Inter-
national Node. Formally a mining state, it
is now the very heart of Malaysia’s rapid
development.
TO KUALA LUMPUR
Located within the Kuala
Centre, Chow Kit is home
prostitutes and street chil
market in the heart of the
intersection of the different
M O R P H O L O G Y
1889 A.D
Tin mining sites were set up at the
confluence of Gombak River and
Klang River. The rivers are the neces-
sity for transportation & the tin min-
ing activity.
Urban pattern corresponds to the tin
mining site, scattered blocks were
built to accommodate the tin min-
ing workers. The activities transition
from tin mining to residential & com-
mercial with the increasing radius
from the tin mining site.
Unplanned development of the
town occurs according to necessity,
water.
1895 A.D.
As the mining activity advances,
the railway system was established
causing a transition of dependence
on river as a transportation system
to railway.
Road and rail systems took over the
functional importance of the rivers,
enabling urbanism to spread away
from the river. The river, instead, was
a recreational path in the city.
With the strong economic status, the
scattered worker quarters were re-
placed with bigger blocks. The city
started to transition into a business
and administrative centre accom-
modating the British Officials from a
tin mining zone.
1920 A.D.
As the city develops, big blocks
were cut apart to allow physical
permeability and visual connection
between streets.
As the price of land by the river in-
creases, higher plot ratios were al-
lowed, thus causing high rise build-
ings to emerge along the river,
changing the cityscape.
F I G U R E G R O U N D
U R B A N G R A I N
2017 A.D.
Currently, the city is densely filled
with mid to high rise buildings. Only
small portions of the heritage was
preserved, creating a diversity of
building scales as people transverse
into different zones.
Jalan TAR became one of the main
arterial road that links the different
district.
The rivers are also experiencing a
transition stage where authorities
are taking actions to bring back the
glory of the Klang river.
COURSE GRAIN
Lower physical permeability and higher hierachy
formed by large building footprints.
This grain cater only certain targeted user groups with
less public activities happening.
FINE GRAIN
Consist of smaller building foot prints which increases
negative spaces.
Negative spaces promotes more alternative routes
which lowers the hierachy which increase physical per-
meability.
Promotes more public activities and intimate spaces
The walkability contributes to high pedestrian flow.
COURSE GRAIN
Linear forms are a series of long building blocks along a
path, preferbly used for commercial purposes as they
are accessible from front and back. This built form also
act as connectivity from one place to another.
ENCLOSURE FORM
An enclosure form portrays strength and status back in
the colonial era as they provide a sense of guardance,
protecting the inner form which are usually open space
of plazas.
POINT FORM
High-rise buildings are built for private funcitions, target-
ting only certain groups of user. Thus, point form rep-
resents a single building configuration embodying the
status and power of the company.
T Y P O L O G Y
S I T E
1. Different spatial experience from one point to another.
group indi

2. a Lumpur City
to immigrants,
dren. The wet
e district is the
t communities.
TO CHOW KIT
The foundation in which the city was built,
Jalan TAR area is presently a major dis-
trict where local and corporate business-
es mix. The transition on different streets
parallel to Jalan TAR creates a diverse
experience from every direction.
TO JALAN TAR
The site sits alongside the street’s most val-
ued local landmark, The Coliseum Cafe.
Located at the transition of a shopping
street and the national heritage zone, it
welcomes different communities in the
area.
H I S T O R I C A L T I M E L I N E
L E G I B I L I T YE I N C O N T E X T
MORPHOLOGICAL
The serial vision shows the morphological transition of build-
ings scale. As the time goes by the urban sprawl expand
from the micro site toward to the macro site, which causes
the concentration of high rises and development in Jalan
TAR is lower.
MORPHOLOGICAL
SOCIAL
FUNCTIONAL
FUNCTIONAL
Movement is fundamental to understanding how places
function. Pedestrian flows through public space where peo-
ple will stop by and linger around. The openness of a space
would affect the interaction varies among individuals which
are related to the life and activity within the space.
SOCIAL
Due to the urban development that causes a fall out of in-
ner ciy crisis which is the homeless people transitioning of
healthy eco level of locals, immigrant workers, and tourists
cause by the heritage interface.
D I S T R I C T S

3. E D G E S
L A N D M A R K
N O D E S
P A T H S
P E D E S T R I A N I N T E N S I T Y
V E H I C U L A R I N T E N S I T Y
9AM 12PM 3PM 5PM
SEARCHABILITY & STROLLABILITY
ROUTE FROM BANDARAYA LRT STATION HAS LESSER
TURNS. USERS WILL PASS WIDE WALKWAYS OF THE
SHOPS WITH LOWER PEOPLE DENSITY. ROUTE FROM
MASJID JAMEK LRT STATION TAKE USERS TO SMALL
ALLEYS. USERS WILL PASS THROUGH A BAZAAR &
PASAR MALAM, USERS ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE
HUMAN ACTIVITIES OF THE LOCALS.
BUS STATIONS STRETCHES ALONG JALAN TAR WITH
EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED STOP SPACING. THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN STOPS ARE WITHIN THE COMFORT RANGE OF
WALKABILITY TO ENCOURAGE BUS PATRONAGE.
BUS ROUTE & WALKABILITY COVERAGE
PATH OVERVIEW
SLIGHT CONGESTION OF TRAFFIC
DUE TO PEOPLE CROSSING THE
ROAD BUT WAS SLOWLY BUILD-
ING UP AS TIME WENT ON.
10AM 3PM 9PM
SLIGHT PEOPLE TRAVERSING THE
STREET DUE TO OFFICE HOUR,
WHILE THE HAWKER SETTING UP
STALL AT THE BACK ALLEY.
DURING LUNCH HOUR, BACK AL-
LEY WAS CROWDED WITH WHITE
COLLAR.
THE CROWD DISPERSE FROM THAT
AREA DUE TO LIMITED ACTIVITIES
OCCURING.
PEAK LUNCH HOUR CAUSING
HIGH INTENSITY OF PEOPLE AT SITE.
AVERAGE AMOUNT OF CROOWD
ARROUND THE SITE AS TRAFFIC
CONGESTION START TO BUILD UP.
THE DENSITY OF PEOPLE & TRAF-
FIC CONGESTION INCREASES &
PROLONGS FOR 2.5HOURS.
M I C R O A N A L Y S I S
U R B A N S C A L E
ALONG THE STREET OF JALAN TAR, THE SKYLINE PORTRAYS THE
TRANSITION OF BUILDING SCALE. THE SCALE FROM BUILDINGS AND
SURROUNDING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT ARE THE SETTING FOR HU-
MAN ACTIVITIES. HENCE, THE BIGGER THE SCALE, THE LESS HUMAN-
ISING IT BECOMES.
S T R E E T A N A L Y S I S
WIDE STREET
IN A TOO SPATIOUS SETTING, THE WIDE STREET LOS-
ES ITS INTERACTION HENCE, INTIMACY, WITH THE
PEDESTRIANS DUE TO THEIR EXTENDED FREEDOM
OF CIRCULATION AROUND IT.
SEAMED MOVEMENT
DUE TO THE UNEVEN GROUND LAID ON THE 5FW, PEDESTRI-
ANS HAVE TO CONSTANTLY WATCH THEIR STEPS. HENCE, LOS-
ING INTERACTION WITH THE SHOP ALONG THE STREET.
SEAMED MOVEMENT
DUE TO THE FLAT AND SMOOTH PATH OF THE BACK ALLEY, IT
INVITES PEDESTRIANS TO WALK WITHOUT WORRYING TO FALL
ONCE EVERY FEW SECONDS. HENCE, MORE INTERACTION
WITH THE SHOPS ALONG THE STREET.
5 FOOT WAY
IN A SMALLER SCALE, THE WIDTH OF THE 5FW AL-
LOWS THE PEDESTRIAN TO WALK UNDER THE SHADE,
CLOSER TO THE SHOPS, TRIGGERING FREQUENT
SHOP-PEDESTRIAN INTERACTIONS.
BACK ALLEY
AT A MUCH MORE INTIMATE SCALE, THE BACK AL-
LEY OFFERS A GREAT AMOUNT OF DIVERSITY WITH
THE NIGHT MARKET, DRAWING PEOPLE INTO THE
BACK LANES FOR A STROLL OF VIBRANCY.

4. PHYSICAL PERMEABILITY
Physical permeability between
public & private space occurs
at the entrances of the buildings
to the back alleys. This can en-
rich the space by increasing the
level of activity that happens in
the space. The interface pub-
lic/private space is physically
enhanced by multiplication of
entrances between buildings
and public spaces.
H U M A N M O V E M E N T
P A T T E R N
S T R E E T S E C T I O N
I S S U E S
SOCIAL
The transition of different side walks and back alleys cre-
ates different social experience. As the width of the public
path increases, human engagement seems to fade out as
the intimacy between the people is lacking.
MORPHOLOGY
The diversity of architectural styles along jalan TAR creat-
ed different sizes of pedestrian walkways. the walkways
transitions from the intimate five foot walkway that frames
the path to wide urban walks vice versa, allowing different
views and experience.
FUNCTIONAL
The different streets functions differently thus the peak of
activities differs from time to time. each street will experi-
ence a transition of which human activities are minimal.
Human movement
pattern
STRENGH
WIDE WALKWAY,
ALLOWING SPACE FOR
STREET PERFORMANC-
ES & EVENTS.
SUFFICIENT PARKING
AREA, VERY CLOSE TO
SITE.
-
-
WEAKNESS
H O M O G E N E O U S
TRADES SPREADS LIN-
EARLY ALONG THE
STREET, LACK IN DIVER-
SITY.
TOO WIDE OF A STREET,
LOSING INTIMACY.
INSUFFICIENT ZEBRA
CROSSING, LACK OF
MEANS IN CROSSING
THE ROAD.
NOISE/AIR POLLUTION
FROM THE TRAFFIC
ON-ROAD AND CON-
STRUCTION SITE.
-
-
-
-
OPPORTUNIES
INDUCING DIVERSITY,
CREATING VIBRANCY.
SUFFICIENT SPONTA-
NEOUS NODES
-
-
THREAD
ILLEGAL PARKING ON
THE SIDE LANE NEXT TO
COLISEUM, ENDAN-
GERING THE SAFETY OF
HUMAN CIRCULATION.
FALL OUTS OF INNER
CITY CRISIS, INDUCING
INSECURITY.
-
-
PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC REALM
The privatization of the back lanes and
side alleys caused the change of move-
ment pattern. with the emeriging pop up
stolls, people tend to be attracted intot
the back lanes, leaving little to no inter-
section of the local movement pattern
with the site.
VISUAL DISCONTINUITY
As the existing buildings being developed into high-rise and mid-rise build-
ings, the original skyline of heritage houses is replaced. The rapid develop-
ment interrupts the visual permeability on site as the bigger scale building
obstructs the views of the lower buildings, breaking the rhythmic visual ex-
perience.
FADING OF IDENTITY
AS OUR SITE FALLS UNDER THE SPECIAL CHARACTER OF HERITAGE PRE-
SERVED ZONE, THERE ARE MIXTURE OF NEW AND OLD BUILDINGS. HENCE,
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW BUILDING ARE OVERTAKING THE TRADI-
TIONAL SHOPHOUSES, FADING THE ORIGINAL IDENTITY OF THE OLD STREET.
SOCIAL ISSUE
As observed, the underprivileged community tends to gather around
the southern end of Jalan TAR, especially around our site and the plaza
nearby. The absence of human engagement in these recessed spaces
has made it a relatively conductive space for them to nest.
CONFIGURATION OF SPACES
As shown in the diagram, the public spaces are poorly located within
the local movement pattern, it does not intersect the 100m radius of
pedestrain mavement. Besides, the absence of active and passive en-
gagement causes the public spaces are not responsive enough to sup-
port and facilitate the activities of people.

5. C O N C L U S I O N
WIDE STREET
- SPATIOUS, UNACTRACTIVE, NOISY
VEHICLE
Conclusion
The width of the street lower the densi-
ty of interaction between the pedestrian
and the shop as there is enough space for
the pedestrian to keep at least 12 feet with
other peoples.
FIVE FOOT WALKWAY
- NARROW BUT COMFY, DIFFERENT
IN LEVELS
Conclusion
Humanizing scale of the 5 foot way is wel-
coming and serve as a shelter space for
circulation. It functions as a void between the
street and the shops where different forms
of interaction and communication take place
BACK ALLEY
- NARROW AND INTIMATE, SLOW
MOVEMENT, SOUND OF HUMAN
VOICES. SMELLS OF FOOD.
Conclusion
Back alleys considered as friendly urban
space as it portrays the true daily life of
the neighborhood where constant interac-
tion and intimate contact often occurs within
the gap
People cross the
road despite no
zebra line was
drawn on the floor
due to little or slow
traffic movement.
P R O P O S A L