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1/19/1982 - Art and Architecture in the Lion City by Bryn E. Barnard

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Jalan AU5 C Lembah Keramat Ulu Kelang Selangor Malaysia January BB Architecture Lion City Peter Bird Institute Current World Affairs heelock House West heelock Street Hanover NH 03755 Dear Peter When I first visited Singapore island midst frenetic construction From vantage point downtown Orchard Road hotels could almost direction steel super structures attendant bamboo scaffolding skyscrapers jutting tiled cityscape Perched these buildings inevitable mobile crane spinning hauled girders concrete occasional worker sKywara Intermien puffs smoke rising ground marked drivers hammering foundations At street level incessant clang drivers accompanied jackhammers concrete mixers compre ssors traffic noise produced truely memorable cacophony Singapore undergoing urban renewal pursued vigor island Urb Redevelopment Authority Subsequent visits Singapore changes The island losing colonial Shop houses being razed replaced emporiums jumbled hawkers stalls being transformed ordered eating plazas ampuns villages giving apartment complexes govern preferred alternative single family residences traffic circles becoming anachronisms replaced cloverleafs multi tiered interchanges na_ufa Sanskrit Lion City shares common colonial heritage Peninsular Malaysia north though island always maintained degree autonomy Originally under nominal control sultan Singapore under British onwards first trading station later Straits St finally Crown Colony ingapore became state independent Bryn Barnard Institute Fellow studying visual unication Southeast Asia His current interest architecture Malaysia marriage proved unhappy Singapore expelled seceded depend source Malaysia hough sovereign Singapore remains somewhat uneasily linked island continues depend Malaysia peninsula watar trade goods workers Time another common This January Peninsu Malaysia moved clock East Malaysia Bor states Sabah Sarawak Singapere followed Malaysian tiger remains Figure Singapore island Malay phrase sina__ura Let Singapore Flourish Singapore present floresence directed Mr Lee Kuan Yew nation P Minister since Under tutelage Singapore become reputed cleanest safest efficient metropolitan Southeast Asia His government though democraticly elected practice rather authoritarian Decisions This undoubt island limited resources small dense multi racial population Chinese Malay Indian Eurasian populace million square miles density persons square Singaporeans matic survive citizenry continually exhorted Be Courteous Save Water Be Productive Have Only Two children Th results mpressive Singapore highest capita income lowest birthrate Southeast ASia Progress critics however Concern voiced abroad Singapor sacrificed cultural development In Southeast Asia region music drama traditiens Sing aporeans sometimes thought cultural paupers their traditions bulldezed ground hawker stalls kamun_ critic complain urban redevelepment preduced clean sterile Figure BEB little cultural relevance The buildings practical impersonal useful elegant I therefore quite inereste learn University Singapore School Architecture recently introduced program aesthetics The charge program Mr Kanaga Sabapathy historian columnist English language Straits Times newspaper Sabapathy educated uiwersity Singapore University California Brkeley School Ozintal Asian Studies London Until history instructor Univers Sains Malay Pinang The following excerpts interview I Sabapathy Deceber BEB Why choose begin writing Straits Times KS I number reasons importantly people I around I Singapore seventeen continuous course I wanted peopl I something contribute I amassed knowledge butparticularly region At Universiti Sains I taught course modern Malaysian which included component Singapore So quite myself conditions Singapore because different happening alaysia matter happening Figure Southeast Asia possibly Asia possible exception Japan The tensions between modernity tradition similar BEB So articles concern various aspects modern Singaporean BEB AS My articles kinds The first I feature I started writing Nanyang Schoola venerable until recently relatively unknown artists group school article profiling different artist The second article provides straightforward reviews exhibitions BEB Does anyone Singapore provide reportage Not I BEB Were articles responsible recent appointment School Architecture Figure My articles fortuitous chain events Earlier University Singapore introduced revised ourriculum School Architecture which include coursework aesthetics Apparently whole thing propted statement Prime Minister Lee Yew effect Singapore architects conception beauty Like things which happen Singapore anything which Minister iediately imple mented iediately The Pr Minister observation given boost external exine University Hong Kong asked assess School Architecture curriculum tement comparable Prime Inister In further He visited National Museum Art Gallery rater devastating coents absolutely walls needed fresh paint presentation paintings shabby T cetera BEB This comparison pristine state Hong Kong figure BEB S He comparison He merely state affairs should exist EB Especially country developedas S Especially country which prides itself emulat excellence other spheres Why architecture He proposed revised curriculum which uired instructor aesthetics history cultur ideas inject liberal program Until Univrsity approached achitcture purely technological pragmatic point This coincided writing A friend mentioned articles Dan School I called rview eventually hired BB Were briefed School courses KS No I pretty At present I teaching course quite similar I taught Universiti Sains Introduction Art This compul course taught first second third students It includea smattering Chinese calligraphy painting Islamic calligraphy Siva Nataraja Buddha impinge Western component Impressionism odern BEB Is course teach KS In I teach istory Architecture This something which I really looking forward A1 tough I tudied architecture school I neglected these years focus Here chance revive interest I teaching something attractive compulsive History Southeast Asian Architecture This include monents Borobudur Buadhist stuDa built Javanese Sailendra Dynasty century D Prambanam A Hindu monument built Javanese Mataram Kmngs century I hardly whole thing Later introducing cottrse called History Ideas explores concept modernism modernity intention impress students human activity occur vacuum human activity heterogeneous rather homogenous nature There always numerous forces influences ideas constantly pummeling bombarding impregnsting activity So responsibility indeed obiiga anyone socially decisive activity architecture BEB aware these influences You proposing values You proposing monuments You either persuading intimidating behavior BEB So architecture merely reflection surrounding culture KS No You making shaping culture This reason constantly acutely aware context I mentioning which ferable I suggesting I trying students aware every architectural entity there always model If someone going podium I which first tower block podium really basis which One aware series tower blocks podiUms starting present Why I building Why I building These questions asked aware whole series linked models BB So class concentrates chronological history KS History creative sense history quarian sense I students process activs process either working within rejecting lstter enormous responibility becaue undertake whole iunovation This modern alays innovating these But break something breaking reinvent wheel KS The consideration modernism modernity takes straight these issues problems One reasons I chose course because crucial iscussable debates context developing countries One journalistic sense saying modernity versus trsdition The Malay world multitude trditions animism Buddhism Hinduism Isla Which correct tradition Modernity colonialistic imperialistic hangover It veiled which West continues exert influence former colonies opnions frequently expressed about modern How integrate modernity maintain tradition What I interesting these issues dreamed fanatic student organization They discussed large segment population I think Malaysia Tradition versus dernity imoortant issues West BEB How course history ideas structure KS I divided course psrts The basic assump modernity Western creation The first covers Europe period emphasis breakdown Church other institutions ssertion individual cetera The second course tests assumption modernism estern taking studies Asia particular China Japan mainland Southeast Asia Is there really mainstream concept modernism modernism really provincial parochial localized light intuition tells latter BEB Aside coursework other responsibilities School Architecture S I involved manner critiques fourth fifth architecture students The itecture students course The fourth fifth stdents requL produce erent projects month models drawings cetera The staff panel juges inquisition really aiart project The heavy workload orces students ractical architectural decisions quickly ncorporating lrned academic first second third years their tutelage architects responsibility architectual decisions understand ready those decisions They words concept symbol without under nding these terms really They about counica imagery without least notion The cultural identity It jargon justify arbitrarily decisions Let example One fourth students chose project ASEAN Association Southeast Asian Nations Cultural Complex I asked He Figre BEB designed presentation ringed subsidiary rehearsal rooms Most architectural emphasis placed peripheral areas complex Here placed eating stalls Eating Southeast Asian culture If aYang shadow performanc usually kacang peanuts ground Ver informal That concept Eis notion informalit2 uropan structure In traditional South Asian theater there often designated seats concert doors auditorium ocinium But there structure nonetheless often formalized rigid Western thereafter forms It turned student never attended traditional Asian theater performance No wayang dsnce drama amelan percussive orchestra assumpt based ignorance How critique S quite badly I suggested books changes eating stalls Technically presentation perfect square This Minister Singapore ducing architectural technicians understanding their craft conceptual frame their technical rtise Has addition University staff differ produced School Architecture S Its still early One realistic however teaching small architecture program I exlct radically alter student thinking nutter their future designs history courses input start Perhaos input Sabapathy Singapore eventually clean modern andefficient enviably liveable Sincerely Bryn Barnard BEB List Of llustrations Map Singapore SinRapore Facts Pictures Informa Division Ministry Culture Singapore Singapore Ibid Kanaga Sabapathy photograph BEB Sketch Dynasty Hotel tower under constructiQn Orchard Road Singapore markers gouache_BEB Sketch Merlion statue fountain Port Singapore pencil BEB Singapore station survivor urban renewal photograph View Singapore Orchard Road hotel photograph BEB BEB Received Hanover