r -*^^' 1 *• -i.V •'a •4 ''Vf (y'^ A HEART FOR KOTA KINABALU: A DESIGN PROGRAM FOR A NEW MUNICIPAL HALL. i* • ' Presented to A. Dudley Thompson Interim Chairperson and Associate Dean College of Architecture Texas Tech University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Bachelor of Architecture Degree Kean C. Fong May 8, 1986. A HEART FOR KOTA KINABALU: A DESIGN PROGRAM FOR A NEW MUNICIPAL HALL. Presented to A. Dudley Thompson Interim Chairperson and Associate Dean College of Architecture Texas Tech University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Bachelor of Architecture Degree By Kean C. Fong May 8, 1986. To the meniDiy of my father, FONG, 8EE-KVAH. -7 J ACKNO¥nLEDGEMENT I express my gratitude to all vho have given their time, research materials, and special knowledge to assist me in the preparation of thds design program. I thank engineers Keng S. Fong and Herman Le-e for their Kota Kinabalu Pre-planning Study Reports; Catherine Fong for her knoirledge of the Kota Kinabalu municipal government; Janet Goh from ToTTn and Coraitry Planning for her insights in city planning; and architect H.L. Lee for his advice on selecting my thesis project. My appreciation goes to Behnda V/ong, irho t3?ped tiie initial draft; and to Harry Ng, vho altowed me to use his computer in the later part of my irork. K.C.F. Page DedicatioiL 2 Acknovlcdgcment ^ 1.0 INTRODUCTION 6 THESIS STATEMENT- PHILOSOPHICAL / THEORECTICAL BASIS - PRINCIPAL ISSUES - GOALS AND 0BJECTI7ES. 2 0 BACKGROUND STUDIES 14 REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF SAB AH - Geographical setting - History - Government - Population and People - Economy. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF KOTA KINABALU - Summary - City Form and Dovntovn Environment - Dovntovn Parking and Traffic Conditions - City Devetopment TYends - Population - Economy - Chmate - General Design Guidelines for Ho^Humid Regions. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF CIT7 HALLS - Antecedents of City Halls - History of Hierarchical Organization Structure. CASE STUDIES - Smnmary - Dallas City Hall - San Bernardino City Hall - Kamioka Tovn Hall - Proposed Teheran City Hall - Boston City Hall. 3.0 ACTIVITY ANALYSIS 85 LIST OF TABLES Sabak Distribution of Gross Domestic Product 1970-80 2A Population Gro-wHi in Kota Kinabalu & Penampar^ Districts 2B Kota Kinabalu Urban Population Projections 1980-2000 2C Age-structiue of Population 2D Emptoyment in Kota Kinabalu 2E Assignment of Private Offices 4A Space Allocations - General Offices 4B Estimating Net and Gross B uilding Area 4C Anticipated Future Groirth Needs (1987-1997) 4D Reflection Factors of Colors 6A Recommended Ulumination Levels 6B Recommended Maximum Noise Levels 6C H INTRODUCTION 8 THESIS STATEMENT In the past two decades the responsibilities of cities, counties and other local governments in Malaysia have expanded enormously in response to population gio'^Tth, technology, and rapid sociaiogical change. This had a drsonatic effect on the cities and other local governments both internally and externally - internally in tiie changing complexion of management, externally in the assumption of ^.nder responsibflities. The municipal government of Kota Kinabalu is no exceptiort Kota Kinabalu being the capital of Sabah in Malaysia, is experiencing a rapid groirth. Like all major cities, Kota Kinabalu plays a significant role in shaping the physical environment in irhich city hfe takes place and, in turn, this environment helps to sha^je the social, economic, and culuiral activiti.es that take place mthin it. The city further shapes its activities through its po-^rer to regulate human conduct As a consequence, the city shapes society. The city's impact upon society, in turn, places major responsibihties upon the municipal government These responsibihties have increasingly gone bejrond the caretaJjer, housekeeping role it has playied in the past. No'57 the municipal government must also be concerned about the relationship bet^reen city and society, about hfe styles of people inthin the city, and about opportunities for improving the healtii, vitality and happiness of its city residents. These ultimate challenges confronting the development of the city rest upon the shoulders of the municipal government The manisfestation of the municipal government in the physical form of Tv'hat it represents is highly held in social regard. The search for a s^mibol that encompasses the bcal concern of aesthetics, meaning and d^nity, and the concern to elevate and celebmte hf e in tiiis relatively msw city has just t«gun. PHILOSOPHICAL / THEORECTICAL BASIS We are children of the post-modem era. Architecture, as an art form directly concerned 'With the environment, is inimoniediate contact Trtth the changmg needs, desires, and demands of society by vhich it reflects. Architecture should be ready to make dnfictilt compromises and to suggest daring combinations. It must permit contradictions and heterogeneity in order to grasp the richness of life and to acknovledge a vile range of needs. The ideas of International Modernism vhich forbade all forms of characterization and decoration in the name of purity, have lost their poirer of aesthetic persuasion and have been a force m our environmental destructiorL Despite its noble intentions, this modem morahty of simphficatiDn by taJdng architecture back to its elementary and primary forms and toMy rejecting history, n^ant that our cities are becoming collections of skek. boxes, vhicli finally succeded merely in their function as containers. As a result, our built environment has become endlessly monotonous and blant This total disregani for context, in the urbanistic sense, is a major TTeakness in the International Modem Movement. Modem Malaysian cities are no exceptions. The impact of international modem architecture was similarly felt in this country as a result of returning Malaysian architects trained in Western nations. Since its independence in 1963, contemporary Malaysian architecmre has been influenced primarily by the 'west Local architects 'would normally imitate foreign st3?les and import nev construction methods and techniques. Through the process of assunilation, certain problems, conflicts and contradictions arise within the local context. For instance, a ghmpse over a major city's skyline -will indicate that "look-ahke" similarity to most modem American cities. Otir Malaysian cities encompassing its architecture clearly lack an unique identity and character of its OTim. Preseittly, there is a growing a-^/arcness to search and develop a Malaysian identity in its architecture. In the Malaysian society with its multi-racial character comprising of great ethnic, hnguistic, ctiltural and religious diversity, a diffictilt problem arises. To integrate the diverse traditional concepts and incorporate them into tiie Malaysian architecmre remains a dilemma for most architects. The degree of appropriateness in determining which traditional forms donnnate is highly controversial. With the coming era of self-consciousness, tiie architect must introduce a clear sense of Malaysian identity into a harmonious and viable unity to preserve drrersity while not allowing it to freewheel into chaos. This is a dehcate, yet vital, balance. I beheve that Malaysian architecture shouM be derived from the discourse of local language, its use of metaphors and symbob of daily hfe. It should not only be a symbolic representation of our diverse cultures to communicate its content, but it must aJso be allowed to flourish into a work 01 ait The essential part in biingirig about the architectural work, should go beyond function, but rather to create fiction. 10 Source: Daily Express, 8 August 1986. Create new identity for cities, PM tells architects KUALA LUMPUR, Wed.- occupy the cities land­ Uatuk Scri L/r Mahathir scape. Mohaniad has urged archi­ Datuk Scri Dr Maha­ tects to create a new cha­ thir saki the Government racter for the country's was concerned with the cities by accentuating the environment and conserva­ uniqueness of Malaysian tion as much as it was architecture. concerned to see that every "We must preserve land owner got the wealth some of the old sliop- • that was due to him in houses to remind us of our alkiwing the construction old character. But there is of high-rise buildings. nothing to prevent us from The Government lately, creating a new character he said, had been looking for Malaysbn cities," the into the effects of rapid Prime Minister said. development in the cities Since Malaysian archi­ of Malaysia as more and tecture already liad its di­ more glass towers were fference, empliasising the being built to keep out the uniqueness would give the heat, thus kjwcring the country's arcliitccturc cha­ cost of cooling the inte­ racter of her own, he said riors. al the annual dinner of the However, he said, chan­ Malaysian Architects Asso­ ces were that the heat kept ciation here tonight, where out was heating up the he was conferred an ho- streets and the open nourary membership by spaces, making walking the association. about or even driving less Datuk Seri Dr Malia- comfortable and the go­ thir said tliat fWe-foot vernment sus|)ecfed tlut ways of old shop-houses heat islands were being wliich served as good Shel­ formed in certain loca­ ter from the local climate tions. and the uniqueness of Datuk Seri Dr Malia- Malaysian building perhaps thir said the short answer could be replaced by cover­ to this problem was to ban ed walks or sliady avenues the use of reflecting glass as free-standing buildings as exteriors of buiklings^ PRIHCIPAL ISSUES There are several