A SEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF URBAN SPACE IN TRANSITIONAL CULTURES: A CASE STUDY OF TASHKENT'S CITY CENTRE A Thesis B Y Daniel A. Demytrie Department of City Planning University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Nationai Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliogrâphic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OnawaON KIAON4 OnawaûN K1AW Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microforrn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES ***** COPYRIGHT PERMISSION PAGE A Semiologicrl Anrlysis of Urbrn Space ia Transitional Cultures: A Case Study of Tashkent's City Centre A ThesidPracticum submitted to the Faculty of Grrduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfilïment of the requirements of the degree of Master OC City Planning DANIEL A DEMYTRIE Permission bas been grinted to the Librrry of The University of Manitoba to lend or seU copies of this thesis/prrcticum, to the Nationil Library of Canada to microfiim this thesis/practicum and to lend or seii copies of the film, and to Dissertations Abstracts International to publish an abstract of this thesis/pncticum. The author reserves other pubiicrtion rights, and neither this thesis/prrcticum nor extensive extracts from it may be prhted or othem-ise reproduced without the ruthor's wntten permission. Abstract The thesis examines the issues of architectural and urban semiotics in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It rcviews and analyses the changes that have occurred from the onset of Russian nile to the present (2000). summarising the changes in the urban fabric that have occurred prior to Soviet rule, during Soviet de. and since Peresuoika. The inquiry is driven by the reclamation of urban and cultural identities in light of the lifting of a hegemonic nile. The author performs a semiological analysis of urban space and artefacts, interprcts the results and presents a design intervention for Tashkent's city centre. The literature review undertaken prior to the empirical research is thorough and considered to be sufficient in providing information to serve this research as well as future endeavours in this area of study and in architectural and urban semiotics. The aim of a defined case study is to provide enough information as to ailow the reader to develop thoughts beyond those of the author. This is done with a review of various sources of information, al1 of which are felt to be critical to the development of a comprehensive understanding of Tashkent's urban cultural identiiy. The design intervention is intended as a swing point for future discourse addressing the expression of cultural identity through urban artefacts and organisation in Tashkent's city centre. WhiIe the design intervention proposes an urban design and organisation, it should not be interpreted as an event or artefact that is itself a solution. Rather, the intervention is intended to challenge readers and provide a medium through which readcrs propose alternative ideas. This work is by no means the effort of one individual, The author acknowledges the pcious help of a nurnber of individuals involved in the formation of this final work. Moreovet the author would Iike to recognise those contributors as king critical to the development of this case study. The nature of a case study demands a thorough understanding of either an event or a place, and requires the investigator to become well versed in the more subtle aspects of the case. If he/she is to create a work that communicates ideas that will lcad to funhcr study within the identifiecl subject area. then such subtle aspects must be considered criticai. As such the author thanks the one individual that maintained a working relationship with the author and who in every respect helped to convey the essence of place in Tashkent. Otanazar Rahimovich Matyakubov, First Minister of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, acted as a remarkable mentor and his contribution to this work is greatly appreciated. Further the author would like to thank the co- operation received from the staff in the Archival Deparunent at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Mention must be made for the assistance that was received from an individual who was of enorrnous help in the translation of certain documents involved in this study. Raihon Matyoqub has been an invduable assistant over the months of completion of this work, and her help is recogniseâ as critical to the cornplction of this thesis. List of Figura FIGURE1. FORTIFICATIONWALLS OF TASHKENT 56 FIGURE2. FORTIFICATIONWALLS OF TASHKENT 57 FIGURE3. TYPICALURBAN STREETSCAPE 5 7 FIGURE 4. TASHKENT'SSHAKHRISTAN 5 8 FIGURE 5. PLANVIEW OF TASHKENT'SPRE-COLONIAL BAZAAR 62 FIGURE6. ASSORTED VIEWSOF THE BAZAAR'SROOFTOP 63 FIGURE7. ASSORTEDVIEWS OF THE BAZAAR'SROOFTOP 64 FIGURE 8. INTERIORROOF OF BAZAAR 65 FIGURE9. ENTRANCETO THE BWR 65 FIGURE10. THEHASTI IMAM COMPLEX 67 FIGURE1 1. THESAMARKAND GATE IN TASHKENT'SFORTIMING WALL 68 FIGURE12. AN UZBEK (TASHKEKT) MOSQUE 68 FIGURE13. INTERIOROF L'ZBEKCOURTYARD HOUSE 72 FIGURE14. UZBEKAIWAN - CENTRAL AREA OF SOCIAL ACTIVITY 72 FIGURE15. E~NCEGATE TO UZBEKCOURTYARD HOUSE 73 FIGURE16. STRUCTURALCOLUMN CAP~~AL 73 FIGURE17. STRUCTURALCOLUMN EWDY 74 FIGURE18. STRUCTURALCOLUMN BASE 74 FIGURE19. PLANOF RESIDENTIAL HOUSE- SHOWS ICHKARI IN THE CENTRE SPACE 75 FIGURE20. PLANOF RESIDENTIAL HOUSE- SHOWS VARIATION ON STANDARD PiAN 75 FIGURE2 1. VARUTIONSON THE PLAN OFTHE COURITARDHOUSE 76 FIGURE22. SELMASHBAZAAU - EK~RANCE 153 FIGURE 23. SELMASHBWR - SIDE VlEW 153 FIGURE24. SELMASHBAZAAR - AISLE 154 FIGURE25. SELMASHBAZAAR - PERiPHERAL STORES AND SHOPS 154 FIGURE26. SELMASHBWR - FUNCTIONALELEMENTS OFTHE ROOF 155 FIGURE27. SELMASHBWR - FUN~IONALELEMENTS OF THE ROOF 155 FIGURE 28. RES~DMTIALCOURTYARD HOUSE 161 FIGURE29. RE!~~DENTIALCOURTYARD HOUSE - ARTICULAIION OF WINDOWS 161 F~GURE30. RESIDENTIAL COURTYARDHOUSE - ENTRANCE GATE 162 FIGURE3 1. RE!~IDENTULCOURTYARD HOUSE - DOORWAY ENTRANCE (COLONIAL MODIFTN) 162 FIGURE32. AMIR TIMURPUBLIC GARDEN - WALKWAY 165 FIGURE33. AMIRTIMUR PUBLIC GARDEN - ADVEWITH STREET UMP 166 FIGURE34. AMIR TIMURPUBLIC GARDEN - STEWCHANGEIN LEVEL WITHIN THE GARDEN 166 FIGURE35. AMIR TIMURPUBLIC GARDEN - FOUMAINS (COMEMPORARY) 167 FIGURE36. AMIR TIMURPUBLIC GARDEN - MONUMENTTO TAMERLANE(AMIR TIMUR) 167 FIGURE37. AMlR TIMURPUBLIC GARDEN - STREET UMP(BASE) 168 FIGURE38. AMIR TIMURPUBLIC GARDEN - STREET LAMP (LIGHT FIXTURE) 168 FIGURE39. INDEPENDENCE SQUARE-WITH MINISTRY OF MIDDLEAND HIGHEREDUCAT~ON 172 FIGURE40. INDEPENDENCE SQUARE - WITH CABNETOF M~ISTERSBUILDING 172 FIGURE4 1. INDEPENDENCESQUARE - wmNATIONAL LIBRARY NAVOI 173 FIGURE42. INDEPENDENCE SQUARE- MONUMENTOF UZBEKISTAN(FORMER LENIN) 173 FIGURE43. MWISTRYOF MIDDLEAND HIGHEREDUCATION - FRONT FAÇADE 177 FIGURE44. MINISTRYOF MIDDLEAND HIGHEREDUCA~ON - INDEPENDENCE SQUARE 177 FIGURE45. CAB~F~OF MINISTERS BUILDING - FRONT FAÇADE 181 FIGURE46. CABINEXOF MINISTERSBUILDING - PERSPECTIVE WITH LANDSCAPING 181 FIGURE47. NATIONALLIBRARY NAVOI - PERSPE~VE 184 FIGURE48. NATIONALLIBRARY NAVOI - ENTRANCEWAY 184 FIGURE49. NATIONALLIBRARY NAVOI - FENESTRATION 185 FIGURE50. f ALACE OF CULTURE- FRONT ENTMNCE 189 FIGURE5 1. PALACE OF CULTURE- PERSPECTlVE 189 FIGURE52. SELMASHFA~ORY - PERSPECTIVE 193 FIGURE53. SELMASH FACTORY- PERSPE~VE FIGURE54. SELMASH FACTORY- DOORWAY FIGURE55. SELMASH FACTORY- WINDOW FIGURE56. SELMASH FACTORY- FENESTRATION FIGURE 57. SE~MASHFACTORY - RHYTHM AND MASSING FIGURE 58. SOVIET HOUSING- INCONTEXT FIGURE 59. SOVIET HOUSING- PERSPECTIVE FIGURE 60. SOV~ETHOUS~NG - ENTRANCE FIGURE6 1. SOVIET HOUSMG - STAIRWELL LOUVERS FIGURE62. SOVIET HOUS~NG- STAIRWELL RAILmGS FIGURE63- SOVIET HOUS~NG- ORNAMENTAL PANELS FIGURE64. SOVIET HOUSJNG- EAST SlDE FIGURE65. SOVIET HOUSING- NORTH SIDE FIGURE66. MIRSUPERMARIUT AND FASTFOOD- RHYTHM AND MATERML USE FIGURE67. ZARAFSHAN - FRONT FAÇADE FIGURE 68. ZARAFSWN - MAIN EMRANCE FIGURE 69. NEWAPARTMENT COMPLEX - PERSPECTIVE FlGURE 70. NEWAPARTMENT COMPLEX - FRONT FAÇADE FIGURE7 1. CULTURALBEDAUB - FIGUREGROUND FIGURE72. CULTURALBEDAUB - FIGURE GROUNDD~AIL FIGURE73. LINEAR BEDAUB- SPATIAL BORDERS FIGURE74. L~MRBEDAUB - SPATIAL BORDERSDETAIL FIGURE75. Lmm~BEDAUB - SPATIAL BORDERSDETAIL FIGURE76. ARTEFACTBEDAUB - THECATALYST FIGURE77. ARTEFACTBEDAUB - THECATALYST FIGURE78. ARTEFACTBEDAUB - THE CATALYST FIGURE A. FIGUREB. FIGURE C. FIGURED. FIGUREE. FIGUREF. Table of Contents 1 -1 I~ODUCTION................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Problem Statement. ................................................................................................................. 2 1.1.2 Objectives ..............................................................................................................................