A PLACE OF 'REMEMBRANCE'

“A Place of Remembrance” To design a memorial at the Former Fort Factory on the existing space of 8 parking lots and a small compact portion of land that surrounds the parking space. The size of the land was 250.8m2 (22.8m by 11m), 15m by 11m was to occupy the memorial. It is to commemorate those who had suffer during World War II in Singapore. This project is about the interaction of planes, on how planes come together to form a memorial. The process generate 3 key emotions, first Frustration at the start of the entrance, next helplessness, and last Patriotism. To unite the 3 emotions, a main idea was introduced to interlock the planes together into one structural building.

To design a ‘pre’ memorial of Frustration, Helplessness and Patriotism before the exploration of the ford factory.
It is to commemorate those who had suffered during World War II.
The memorial seeks to introduce new perspective of remembrance to the visitors, it helps explore the suffer during the dark history of the Japanese invasion and to form a connection from the past to the present.
After which visitors are guided to experience the British force that surrendered to the Japanese force along the driveway where the British General walked towards the Former Ford Factory to sign the letter of surrender.
To Facilitate the flow of space the ingress of the memorial is facing the entrance of the Ford Factory beside the bus bay.

Space 1 (Frustration) is cantilever above 800mm, Space 2 (Helplessness) is under the basement of -3000mm, and Space 3 (Patriotism) is suspened above 1500mm.

Space 1 and Space 2 depict the negative feelings of Frustration and Helplessness while Spcae 3 depict a positive feeling of Patriotism.

The Circulation is design in a rectilinear form where push and pull of planes interlock the interior space

The privacy of the of the spaces refer to the level of interaction between visitors at each space. This is a pre-museum memorial, where the transition from a public to a private space excite the visitor before entering the ford factory

ZONING STUDIES

LAYOUT STUDIES

SECTIONAL STUDIES

CIRCULATION STUDIES

PARTI DIAGRAM

MASSING MODEL

MASSING I

MASSING II

MASSING III

The Old Ford Motor Factory is a historical building located along Upper Bukit Timah Road. This was the place where Britain surrendered Singapore over to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. It is now converted into a national monument, it holds the reminders of the fall of Singapore and how life was like during the World War II. The driveway of this historic site was the path Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival took as he walked towards the ill-fated meeting with the Japanese to surrender Singapore. Many visitors are not aware of this gazetted driveway to the factory.

INTRODUCTION

The memorial seeks to introduce a new perspective of remembrance to the visitors. It helps to reminisce the suffering during the dark history of the Japanese occupation and to visually form a connection from the past to present. Visitors are guided through a journey of Frustration, Helplessness, and Patriotism in the memorial before the exploration of the driveway towards to Ford Factory.

SPACES

The first journey starts off with the interlocking of planes. Once you walk through the entrance of the interlocking planes on the elevated floor, visitors are immediately transported into a filtering light from the slit of vertical and horizontal of interlocking planes. Sharp planes are introduced to project the anger and irritation of the serviceman before the Japanese army attacked Singapore. After which, the visitors are guided to descend down a flight of stairs, where minimum amount of natural lighting is channelled to create hints of light into the basement with narrow corridors. This impact of a reduced intensity of light will allow the visitors to feel the negative atmosphere and the grave decision of the Britain.

FRUSTRATION

The importance of a void enables the visitors to reflect upon his/her journey during the process of frustration and helplessness before the transition of patriotism. Visitors are guided to emerge a 10metre long wall with stretch of stairs and with 9m high wall that connects from the basement to the top. Names of the serviceman are engraved on the wall, it helps to honors the servicemen who fought during the dark times of helplessness and frustration before proceeding to the next space. There are a total of 19 steps to the top, every step taken becomes progressively faster and brighter upon emerging.

Light enters this space in a slit between the wall and the squarish floating slab. The visitors’ arrival to the rectilinear cube space is made through a gateway from the pond above the water, giving a sense of suspension. Water flows into the ground and under the suspension of the stepping stone where it is raised at 150mm. Next, the visitors will be led into an enclosed space with four walls and high ceilings. This triggers feelings of isolation as well as the fear of having no escape, and being closed into a small space. Looking upwards to the 9m tall ceilings, the visitors will desire spiritual freedom as the light slit into the interior walls.

As more light shines towards the top of the elevated floor ground. A Hierarchy is concern with the interrelationship of the of the elevated horizontal plane. The highest height of the planes reaches at 1500mm above ground level to transmit more light to depict the devotion of the War Heros. The bench allow a gathering space for the visitor to appreciate the past of the heros. That creates a network across the Ford Factory after the exploration of the memorial.

PATRIOTISM

HELPLESSNESS

FRUSTRATION

HELPLESSNESS

PATRIOTISM

FINAL MODEL