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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE

ASIAN ARCHITECTURE (ARC 60403)


HISTORIC STREET ESSAY

Tutor: Mr. Koh Jing Hao

Group Members: Benjamin Tan Zi Hern (0324857)


Check Jian Shuang (0320089)
Chong Kit Yee (0319748)
Chong Wen Bin (0327442)
Chong Xin Dean (0325353)
Chong Zhao Lun (0320408)
Lim Yang Kang (0320538)
Jalan Hang Kasturi is located at the beginning from Kampung Pantai which interacted with
Jalan Tukang Emas and cuts across Malaccas two main tourist attraction streets which are
Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street) and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok (Heeren Street). History of
Jalan Hang Kasturi began during the 18th century when Chinese immigrants from villages
near Guangdong and Fujian, China came to Malaya. Many of them started their business
and decided to reside in Melaka. Before the street being called as Jalan Hang Kasturi, local
people also named it as Tofu Street or Jiang Hu Street. In Hakka language, Jiang Hu
means starch, during that time people often used of starch for aesthetic purposes within that
street after being used they will throw after and filled the drain full with starch water. On the
other hand, there are several types of stories about how Tofu Street came about. First
story mentioned that how Hakka community find the word Jeong Hu isn't pleasing to the
ears thus they decided to change it to To Fu. There is also another saying, Tofu Street
started because of the plan view of the houses and streets that looks like tofu being cut.
Lastly, it is about they decided to change the name when hawker stalls began to sell
tofu-based snacks at the area.

Figure 1.0 18th century, Chinese immigrants from Guangdong,


China came to Malacca Malaysia.

Figure 1.1 Location of Jalan Hang Kasturi.


Malacca is a multi-racials place of friendly, warm hearted people, consisting of
Malays, Chinese, Indians, Baba-Nyonya, Portuguese and Chitty. The Chinese community
consists of Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Teochew and Hainanese group of people. Their
variation in culture also reflect on their broad range of food. At this present time, the artisans
still practice their trades in shop sets up by their ancestors. The fact that the value of the
properties under the UNESCO designated World Heritage status have been escalating
causes many traditional family business to close down or forced to find a new spot to start
their business again. There is one restaurant serves the best authentic Teow Chew Cuisine
within the city. There is one Tofu Cafe (Figure 2.1), run buy a Chinese family and also Fui
Chew Association (Figure 2.2) which is at the opposite of the small cafe, originally known as
Hai San Company. It was set up by Mr Le Chen Fah and a group of countrymen in 1805.
The eye catching mural art (Figure 2.3) of the eight running horses are painted by two local
chinese artists, using chinese calligraphy method. In respect of historic preservation certain
craftsman in Jalan Hang Kasturi are still practising their hands-on skills and knowledge of
building process.

Figure 2.1 Tofu Cafe Figure 2.2 Fui Chew Association

Figure 2.3 Mural Art

One of those traditional practitioners is Fwu Chang trading (Figure 3.1) who
specialise in traditional stone tablets and wooden signboards carving. Plaque in Chinese
characters used to be placed above main doorways and at the side of the doors or on pillars.
The one above main doors are indicating the business or a household, the family name or
the province they originate from, while the one on sides are often well wishing Chinese
phrases. This is a complex craft that requires a knowledge of classic Chinese, refined
calligraphy skills and mastery in wood carvings. Next on the list is the skills of timber bucket
making (Figure 3.2), a forgotten tools for storing which used by merchant and households in
the past. The timber is hand picked for its quality, hewn, cured and carefully form into
watertight staves that are held together by thin strips of metal hoops. Other than that, there
is a shop named Yuet Heng Rattanwork (Figure 3.3) selling chade variety of kitchen utensils
and rain gutters for roof of houses are also a traditional traders, baskets, stool, trays which
all made either from rattan or bamboo. Tinsmith ( Figure 3.4) which are still practicing by the
artisan. Due to the handiness of modern machine in processing tin, there are now only a
handful of traditional tinsmith left on the street.

Figure 3.1 Fwu Chang Trading Figure 3.2 Timber Bucket Making

Figure 3.3 Yat Heng Rattan shop Figure 3.4 Tinsmith Shop

In a tropical climate country ,the small town Malacca inspires many with their
architectonic beauty of the Shophouse. This typology is a mixture of Chinese building
principles with Western giving it an almost perfect balance between interior and exterior.
There are more than 600 shophouses and townhouses of different architecture styles and
influences, which can be separated into different categories, depending on their facade
designs and in example: Dutch Style, Southern China Style, Early Shophouse Style, Early
Transitional Style, Early Straits Eclectic Style, Late Straits Eclectic Style, Neo-classical Style,
Art Deco Style and Early Modern Style. The architecture styles that can be found along
Jalan Hang Kasturi were mostly Late Straits Eclectic Style (1920-1940) as well as Art Deco
Style (1930-1950). Late Eclectic Style architectures along Jalan Hang Kasturi can be easily
recognized by the extensive use of masonry as building material and the indigenous faade
designs from various ethnic traditions in Malacca. The most prominent feature of this
architecture style would be the brightly coloured ceramic tiles and the elaborate
ornamentations molded with plaster in the form of bouquets, festoons and plagues. One of
the most significant Late Straits Eclectic architectures would be Oriental Riverside
Residence Guesthouse and Galileo Guesthouse (Figure 4.1) at the end of Jalan Hang
Kasturi with elaborated cantilevered details and ornamentations on facades due to the
development of reinforced concrete during 1910s.During the period of 1930-1950, Art Deco
styled architectures started to emerge along Jalan Hang Kasturi after Late Eclectic
architectures. The style is categorised by the use of of straight lines arranged either vertically
or horizontally in conjunction with other geometric elements, creating a strong vertical or
horizontal emphasis to the structure which can be seen from the faade of Fu Xing and Fwu
Chang Trading (Figure 4.2) which both of the shophouses run the business of signboard
carving, stone carving and gold Chinese character printing. Also, this particular
architecture style emphasise the date of construction on the faade of the building. Structural
wise, these architectures are masonry rendered or Shanghai plastered which then resulted
in cantilevered sunshades and high pediment or parapet wall.

Figure 4.1 Galileo Guesthouse Figure 4.2 Fwu Chang Trading

The important event in the past has a great impact on Jalan Hang Kasturi in terms of
architectural styles, culture and local people. The historic city of Malacca have developed
over 500 years of trading and cultural exchange between East and West in the Straits of
Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific
multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible. The road begins from Jalan
Kampung Pantai, intersects with Jalan Tukang Emas (Goldsmith street) and the famous
streets Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street) and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren street). It
is a long and narrow street with interesting history. Dating back to 17th century, during the
Dutch Malacca, servants and subordinates of Dutch masters used to live at the nearby
Heeren Street. However, as the Dutch left by 1824 due to they lost interest in Malacca and
began to concentrate their efforts on Indonesian, Chinese immigrants from villages near
Guangdong, China came to Malaya. Many of them started to reside in Malacca and did
business within the district, giving the street a deep-rooted ethnic and cultural flavor. Due to
the influences of its history, Jalan Hang Kasturi is filled with historical shophouses along its
left and right sides. There are more than 100 shophouses with different architecture styles
and influences on this street. This typology is a mixture of Chinese building principles with
Western giving it an almost perfect balance between interior and exterior. Jalan Hang
Kasturi has its very own essence of uniqueness and where artisans still practice their trades
in shops set up by their ancestors. Despite of the rapid urban and commercial development,
Malacca town area have largely retained urban style of old shop houses, religious and
administrative buildings. Many of the landscape from that era can still be recognized until
now. Original street patterns in the old Town map and present still can be seen.

Every street in a city in Asia has its own unique characteristics, due to different of
social, cultures and intellectual context of its city but some street today may still remain from
the past instead of the modernisation and globalisation today. Which had keep on the way of
life of its community in that street. Malaysia need to remain some of this street with
constitute rich heritage values which reflect the local culture of a particular community for
nowadays people to revisit or travel through reminiscence the old day of the street which is
still exist in this era.
References

Leo, R. K. (n.d.). History and Historical Chronology. Retrieved June 20, 2017, from
http://khleo.tripod.com/chrono-2.htm

Kamal, D. K. (1970, January 01). Typology of Malaysia Shophouses, Building Conservation.


Retrieved June 20, 2017, from
http://buildingconservation.blogspot.my/2007/05/typology-of-malaysia-shophouses.html

Kamal, D. K. (1970, January 01).Categories of Shophouses, Building Conservation. Retrieved


June 20, 2017, from
http://buildingconservation.blogspot.my/2009/01/categories-of-shophouses-at-malacca.html

Welcome to fwuchang.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2017, from


http://www.fwuchang.com/index.htm

Shophouses: Our Heritage. (2012, September 27). Retrieved June 21, 2017, from
https://smalltalesofsg.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/shophouses-our-heritage/

Metro@thestar.com.my, M. V. (2013, December 12). Jalan Hang Kasturi: Street of tinsmiths and
tofu - Community. Retrieved June 21, 2017, from
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/12/13/street-of-tinsmiths-and-tofu-jalan-hang-k
asturi-is-a-place-where-artisans-still-practice-their-tra/

Chun, H. K., Dr. (n.d.x). An Influence of Colonial Architecture to Building Styles and Motifs in
Colonial Cities in Malaysia. Retrieved June 22, 2017, from
https://www.malaysiadesignarchive.org/an-influence-of-colonial-architecture-to-building-styles-an
d-motifs-in-colonial-cities-in-malaysia/

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