EXISTING CONDITION OF THE SITE SURROUNDING
The site is located in Bukit Bintang Precinct which is previously known as Special Area, is located within the Golden Triangle and bounded by Jalan Sultan Ismail to the east, Jalan Imbi to the south, Jalan Pudu till the west and Jalan Raja Chulan to the north. It plays a vital role in contributing to the city fiscal center, Major developments within this precinct include financial institutions, offices, hotels, service apartments and hifg end retail centres. This precinct is alive not only during daytime but also after working hours with various business premises offering night entertainments such as bars, fine dining, karaoke and others.
Underpinned by major findings from the Interim Report, the precinct has been renamed, boundary has been predetermined and it has been divided into 6 distinctive enclaves to emphasize on their characters, creating distinct identity and image for each enclave.
The site is located within the Bukit Bintang enclaves. Bukit Bintang enclave is known for its international shopping and entertainment hub covering Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Imbi. Total area of this enclave is approximately 148 acres. Popular shopping complexes located within this enclave are Pavilion, Lot 10 and Berjaya Times Square. Bukit Bintang enclave caters many distinguish shopping centre al-fresco cafes, swanky bars, night markets, as well as hawker typed eateries.
HISTORY BACKGROUND
Tong Shin Road in Bukit Bintang was the focal point of the Malaysia's deadly May 13 race riots. Back in the late 1980s, corporate magnate Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay proposed a rejuvenated retail cluster in Kuala Lumpur. He started retail developments in this area through a conglomerate YTL Corporation and branded the area as Bintang Walk. The district has since undergone a transformation to become one of the hippest destinations in the city, though the decentralisation of malls in Kuala Lumpur of late has seen more sophisticated malls sprouting around the fringes of the city proper at an unprecedented rate.
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URBAN ANALYSIS
URBAN FORM
Building nearby the site can be characterized based on their building typology which is mainly terrace with height level ranging from 1 to 5 storey height. The type of use is mainly Business/ Commercial. These areas are zoned as Commercial with plot area of 1:7 majorities. The site is easily reached via RapidKL line with 2 stations located at Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Imbi. The upcoming MRT line namely Bukit Bintang station will increase the accessibility to this area.
There are 4 main streets in this area which are Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Imbi and Changkat Bukit Bintang. Quality of these streets should be improved in terms of the streetscape and landscape as they are the spine of the enclave that links the nodes and other places of interest. The traffic is busy especially at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Imbi providing goof pedestrian connectivity and has the potential to be upgraded as KL Walkable Zone. Tram line should be proposed along Jalan Sultan Ismail to support KL Walkable Zone and there are also potential back lanes/ alley to be upgraded. Jalan Bukit Bintang has potential to be fully closed to give more space for public activity.
The quality of pedestrian walkway is poor in terms of its safety and comfort. Trees are located at inappropriate locations which are obstructing the movement as well as unattractive lighting elements.
URBAN SETTING
The urban setting is characterized based on landscape element as well as public realm. This area is lacking of appealing landscape elements in terms of shading and visual beautification aspects. Green elements need to be improved in the enclave not just in terms of its design but also to provide adequate and well-connected green area complete with facilities such as kiosk, bench, shading, informative directional signage and public toilet at public gathering area
FIGURE GROUND STUDY
An urban pattern diagram is a simplified map of an urban area which shows the relationship between built and open space which illustrates the urban fabric of the city.
The site is located within a dense urban fabric along the river. From the urban pattern, it can be seen that the city lacks open space and green space which is crucial to increase vibrancy, livability and sociability aspect within the city. Quality open spaces will help in serving existing communities by promote recreation while engaging community in outdoor activities, creating a more vibrant environment within the city. However, most of the open space which can be observed is currently occupied by car park, not meant and fit for recreational and social purposes. With this, no doubt, there is a lack of quality open space around the site.
LANDUSE PATTERN
From the land use diagram, it could be observed that most of the land use is commercial activities. Ground floor for the mixed used commercial buildings is for commercial purposes while the upper levels are usually used storage, office or accommodation purposes. Other land use identified around the surrounding site includes institutional, religious and open space.
PATHS
Paths are channels of movement like streets, alleys and railway which constitute a significant part in urban physical elements. Major path of the context are Jalan Imbi, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Kampung Pandan and Jalan Bukit Bintang. Major paths are urban axis of the city that links of main road and secondary roads.
NODES
Nodes are focal places such as junctions of path. They are usually places where people would concentrate in the city. Major nodes identified in the surrounding context are:
1) Intersection between Jalan Imbi , Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Kampung Pandan
2) Intersection between Jalan Bulan 1 and Jalan Imbi
3) Intersection between Jalan Pudu and Jalan Changkat Tambi Dollah
4) Intersection between Jalan Bulan 1 and Jalan Bulan 2
5) Intersection between Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Bukit Bintang
6) Intersection between public transportation users of bus and taxi
7) Imbi Monorail Station
8) Bukit Bintang Monorail Station
LANDMARKS
Landmarks are point of reference which people experience from outside. They are usually tall structure or possess a unique architectural style compare to its context.
URBAN PHYSICAL ELEMENTS
ACCESSIBILITY
The site is highly accessible and well connected by public transportation such as taxi, bus, and monorail. The transit stops of the public transport are conveniently located within 5 minute walking distance to the proposed site. Ease of accessibility is essential to draw people to the proposed development. Some of the public transportation transit stations identified around the site are:
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Stesen Monorail Imbi
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Stesen Monorail Bukit Bintang
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Rapid K.L Bus Station
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Bus and Taxi Stop for Jalan Imbi, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Bukit Bintang
HUMAN CONCENTRATION AND ACTIVITY PATTERN
This area is known for its shopping and entertainment activities especially at Jalan Bukit Bintang consisting of prominent shopping complexes such as Pavilion, Low Yat, Lot 10, Sungei Wang Plaza and Berjaya Times Square that attract most visitors and tourists to here. The site surrounding has potential to be developed as tourist hub with high end shopping and modern concept. Proper public places for gathering should be provided to enliven the ambiance.
