DESIGN WITH SENSES
The building that we picked is an old building along Petaling Street named Mah Lian Hotel. But it is now refurbished and taken up by Chocha Foodstore, designed and owned by our very own UCSI lecturer, Shin Chang. He has transformed the hotel spaces while keeping the structure intact. His intention is to prevent further unnecessary demolition of old buildings around KL, well, such great aspiration. The upper floor is a co-working studio of MentahMatter Design and other studios. We managed to meet with one of the landscape architect to enquire about our design.
Pick 1 building in Kuala Lumpur, visit it, and document how that building perfectly plays with 1 or more human senses.
Anyways, I really do feel all the five senses throughout my visit to this café and it’s all interconnecting with each other. Focusing on the sense of hearing, I’m awed by all the sound that trigger my other senses. It’s not completely filled with the noise from customers as what I expected, we really do search and feel the other senses after the Design with Senses lecture. I can say it is very rewarding because previously when I visit such hipster café like this, I tend to ignore a lot of other stuff, busy taking Instagram worthy hipster photos.
Walking through Chocha Foodstore, the most interesting part and my favourite is the tea making station, which is right behind our seats. I somehow feel grateful for that barista for having such amazing workplace. You can actually hear the sound of water flowing if the surrounding is quiet enough, the sound of tea being poured and served. I never knew such sound can actually add so much feel and quality to the space as it really does sooth your mind, integrating with the smell of tea, ahhh relaxing! Clinking of tea cups and bottles, turning tap and water flow, now that’s what I call a chillax place. This is why I said that sound and sense of hearing is so important for a space, whether in defining its uses or creating a comfortable one.
Well actually the smell of tea is kinda overwhelmed by the coffee (maybe because I’m more to a coffee person :D ) I think they should separate the coffee and tea station because I personally don’t like the smell of tea mixing with coffee, although the smell of tea is not that obvious. And furthermore, the sound of tea making and coffee brewing is totally different, where one is depending heavily on machines and one is using cups and pots. But I think it’s important to the sense of smell too where the aroma actually triggers the urge to jump into a hot pot of tea or coffee.
Next on, the kitchen. It is located along the hallway to the washrooms and you can actually hear the sound of food. Nahhhh…it’s the sound of cooking and stuff. Yeap it clearly define the use of the space and triggering the hungriness of customers. Maybe not for others but it really did triggered mine. Along the way to the back, there’s this small space with a spiral staircase whirling down from up top. This is one of the most attractive area in the café. Stepping through the space, it’s the sound of crushed stones and gravels. It somehow reminds me of how old this building is, complemented by the sight of raw materials and perfect lighting. Walking up the spiral stairs, it is the middle part or the connecting bridge of the two spaces on the first floor. From up here, the view down to the dining area is mesmerizing, complementing with the sound of people chatting and dining. I can sit up here all day to have this view lah. Listening to people chat and laugh happily, it makes me wonder where’s my moment like this gone to? Even visiting such hipster café with damn nice ambience, we’re on assignment duties. (Just a random deep thought) Perfect lighting is also one of the reason that make this view so awesome, and it makes me think, deep.
The kitchen
The Spiral Staircase
Space that connect the front and back part of first floor.
View from uptop.
We took selfies with Mr Mior, the landscape architect at the back of the café, where they plant herbs and all sorts of plants there. Greeneries….and the rattling sound of leaves. Brushing through the plants when you walk through the space, working it's magic with the sense of touch, sight and hearing. Perfect combination and oh outside the toilet there’s such cute design of the sink. The design actually took away my attention of the whooshing sound of flush and it's a very good way to distract the customer's attention towards the waterworks inside the W.C.
All in all, senses work together, complementing each other. In my opinion, a space with good qualities is a space with all the five senses. I understand that a well designed space should consist at least two senses, I can’t imagine a space that’s without all these senses and how dull would it be. It is very important for a space to have the sense of hearing to heighten people's emotion while entering the space. Thanks to Theories of Architecture, we’ll be focusing on all the five senses while visiting places like this, well it’s a good thing though.
And no, I'm not paid to help advertise Chocha Foodstore.
:D
In my opinion, for the small area with that spiral staircase, I think the sense of hearing can be enhanced using maybe parts of the old hotel, laying and scattered around the floor replacing the stones and gravels. It will triggers and enhances the old and rusty feeling of the space, using Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum Berlin as a reference. I think Daniel Libeskind's is one of the most successful architect that actually uses the sense of hearing and integrate it into the space that he designed. It actually will make people think about a lot of stuff and heightening your emotions. Well played Mr. Daniel Libeskind.
"SENSE OF HEARING"