Chinese opera cultural center as a medium of expressing the cultural identity in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

The encroachment of foreign workers and less youth involvement in cultural activities has eventually leaded to the diminishing of the Chinese cultural identity in Chinatown, KL. Chinese opera which used to be a brimming cultural activity is currently facing the extinction due to its declining of community participation. Chinese opera is the oldest dramatic art forms with a heady mix of acrobatics, martial arts, dance, music, literature and poetic arias. It is an integrated art, the art of time and space that reflects the characteristics and culture of Chinese community. Hence, the effort should be made to preserve and promote this cultural activity by expressing its uniqueness and integrated spaces and principle to the next generation. On the other hand, as the site is situated at the urban area, it is important to consider the urban respond when deriving the design principle. According to Yeang (2000), to achieve a sustainable city, there are a few key aspects to be integrated in designing a town and one of it is Activities used-Mix uses and forms. Different forms and functions in activities are needed to slow down movement of people to allow interaction to take place. This research is to investigate the uniqueness of Chinese opera in terms of spaces, architecture and culture and search for potential mechanism through architectural solution to express its identity in urban context of Chinatown, KL. After extensive literature review and case studies, it could be concluded that three design strategies: Balance & Harmonize, Attuned to nature and Building up emotions could be used to translate the significant essence of Chinese opera incorporates with Chinese architecture into the cultural center design so that the Chinese cultural activities could be preserved and at the same time enhance the urban community interaction.