Bridge as spatial platform for gallery exhibition at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Abstract

A pedestrian bridge is one that is designed specifically for foot traffic. It divides traffic into pedestrian and vehicular lanes and extends the length of the actual terrain. In high-density cities, it is used for more than just pedestrian traffic channels and has a significant impact on the urban landscape. In addition to showcasing the city's threedimensional structure and its verticality, interconnection, and complexity, they serve as public areas for urban mobility and activities. A pedestrian bridge, like streets, can be a key component in creating a connection between humans and the built environment. In the context of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), the Innovation & Commercialisation Centre (ICC) is mostly unknown by the local people, including the UTM community. Located in the isolated plot of Technovation Park, ICC requires the right exposure to stimulate the innovation and commercialization eco-system. That being said, the pathways and streets around the ICC do not facilitate achieving the mission. The objective of this paper is to find the strategy to connect the existing pathways with the built environment around the area and the people there, while identifying the principals involved to facilitate the ICC mission through galleries and exhibitions. Methods involved in achieving the said objective are through reviewing literature and case studies, urban site analysis, and space syntax analysis. The research findings outline the design principals and strategy involved in creating a wellconnected linkage between the existing street and the exhibition through the combination of the studies. For example, space syntax analysis can show the best configuration of a layout based on a series of simulations of spatial planning, both macro and micro view. Pathways and exhibitions can essentially be weaved together into one element with the proper linkage and strategy.