PROJECT PART II:

ANALYZING AND THEORIZING ARCHITECTURE (30%)

Name : Tan Heng Yee

Student ID : 0314941

Tutor : MR Lau Shen Fei

PART 1

Sentul lies just 3km north of the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is fast becoming a city of

contrasts, with some of the nation’s poorest citizens living side by side with the very

rich. During colonial times ,it earned the nickname Railway Town because most of

the residents were employed by Malayan Railway with had a biggest and finest

integrated engineering workshop in the world ,Sentul Works. Once upon a time,

Sentul was the home and workplace of thousands of railway workers, a majority of

whom were Indians. Now , the new YTL development in Sentul bring in many new

high-income family to move in, create economy gap within the residents.

In the book of Complexity and Contradiction by Robert Venturi, he emphasize on

embracing the contradiction and complexity by recognizing the various paradoxes

present in architecture and the society that architecture accommodates.. Venturi

criticize modernism for rejecting the complexities and being exclusive as oppose to

accommodating. The problems should welcome and the uncertainties should be

exploited.

In Sentul , the restoration and conservation of KLpac in its original physical

appearance (western-most brick train sheds) show that the willingness of YTL

developer in adapting old building with new modern building(eg: Fennel). However ,

the contradiction are only adapted in term of physical appearance. When we look

deeper , the site of KLpac which sprawled over 5.2ha ,used to be the largest train

depot ,Sentul Works where the local residents works and seek for their income ,here

is where they share their common memory. Now ,Klpac is privatise and do not

involve much the local residents into using the space.Instead of embracing the

paradoxes of society,local people from certain society level are being marginalised.

Not only klpac ,the high and medium prices houses in Sentul ,for example The

Maples ,The Saffron ,The Tamarind and etc are gated and guarded ,tucked away in

a lush green environment while the urban poor are given houses located in former

mining land ,near landfilles ,adjacent to sewage treatment plant for example Bandar

Baru Sentul Flat .

The idea of Contradiction juxtaposed by Robert Venturi can be seen as mixture of

different architectural style of architecture coexist in parallel .From the elevation , the

juxtaposition of curved (Sentul KTM) ,symmetry(modernism shophouses ) and

zigzag form of buildings (The Fennel) create contradictory direction. These

contradiction in the visual experience are even richer when walking along the

road.Not only the architecture , the two different social life of people interact and

interwoven ,it create an interesting social scene.

PART 2

Sentul Komuter Station located at the east of sentul ,situated right beside an

abandoned old train depot building and KLpac. The original Sentul train station was

built in the 1900s ,was used as a central workshop and depot for the Federated

Malay States. The workshop owned by the Malayan Railway was one of the biggest

and finest integrated engineering workshop in the world, Sentul Works. During its

heyday,it is the workplace for thousands of railway workers , a majority of whom

were Indians.

Respond to history background and architecture style

Figure 1 Old Timber and Brick Sentul Railway Station (Source: Wikipedia ,2009)

Now, the YTL’s ongoing development has gradually change the landscape of

Sentul .Sentul Komuter Station as the entrance of Sentul become the first

transformation in the area. The old timber-and-concrete Sentul train station was

redesigned (Figure1).The new Sentul Komuter Sation now has the most impressive

futuristic aerodynamic roof (Figure 2).

Figure 2 :New Sentul KTM station (Source : YTL Community,2010)

From the structure of the new building ,it can see that YTL have strike to using high

technology and break away from the outlook that how a normal KTM station always

look like. This is shown by observing the the main structure of the building with a

curved, dragon-liked backbone by steel structure which spanned across

60meter.(Figure 3) Oval shaped structure at the wings of the main structure are

supported by the two slanted reinforced concrete column. The buildings are coated

with aluminium metal roofing.The futuristic design of the building not only stand out

among other KTM station in Malaysia, the silvery white arched rooftop also show a

great contrast with the neighbouring abandoned old brickwork structure depot

building (Figure 4). According to the senior architect of YTL Geoff Low , sense of

connectivity is used as the base to build the new building as the Sentul railway

station connects the east and west sections of Sentul. This area was home to the

best railway works in Malaysia at one time during last century. It used to contained

the finest integrating engineering workshop in the world which manufactured

components of train ,eg: coaches ,wheels ,axles and a few other proprietary parts.

The fine workmanship was amazed by many railway experts from other country as

the heavy industry is being done so well in a primarily agriculture country during the

heyday of Sentul. The history background of Sentul Work inspired the architect to

Figure 4 Contrast with neighbouring brick structure (Source: personal photograph) Figure 3 Exposed steel structure of Sentul KTM

(Source : YTL,2008)

reinterpret the best engineering feat into a modern day building. Not only showcasing

the aesthetic and showing off merely the interesting structure ,the futuristic design

that break away from norm carry the pride of Sentul as a “Railway Town”, flourished

during the post independent period as heavy industry in Sentul act as one of the

backbone that support the economy of Malaysia in early day.

Even though there is a contradiction between the buildings in term of form and

building materials ,the mixture of different architectural style of architecture are still

juxtaposed and coexist in parallel as the KTM station and the old depot still sharing

the same memory and history background, most importantly the spirit of space still

preserved well .

Other than having contrast with neighbouring building, contradiction of different

architecture elements can also be observed from the facades of Sentul KTM station.

The juxtaposition of different architecture style was employed by Robert Venturi as

well to achieve complexity of spaces. This is shown in one of his building , Vanna

Venturi House (Figure 5) The classical and renaissance architecture elements which

is the pediment and arch respectively into the design of this building by translating

them differently and integrate all the elements together. The iconic “split

pediment” ,the classical string course and “arch” over the door ,together juxtaposed

with the flat modern handling of volumetric elements.

Figure 5 Vanna Venturi House (Source : archidialog.com)

For Sentul KTM Station ,some kind of ambiguous composition can be seen at the

designing of the façade ,pairing the Islamic element and modern elements ( Figure

5) .The islamic arch steel elements are embedded within the oval shape aluminium

cladded structure (Figure 6). Instead of abandon the most significant Islamic

feature ,the architect translate the language well and integrate with a futuristic

architecture.

For the main façade, post modernism reinforced concrete fin ,random geometry

elements are used as a decorative elements at the façade which reinterpret in a

more playful way as they are all in different colour (Figure 7), other than colourful

reinforced concrete fin ,simple geometry liked circle and rectangular are employed

by the architect ,randomly arranged along the front façade ,especially wall at ground

Figure 5 : West Faç

ade (Source: Personal Photograph)

Figure 6 : Islamic Arch Steel Elements (Source : Personal Photograph)

Figure7 Post Modernism Feature used as decorative elements

( Source :Personal Photograph)

Figure 8 : Islamic Arch Steel Elements (Source : Personal Photograph)

floor (Figure 8). On top of it ,the aerodynamic steel structure cladded with silver

aluminium panel which formed the first floor of the building.

Respond to User experience

By observing the main entrance of Sentul KTM ( Figure 9), the architect have wisely

using landscape with trees growing along the randomly arranged circular grass lawn

(Figure 10) in front of the normal entrance. Other than providing shading to the sun,

the randomly planting of tree along the long and wide pathway in front of the

entrance act as a in between spaces or transition space between inside and outside.

By doing so , it can also lead the people walking into the building smoothly, instead

of walking along a wide and long pathway.(Figure 11)

Figure 9 :Main Entrance of Sentul KTM (Source : Personal Photograph)

Figure 10 :Ciruclar grass lawn (Source : Personal Photograph)

Figure 11 Comparing Circulation of Pedestrian

The experience of spaces change and the pattern of circulation varied as the

contradiction between the top and the bottom occurred in the building. For ground

floor , the circulation are strictly controlled in linear way from front and back direction.

Along the straight pathway , different geometry are randomly arranged geometry

forming many different interesting openings. The changing of opening in

sizes ,height and pattern enhance the richness of visual experience of the users.

Having a great contrast with ground floor , the pattern of circulation on first floor is

free and not strictly control this is due to the form of the buildings .The oval,tube-liked

structure at both wings create a spacious space ,and connect to the main space at

the center ,the double volume main structure give a change of scale and hierarchy.

However, the space are too large to have a clear leading of direction to the

users.(Figure 13)

Figure 13 Misleading due to the over provided space

The contradiction of spaces between top and bottom was presented on the design of

Episcopal Academy Chapel by Robert Venturi (Figure 14). The form of the chapel is

the combination of the different geometry elements.The base of the building is a fan-

shaped formed by distinctive layers of plain wall (Figure 15). The chapel roof rises in

sections , liked the layers of a wedding cake. By contradicting the spaces between

top and bottom, it will change the pattern of circulation which create more interesting

user experience (Figure 16).

The visual interest of users also taking into consideration by the architect.The wings

located at east and west respectively aside have a wall to floor glass wall ,with the

elegance oval shape ,it frame the view of the East and West side of Sentul which the

view is totally contradicting to each other. At the East , the view of KL twin tower and

the most iconic building of YTL ,the Capers are framed (Figure 17) ,on the other

Figure 14 Episcopal Academy Chapel ( Source : mattwargo.com)

Figure 15 Fan-shaped of ground floor ( Source : archdaily.com)

Figure 16 Overlay of different massing creating a interesting

interior space (Source: archdaily)

Figure 17 : East View toward capers and KL city (Source : personal photography)

Figure 18 : West View toward abandoned depot brick structure (Source : personal photography)

side , the old abandoned depot building ,with the array of rusty metal mono pitch

roofing and the appealing brickwork structure (Figure 18). It tied back to the concept

of architect which intend to create a sense of connectivity ,not only the old and new ,

but also the linkage between east and west of Sentul. Users reaching or leaving from

either side of the wings will be able to view through the façade.

Responding to the Function and Spaces

The open planning design of Sentul KTM is to suit the function of it as an railway

station ,however in comparing with KL Central or Kuala Lumpur Station which is the

main station ,the space in Sentul KTM is overprovided as lesser users and crowd

need to be served. Therefore , the spacious interior space seem more empty

However, the design of double volume spacious space is the intention of the

architect to create better ventilation and reduce the need for artificial light. (Figure 19)

In Robert Venturi’s Theory, double functioning element pertain more to the particular

use and structure. Different from “both –and architecture” which is more focusing

over double meanings of a space, double functioning elements emphasize double

functions of a space.

Figure 20 : Spacious passageway (Source : personal photography)

Figure 19: Double Volume space provide natural lighting and ventilation (Source : personal

photography)

For Sentul KTM ,the architect might not have the intention to create multipurpose hall

however due to the form of building itself ,it evoked more function to be

happened ,from (Figure 20) ,the large and spacious space which formed due to the

formation of the building are intended to use as just the passage way for the railway

user, however ,according to my own experience , some function and events will be

held by using the space, Therefore ,we can see that the space create a valid

ambiguity which promote useful flexibility. This match the double function element by

Robert Venturi and pretty much opposed to the Modern architecture which

encourage separation and specialization at all scales. The failure of separation and

specialization of space by modern architecture can also be seen in Sentul KTM

station .

The vision of architect to bring in variety of program to Sentul KTM do not come in

real. This can be observed as the distinct and compartmentalised kiosk are not

really in function and make the space become more deserted.Other than being

compartmentalised ,the layout and location of kiosk are not easily spotted by users

which is located at the sub entrance of the buildings ,and there are only four shop

provided (Figure 21) . Taking reference from Kelana Jaya Station and Plaza Rakyat

Station, the kiosk are more open and the location of kiosk is very strategy as they

are located along the pathway users passing by (Figure 22) , for Kelana Jaya Station,

Figure 21: Kiosks located along the sub entrance (Source : personal photography) Figure 22: Kiosks at Plaza Rakyat Station

(Source : The Star )

the kiosk are arrange surrounding the central core of staircase which is the main

human traffic happened. Other than that ,making kiosk smaller in relatively increase

the number of stalls will attract more merchant due to the cheap rental.

Conclusion

In conclusion , responding to the history background of Sentul is the main factor that

affect the futuristic design of Sentul KTM. The adaptation of different architecture

elements such as post modernism elements and Islamic element can be seen in the

design of Sentul KTM. Contradiction between spaces ( top and bottom) can affect

the pattern of circulation which enhance the richness of user experience.The

circulation and user experience are interrelated and crucial especially for public

building liked KTM staion , the architect have taking consideration of these two

aspects,however the result of it might not meet the original intention . It might due to

the emphasis on the planning in larger scale , the detailing of spaces are insufficient

especially the arrangement of spaces and function .By studying architecture by

Robert Venturi , every detail of his building has been specifically dealt with in a

manner that explicitly creates contradiction.

Literature Review

Archives Sunday January 11, 2009

The past in perfect clarity K. Azril Ismail’s works beckon you to move in a little closer and satisfy your curiosity. SPACE, video, sound and a very special collaboration do the impossible – make K. Azril Ismail’s photographs of the Sentul Workshop even more real.

I ask Azril what he hopes people will feel when they enter the exhibition of photographs at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre.

In Iron Dragons of Malaya, K. Azril Ismail captures the present before it disappears with so much of the past, swallowed forever by progress.

“Curiousity,” he smiles.

As we walk up onto the platform, he points out the ramp that will make the exhibition friendly to wheelchairs and baby strollers. As he has told me time and time again, his work is for “the people”, every one of us.

“In the beginning, I wanted the first feeling to be power ... awe,” he explains. Everything was going to be large, but Azril works on instinct and that did not feel right. So he scaled down his exhibition, removing more than half the photographs and stripping down the huge centrepiece, originally covered in canvas, to the bare framework.

It works. Like the old trick schoolteachers use: instead of speaking more loudly to get your classes’ attention, speak softly and the class will quiet down, straining to hear what you have to say.

Azril’s work is a whisper, inviting you to come closer and closer. With curiosity.

I first saw Azril’s photographs of the Sentul Workshop several weeks ago. I was at KLPac to watch a show, and always worried I’d be late, I gave myself plenty of time and arrived 40 minutes early.

Now, one of the great things about KLPac is that as a true artists’ space, there is always something to see or do. In addition to scheduled events such as movies, plays or classes, you can take a walk by the lake, read about current or upcoming performances, get a drink or meal in their restaurant, browse through the resource centre or catch one of their exhibitions.

Every bump and scratch on a rusty locomotive is sharply defined.

The exhibitions are what I always head for first. There is something nice about walking among art, ambling along to see what the artist community is up to and whether anything catches your eye.

Azril’s preview exhibit of Iron Dragons of Malaya did not just catch my eyes; it grabbed them, yanked them in and held them prisoner. One of the greatest gifts an artist can give his or her audience is to show us the beauty of what we take for granted. Like walking through an old workshop we might barely glance around. Through Azril’s lens, though, you can’t help but stare at the colour, the detail and the magnificence. You can’t help being drawn into the photographs, arms reaching out to touch what you suddenly realise is a piece of history, a piece of you.

The clarity is unbelievable. Every bump and scratch on a rusty locomotive is sharply defined; the sunlit leaves of a tiny plant are a shocking green among the dark shadows. In one of my favourite photographs, two shirts and a pair of trousers hang in an office. I can feel the texture of the plastic chair, I can almost read the tag on the trousers.

Azril spent months in Sentul, KL, the old “city of locomotives”, taking pictures. Using a technique called high dynamic range photography, the process takes five or six times longer than more conventional methods and the photographer considers himself lucky to get three or four good shots in a day.

Azril is the kind of artist a rapidly evolving society needs, one who can capture the present before it disappears with so much of the past, swallowed forever by progress. This year, we lose the historic depot as it moves to Perak.

“There are so many stories,” says Azril. “There are workbenches with tools so old that no one remembers how to use them anymore.”

Although he keeps emphasising that change and progress are inevitable, there is a forced bravery to his voice as if he were trying to convince himself, trying to make it sound like he can bear it that this tangible history will soon be sold off for scrap metal. Looking at his images I can hardly bear it myself.

I was not the only person to fall in love with Azril’s work. Among others, Iron Dragons of Malaya attracted the attention of an exciting young company, 360 KL, which approached Azril about collaborating on a new exhibit, one that would use new media, including video and sound, to add even more depth to his photos.

Azril spent months in Sentul taking pictures using a technique called high dynamic range photography. – Photos from K. Azril Ismail

One of the main things that attracted 360 KL was that Azril is not exclusive. Quite the opposite, he freely shares his work because he believes the subject belongs to everyone. And 360 KL aimed to help “democratise” his work even more. Many of Azril’s images, the sounds and videos, will be available on the Internet. The new exhibit, still free to the public, has moved his work from the KLPac gallery into Pentas 2, where visitors can immerse and surround themselves in the striking images.

If there had been a single problem with his previous exhibit, it was that the spotlights glared off the glass covering the photos. The new exhibit takes care of that problem by showing the photographs in light boxes so the images glow at us from the darkness.

“I can control the brightness with this,” says Azril, showing me what looks like an air-con remote. Once everything else is up, he is going to experiment again, until he knows he has it just right.

There is a platform in the centre of the room, bringing the audience up to eye level with the surrounding photographs. The platform itself goes around two video screens. These will show the brilliantly crafted videos of Latfy Latif (whose work on this, incidentally, has gained him such attention that he is now in high demand for similar projects). Latfy uses cutouts of Azril’s photos to create 3-D environments, allowing visitors to move through the workshop as if we were really there. Not content to go the extra mile, Latfy went the extra 400, taking the eight-hour train ride from KL to Butterworth and back, filming all the way to create a narrative he calls 8x8. Award-winning sound engineer Azman Abu Hassan has put together ambient sounds that will “move” around the room with the images.

The journey here has not been easy. Like many artists, Azril has fallen in love with his own subject. His open heart is vulnerable to bruising and he takes it deeply and personally if even one person fails to see the beauty he is so intent on displaying.

Luckily for Azril, and for us, his passion is shared and propped up by those who do recognise the exquisiteness of his work. In addition to 360 KL, he says he is grateful to KLPac’s Datuk Faridah Merican and Joe Hasham for teaching him to go with the flow.

“When things don’t work out, we improvise,” he says. The results are unexpected, “but things turn out, and we look at it again and say: now, that’s interesting”.

■ ‘Iron Dragons of Malaya’ by K. Azril Ismail, Anis Ramzy, and 360 KL will be showing daily until Jan 25 from 11am to 8pm at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan, off Jalan Ipoh). For more information, call 03-2078 8090 or visit klpac.org, irondragonsofmalaya.com, or 360kl.com. ‘Iron Dragons of Malaya’, the book, was launched on Jan 10 and is available at KLPac and the Iron Dragons website.

Archives Monday May 10, 2010

An iconic train station for Sentul BY PRIYA MENON PRIYA@THESTAR.COM.MY PHOTOS BY ONG SOON HIN

THE Sentul Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) station will be sporting a chic new look next month.

YTL Corporation Berhad deputy managing director Datuk Yeoh Seok Kian unveiled the station’s new amenities in an exclusive interview with StarMetro recently. The most impressive feature of the Sentul KTM station is its futuristic aerodynamic roof.

“The first thing you will see when you head into Sentul is the station so we wanted to make it iconic. It is one of the first transformations in the area,” said Yeoh.

Futuristic: A view of the aerodynamic roof of the newlyrefurbished Sentul KTM station.

The refurbishment also spells good news for the disabled community as it will cater to their needs.

The station not only sports disabled-friendly ramps, escalators and lifts but also tact tiles for the blind. All these will ease their worries about getting lost or needing assistance.

The original Sentul train station, built in the 1900s, was used as a central workshop and depot for the (Federated Malay States).

It was upgraded under the 6th Malaysia Plan (1990-1995) to accommodate the KTM Komuter services and a link with the newly-built KL Sentral station.

Despite the improved train services provided by the double tracks, it sorely lacked features associated with a modern train station.

However, since Sentul Raya Berhad (a collaboration between KTMB and YTL) stepped in to build the new station, all these problems have been addressed.

It is now an integral link to the new Sentul-Batu Caves Electrified Double Tracking project.

Work on the station began in February 2009 at a cost of RM21mil while the entire line from Sentul to Batu Caves cost RM551mil.

Situated in the heart of Sentul, the station which sits on 6.6 acres of land will soon sport bridges connecting Sentul East and Sentul West.

No more huffing and puffing: The refurbished Sentul KTM station sports escalators for commuters’ convenience.

“This will allow residents to use the link bridges to cross over from both Sentul East and West at their convenience,” said Yeoh.

The link bridges located on the upper concourse shares a space with the ticketing kiosks previously located on the ground floor.

There will also be retail kiosks, a cafeteria, a VIP room, crew rooms on the ground floor as well as public washrooms for commuters.

“We have also ensured designated drop off areas for buses and taxis along the station.

“This will ensure there is no traffic congestion along Jalan Perhentian and the Jalan Haji Salleh loop road,” he added.

The architects and engineers have made the station sustainable in the long run, incorporating environmental concepts like skylight and cross ventilation.

“The new station and project was designed to celebrate rail travel. It was built for the people of Sentul, the less affluent and the more affluent,” he added.

Leading the way: The tact tiles for the visually-impaired is a new addition to the station.

For Yeoh, however, the most important feature is the hassle-free journey to Jalan Ipoh and Batu Caves.He said the ridership would increase from 700 to 800 passengers per day to an estimated 3,400 per day.“There are 620,970 residents in a 5km radius and they will all benefit from the new train line.“We have built four pedestrian bridges along the new 7.5km double- tracking project to Batu Caves and five elevated roads over rail bridges,” he said.Yeoh said once the station and the Sentul-Batu Caves line were completed it would be a hub for the future Sentul.

Archives Saturday October 9, 2010

Chugging into the future Perhaps showing a You Tube video of a guy getting fried to a crisp by a high voltage cable isn’t the best way to introduce yourself, but that is exactly what YTL Corporation’s Geoff Low, 50, the architect in charge of redesigning the old timber-and-concrete KTM platform in Sentul, did with his workers.

After all, what better way to drive the point home that your job is as dangerous, or as necessary, as a crime-busting officer?

Architect Geoff Low inside the new KTM station in Sentul.

“We play this for our workers, as opposed to just telling them,” says Low.

“The cables may not look dangerous but they are, in fact, our No 1 obstacle. We can’t just shut the power down while we do our jobs because the trains still need to function.”

So what does Low do when faced with such a dilemma?

He extends the roof above and over the cables — a great engineering feat that combines top-notch architecture with careful estimation. From ground level, the spanking new station roof is a sight to behold: the jut and swoop of the silvery-white metal sparkles under the sun, redolent of a simplified Frank Gehry sculpture.

Beneath it, a glossy new KTM Komuter glides past at a speed undreamt of during the days of the old locomotives.

“The Sentul railway station connects the east and west sections of Sentul. It is disabled-friendly, very accessible and very sustainable, making use of natural air and light. But aside from its functionality, I also wanted it to look really sexy as well,” Low jokes.

According to an article in The Age, “Transportation is a major barometer of urban regeneration and the newly built train station is a brilliant example of the way Sentul is set to develop.”

The old station master’s home still stands within the grounds of KLPac.

Thanks to YTL, many of the century-old buildings that have come to characterise Sentul have been saved and restored, like the KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) and YTL Communication’s Wimax Centre, for instance. Low, however, stresses that only buildings with architectural merit are saved.

Pointing to a row of uninspiring shoplots that seemed to have mushroomed all over KL overnight, he mutters: “Definitely not those.”

“Sentul has always been a hodgepodge of development. We want to make it more organised and structured while paying homage to its rich history,” explains Low.

This seamless transition from old to new has set much of the town abuzz and attracted an increasing number of yuppies and young families looking for a nice neighbourhood to settle in. But with so much development in the cards, will Sentul one day lose its old-world charm?

Only time will tell, but right now, the future certainly looks promising.

Sentul Revived

The Edge, August 9, 2010

If there's one defining trait of Sentul today, it is the graceful juxtaposition of old and new. Next to the gleaming edifices that house condominiums, offices and other businesses are old-fashioned shophouses selling anything from flowers to food to football boots. Old men with wizened brows stand in front of their decades-old

family businesses as young, trendy tourists walk by, enjoying the sights and sounds of Sentul.

The way Sentul has been revived in recent times is thanks to a regeneration exercise carried out by YTL Land & Development, which includes the full spectrum of amenities required of a modem-day township -residential, commercial, retail properties and transportation. What gives this developer additional credibility is the way its masterplan is designed to celebrate and retain Sentul's personality and the township's rich history that's steeped in railways.

Sentul was founded in the late 1800s when the first Malayan railway line opened between Taiping and Port Weld (now known as Kuala Sepetang), creating a need for a centrally located railway workshop. Sentul Works, as the railway workshop was then called, was one of the finest integrated and most complete engineering workshops in the country. The workshop elevated Sentul's prominence overnight and grew the community that comprised largely of its railway workers and their families who resided in the neighbouring quarters. Their daily lives were dictated by the routine of the railway system and gave Sentul a strong sense of identity.

"The first siren would ring at 6.45am," recalls Richard Joseph YTL property manager and Sentul resident who has lived there all his life. "And that siren would pretty much

wake up the whole of Sentul. At that time there weren't many cars on the road; it would be this snaking sea of bicycles making its way to the train stations and depots because work started at 7.15am." The sirens would ring again at 4pm to signal the end of the workday.

Much of Sentul's railway-town personality has been retained indeed, it is what YTL's new masterplan is centred around. According to YTL's senior architect Geoff Low, Sentul Works was considered one of the finest integrated railway engineering centres in the country and the design of the brand new Sentul train station along Jalan Perhentian was based on that fact. "We wanted to make it iconic because of Sentul's railway history,and we made it the linchpin for the urban regeneration of Sentul."

Since Sentul was once KTM reserve land,it is dotted with several century-old buildings that are remnants of its railway history. Many of these buildings have been saved and restored - the KL Performing Arts Centre,for example - and the masterplan is constantly being adjusted to accommodate the adaptive reuse of each building. But Low is firm about one thing-only buildings with architectural merit are saved and restored.For example,the old building that housed the station will be torn down.

Architecture and town planning are not merely about pretty buildings however; it is about how well people can get around. Transportation is a major barometer of urban regeneration and the newly built train station is a brilliant example of the way Sentul is set to develop.

The Sentul railway station connects the east and west sections of Sentul, and Low used that sense of connectivity as a base to build the new building. "We rehabilitated the old platform and created a new one, and we also had the constraints of the current railway corridor. We knew it was meant to be a public building, and that the area was home to the best railway works in Malaysia at one time. So we are reinterpreting the best engineering feat into a modem day building, and we wanted to make it really sexy," Low says.

Immediately visible along Jalan Perhentian, the Sentul station features a silvery white arched rooftop that is built to create plenty of cross ventilation, and a skylight that reduces the need for artificial light. Low was very firm that the design on the station should be centred on what the public needs, and so it is equipped with wheelchair ramps, has plenty of road access from both Jalan Perhentian and Jalan Haji Salleh and has spacious drop-off points.

The design language is simple and accessible, and works to the needs of the surrounding community rather than the other way around. It is tempting for any developer to build an ultra-modem station with avant-garde design features, but YTL was careful not to make that mistake.''Convenience is important,"adds Low; "This is

a public building and it should be made for their ease of use, not as a showpiece."

Completed as part; of the Sentul-Batu Caves Electrified Double Tracking project, the station now connects to Batu Caves with three additional stations in between-Batu Kentonmen, Kampung Batu and Taman Wayhu-all of which are built using the same design language as the Sentul station.

The revived link to Batu Caves from Sentul-a pleasant, 20-minute ride-is already bringing new life into Sentul, with KTM estimating an additional load of 10,000 passengers per day. According to Richard, it is bringing back former residents as well. "You can take the man out of Sentul, but you can' t take the Sentul out of the man,'' Joseph quips. ''People who stayed in Sentul are coming back here to live now. The whole Sentul concept is being changed, its environment is better and living standards have gone up. It's becoming comparable to any major developrnent project elsewhere in KL."

Will Sentul then lose its old-fashioned charm as it marches slowly but steadily towards this new vision of modernity? Based on YTL's track record so far in terms of the regeneration exercise, Joseph isn't worried."The old-world charm will always be there, and it will only improve further. In fact, the old charm will be even more charming against all the modernity that's corning.

"The sirens don't ring anymore,neither are bicycles as prevalent as they once were. But the flower-man still sells his strings of jasmine by the temple and the greasy workshops still fix motorcycles that are older than their customers. A shiny new KTM Komuter gracefully slides on the track nearby where noisy, cheerful steam engines once did. This old railway town has so much history, yet seems so prepared to trundle into the future.

References

Lim, Louisa. 'Sentul - A Historic Railway Town'. Thestar.com.my. N.p., 2010. Web.

22 June 2015.

Menon, Priya. 'An Iconic Train Station For Sentul'. Thestar.com.my. N.p., 2010. Web.

22 June 2015.

Raman, Siva. 'Complexity And Contradiction In Architecture By Robert Venturi'.

Slideshare.net. N.p., 2013. Web. 22 June 2015.

The Star Online,. '(Chugging Into The Future)'. N.p., 2010. Web. 22 June 2015.

Ytlcommunity.com,. 'Sentul Revived - YTL Community News'. N.p., 2010. Web. 22

June 2015.