One + Three + Nine

one
High traffic transportation hubs are focused on the rapid movement of the masses, but there is potential for the role of these nodes to evolve from fleeting thresholds into centers for everyday socialization and activity.

+ three
Public infrastructural systems are the product of the industrial movement that valued efficiency, homogeneity, and production. The high amount of pedestrian traffic has also turned the stations and trains into prime places for advertisement and retail. Now as society transitions from being industrial to being more socially aware, the architecture of these hubs must also balance the existing functional elements with more communal functions that focus on human scale interaction and urban street life.

+ nine
Singapore has an extensive Mass Rapid Transportation (MRT) system. Singaporean culture is heavily influenced by the global emphasis on consumerism. When asked what they like to do for fun, most Singaporeans will mention shopping, eating, or both. Additionally, the tropical Singapore heat has driven its street life indoors. As a result, transit stations and interchanges are often connected with or close to large shopping mall complexes that feature chain stores and restaurants, many of which originated in western countries. There are currently three completed MRT lines that service the city, another line under construction, plans for the fifth line have been approved and two more lines are in the design phases. This development will give rise to many more stations before the year 2020, each with the potential to improve upon the previous model. From the existing stations, the new architecture can borrow the focus on pedestrian movement, business development, and successful wayfinding, but this new model should be less planned and less complete. In order to foster a true urban feel on the interior, there should also be space for local businesses, family activities, and daily chance interactions with people in a flexible and adaptable environment that will continue to be relevant over time.