Vasinth's Site Research: "Yaowaraj 6: Leng Buay Eia"

LENG BUAY EIA @ YAOWARAJ

Diagramming Yaowaraj: Leng Buay Eia Site Analysis

The Erotic Field: Leng Buay Eia Region

The typical Yaowaraj image we commonly understand is somewhat a community or gathering site fulfilled with the enrichment of culture, tradition, and the preserved/repetitive environment of bangkok in the old ages when Chinese civilization was majorly influenced.  On the contrary however, another perspective of Yaowaraj can be perceived as a community that lacks of 'control' or management; Unorganized, crowded, hectic, air/noise pollution, and the ongoing conversations of neighboring shophouse vendors just distracts you to enjoy your trip.  To perceive a site that possesses such contrast of negativity in its physicality, but somehow in turn positive in its culture, creates a harmony in its overall impression/identity.  Leng Buay Eia, a small district located at Yaowaraj 6, exhibits the characteristics of a paradox of utmost culture/tradition and poorly organized patterns.  Consisting of multiple markets occurring and an old shrine nearby, the site builds up its originality through the influence of several factors and resources. 

Previously, on the subject of eroticism, my concept refers to a 'hidden reality/truth', an object/person of which secretes a truth behind (or something in contrast to what we perceive), and to dig into it is considered erotic.  The site, Leng Buay Eia, consists of a slow but gradual routine and constant change through a shift of time.  Its physical appearance in shophouses, the flow of activity, and the blend of public/private spaces creates a pattern on how and why its potential is hidden from our general understanding, but emerges its true existence at certain time shifts.  The diagrams are categorized into holistic and ecological forms.

Circulation and Interaction Within Site: Demonstration of possible interactions and general activities of passersby, vehicles and localists acting on Leng Buay Eia, such as the sidewalk (orange), the Yaowaraj Road (pink), and residence area (blue).

Space Expansion/Contraction in Certain Areas: At certain times during the day, most of the spaces as well as the activeness of Leng Buay Eia tend to variate back and forth; the 'flow' of activity exchanges with the opposite soi, which is known as the 'old market'.  At dusk, the activeness and use of these penetrated private-to-public spaces are emphasized along the Yaowaraj road.

Flow of Activity: The diagrams above demonstrates a sequence of activities occurring in morning, afternoon, evening, and night times.  It becomes evident how and when Leng Buay Eia gradually becomes emphasized in the daytime, and inactive during night time, whilst vice versa compared to the Yaowaraj road and the 'old market'.

Visual Accessibility: When a pedestrian sees Leng Buay Eia from a distance, it seems hard to distinguish which shophouse is which, since the overuse of spaces from private dispersed to public sort of 'blend' and 'unite' through all the product displays and obstacles, which at least I perceive the Leng Buay Eia shophouses as a 'whole' community, rather than separate.  The diagram above explains how the shophouses blend (through space dispersions) during the day, and how the separated they gradually become during the night.

Union of First Floor Programs: As mentioned before, all the shophouses in Leng Buay Eia are somewhat a community rather than working as individual shophouses.  The shophouse typologies in the area are completely different from one another (in terms of floors, facades, structure) but the program and activities on the first floor mainly are similar.

Site Documentation: Photos taken at the same positions of the site (10 paces, 1 photo), but in different times.

Leng Buay Eia as an 'Industry': As to explain how these activities and spaces in front of the Leng Buay Eia shophouses blend together, I simply perceived my site visit as a tour through a continuous manufacturing industry/factories.  The drawing consists of vegetable farms, mass-produced factories, water power plants, local markets, fish markets, slaughter houses, rice fields, etc. of which resembles the programs of shophouses in particular areas.  I sense a harmony in Leng Buay Eia, in how the organization of things they sell are slightly connected, compared to how a global industry proceeds. 

Psychogeographical Analysis: In an attempt to analyze and diagram through my memories of the site visit, a psychogeographical drawing map was constructed to recall and recapture the moments of Leng Buay Eia based on the site documentation method (10 paces, 1 photo).  The drawings locate where and what types of activities are happening in chunking areas of the site.

History of Leng Buay Eia: Yaowaraj's feng shui is based on the 'golden dragon'.  In its ecological aspect, Leng Buay Eia lies on the stomach (bringing luck in local businesses), which consequently is why the market is settled here in particular.

Origins & Surrounding Influences: Leng Buay Eia absorbs its resources from different nearby aspects/places and based on different times (such as cultural events in particular).  Markets, Shrines, and neighboring shophouses constitutes Leng Buay Eia as a communal gathering and a basis of Yaowaraj's identity.