Author(s)

Q. Norhisham, Y. Rahman & S. S. Zubir

Abstract

In 1995, Malaysia embarked on a project to build the new federal government administrative city, Putrajaya. The city will be exemplary of a tropical city that will eventually become the model for new green cities in Malaysia. Initially, the focus was only on projecting a powerful image by desired physical and spatial structure through the macro scale scope of the master plan. On the ground, the completed parcels of the various precincts have not achieved the expected image of a Garden City mainly due to the extensive network of roads and the excessive projection of architectural imagery to evoke a mnemonic sense of place. This paper intends on summarizing an urban design exercise at Dataran Rakyat (The People’s Square) which is one of the four public squares embellishing the 4.2 km Boulevard of Putrajaya’s Core Island. The square is flanked by two parks, namely Taman Rakyat 1 and 2 connecting both the eastern and western portions of the waterfront, which are crucial as they will be the main transit hubs connecting the two monorail lines. The centrality of the park is vital for the urban intervention to further enliven the city. The intervention will anchor upon monumental urban spaces that act as a political device that instils a sense of patriotism for Malaysian. The legacy of our prime ministers will be resurrected through built form dedicated as a public space for all. The proposed intervention embodies the leader ideologies, thought and visions for the nation to be appreciated by future generations. The new orchard park will be a fine example of urban landscape that merges into a seamless symbiosis that enhances Putrajaya’s image as a Garden City. A huge measure of sustainable systems has been appropriated in the scheme, upholding Putrajaya as the leading green city in the world. The merger between build form and landscape bring strong

Keywords

Garden City, symbiosis, public space, boulevard