Atkinson Clock Tower

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Welcome back! Continuing off from where we left off, the clock tower as it stands, has been gazetted since the implementation of the Cultural Heritage (Conservation) Enactment 1997 and has been further reinforced of it's heritage status since the launch of the newly State Heritage Enactment 2017.

What really irked the local public as well as the local chapter of architects' association, was the fact that there was a development proposal at the adjacent land, just right next to the Atkinson Clock Tower. A 16-storey shopping mall in fact.

Take a look at the drawing plan below.

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The tiny square dot on the left is the clock tower.
Definitely pales in comparison with the huge mall development.
Check out the artist's impression of what it will look like next to the clock tower.

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The monumental scale really overshadows the clock tower and out right disrespects the sense/spirit of place or genius loci of the area.

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It's waaaay to instrusive..

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Like, really?

Such a proposed development left the local community flabbergasted (especially the architectural community - professional and conservationists alike).

Prior to that, I did my dissertation on the clock tower - mainly was a study towards reinterpreting the genius loci towards ensuring the cultural heritage was conserved.

To cut the story short and spare you the details, after two years of studying, analyzing, and redesigning, the resulting proposal was a combination of multiple elements that captured the identity of place and reinterpreted them physically into a construct of cultural heritage enhancement and conservation.

It's history, it's importance, it's identity, the surrounding context, all were reinterpreted and juxtaposed onto the site that it locks itself to reinvigorate the clock tower sense of place. Care was taken to ensure it doesn't overshadow the clock tower (I tried) and it was an attempt to redirect focus onto the heritage significance it held.

If I could, I would revise and tweak the design much more. It's far from perfect. But was a good learning process in understanding how architecturally we could make a place better.

Anyways, hope it would spur us on to appreciate the historical significance of buildings that we take for granted everyday. May not seem a lot to the main public eye, but those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it!
(Doubt we would get colonized again, but still, good to know history)
Thanks for reading!

Cheers till next time!
VL

^{Photo credit: @gareleos}

^{“...if places are not designed to respect the genius loci, then they would lose their identity. To respect the genius loci, is to determine the identity of the place...the identity of place must be interpreted in new ways instead of copying the old models...”
Norberg Schulz, 1980}

You can read up on Part 1 here: Atkinson Clock Tower Part 1

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