HEALING LOST SPACE: YANGON RIVERFRONT
Conservation and Heritage
Supervisor - Dr. Johannes Widodo
Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar houses the world’s largest collection of colonial heritage architecture. Although heritage initiatives from Yangon Heritage Trust has contributed in the conservation of these buildings, there is continuous threat of economic development. Most recently, the riverfront proposals submitted by JICA, Yangon Port Authority and Yangon City Development, all favouring highrise modern architecture. My proposal looks at the importance of Yangon’s Waterfront and how the adaptive re-use of lost space can be a catalyst for urban regeneration. Through an integrated circulation system between Rapid Bus Transit, Yangon Circular Railway and Yangon City Water-bus, my master plan proposal aims to conserve the waterfront and heal the now heavily industrialised and disconnected area through careful interventions along the crucial nodes of the city. The adaptive re-use of the colonial Sule Wharf warehouses into a spectrum of markets serve as a central hub for the newly proposed Downtown Area. In addition to this, the juxtaposing structure of the undulating roof deck creates a sense of arrival and destination to the river along the historic city axis.
