Urban Cocoon (Stage 1) for Central Oasis, Central Market @ Central

Urban Cocoon

The design concept behind for the revitalization of the former Central Market starts with 3 diversified yet unified questions.

1. What is the gist in a modernist architecture?
2. How is a historical architecture to be preserved and revitalized by the principle of “sustainable development”?
3. What new functions to inject into the architecture for future potentials?

Modernist architecture proposes a TIMELESS element for endless continuity, thus space, time and culture sustain perennially. The origins of a modernist architecture inherently nurture flexibility and numerous future potentials…

Are we to preserve for the sake of preservation, mummifying the architecture and forgoing its future potentials, or should “Sustainable Development” be a key concept behind the new proposal?

Our proposal is the re-introduction of new structures within the preserved external skin aims to re-energise the Market with vertical expansion, allowing the Cocoon for dynamic changes.

“Instilling a new life, introducing a new structure, the process is like a transformed butterfly emerging from a cocoon.”

New elements are selected on the principles of “Green, Health and Healing”.

With its rebirth, the new structure allows for vertical expansion. The Lower Floors harbours a multi purpose amphitheatre and a sizeable cultural retail store, while the Upper Roof Floor supports a Green Deck, jogging and cycling tracks, open 24 hours daily for the young and the old.

A Butterfly Cone rears species of local butterflies on upper floors, where green features such as solar panels, rain collectors and wind turbines could also be found. Middle floors sees a large central atrium visually linking every level, introducing abundant sunshine as well as relating to the amphitheatre on Ground Floor.

This is the Central Oasis after the transformation – Urban Cocoon.