Oyez, Oyez, Oyez

The following are excerpts from the submitted thesis document.

Introduction
This thesis attempted to bridge my interest in architecture, media and politics. What is presented is a sample of the design and research done as the document was required to meet the thesis requirements of architecture and political science. The entire process from site selection to design was informed by the research done, while simultaneously arguing why architecture can indeed form political identity. Therefore, the proposal is a gesamtkunstwerk (translated, total work of art) at a global scale. Only a samples of the research and imagery created are presented here.

Abstract
Like the European Union, the challenge of the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations (ASEAN) is to unite peoples of difference—economically, culturally, socially and politically—under a new regional identity that does not exist organically. Technology, globalization and communication have brought these people of difference together.

Agreeing to some level of capitalist and democratic association, political culture necessitates a transparent building. Rather than a building of ubiquitous glass and steel, this proposal examines several threads in the surreal tabula rasa of Singapore:

1. Regional internationalism: the democratization of space at the end of the nation-state.
2. The power of media: digital transparency as catalyst of design.
3. Architecture as identifier: architecture as brand-maker.

Political History
Putting the political history into a single diagram reveals the conflicts and nuances of the region. Most evident is the region’s history under a monarchical rule. For about 64% of the regions history, there has been a legacy of dynastic rulers while any resemblance to democracy is for less than two percent. Also revealed are the hardships the region has had under a democratic system- particularly in the Philippines and Thailand where regime changes have occurred from democratic to authoritarian structures. In site selection, the adoption of democratic and multilateral governance is important to in the placement of the buildings. It also makes it clear that one building leaves the institution vulnerable to closure due to a risk of political instability.

Cultural DNA
Driven by a need to find a visual context of what is generally democratic for this region, two images were produced. First, the hybrid woman is composed of the various dress and wardrobe of the ten nations. She is a tapestry of the different cultures and peoples of Southeast Asia. No part takes hierarchy and no single culture takes precedence over the others. Second, the hybrid city attempts to splice together the conditions of a city with its new development and old slum quarters. Seen not as a “melting pot” as the American experience claims itself to be but is a salad bowl with each of the identities of the member states present but inseparable from the others.

Regional Context, Global Networks
In selecting the site for my seats, economics and population are relevant as symbols of the region. As the ministerial seat should be tied to a liberal capitalist, the study of economic strength is relevant. In the diagram, the economic intensity of the Bangkok and Singapore/Kuala Lumpur regions are high and could be potential seats for the economic bloc. For a potential supranational group, a location with a higher population base would be the ideal- and Manila and Jakarta provide the critical mass being sought.

The Freedom House studies electoral democratic traditions and perceived freedom among many other studies (such as the GINI coefficient of societal income equity). As ASEAN is primarily a liberal, capitalistic and democratic institution (or tries to be), understanding the regional, political, environment toward those tenets are important. Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are the most democratic and free nations with Singapore just behind the three. These nations offer the most potential as free regions of discussion and demonstration. Ideally, the seat should not only accept the tenets of ASEAN but also embody it as the seat of the organization.

As a simple exploration into infrastructure and a city’s international importance, the diagram reveals interesting statistics in the international relevance of the city. With nearly half of all flights through SEA airports coming through Bangkok and Singapore, the two cities are positioned well in the international community and both have plans to expand their air infrastructure- more notably with Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi mega-airport. However, Singapore boasts one of the most busy and amenity-rich facilities in the world and acts as a regional hub for many airlines and the center for the one of the world’s only ‘five star’ airline as rated by Skytrax. It is important to see how many people funnel through an airport as it is also a consideration of business investment and relations as well as that of ease of access.

About Media
With the proliferation of visual information through the television and later the internet, the amount of information has exploded. As the amount and variety of information sources increases, two different things happen-- the breadth of information the recipient receives lessons to what they are predisposed to want and in response, media sources increase the number of specific media options. What started twenty-five years ago as a single music network, MTV has blossomed into sixteen different branded options spanning music genres and audience demographics. As well, magazines which once catered to large demographics such as women or sports-fanatics have now become focused on individual sports. Car and Driver is now competing with magazines as specific as Motorcycle.

The result is an excessive amount of information that is wasted, not received due to the specificity of the data. The convenience of mass information is wanted by the masses but the result is visual pollution that is not created by consensus but by the sum of individual ignorance.

The challenge is to introduce media as a means of transparency, not gluttony.

“The magnifying glass over people in public life is getting bigger and bigger...Politicians have got to start being themselves from the beginning, then they won’t screw up so much. Stop pretending.”
-Lane Hudson, blogger who cracked the Mark Foley scandal of 2006

Constellation
At the macroscale, the proposal takes on the idea of a constellation of ASEAN buildings in each of the capitals of the member nations, all centered upon Singapore, the location of the Secretariat. Where the Singapore building serves as the focus and organizing building, the ten member buildings have the ability to create larger democratic and social change in their nations as they can reach a much larger population. While the Singapore location has much more political and office space dedicated to the governance of the bloc, the member-state buildings can serve as regional planning offices as well as figuring a new, more innovative way for government to operate by embracing technology. Also, each of the member seats could offer programs and functions back to the communities and people they serve through publicly oriented programs.

Unlike the European Union, the proposal does not de-centralize the main organizing body of the bloc. Rather than moving different programs to the different member seats, the main executive functions of ASEAN occur at the Singapore site while parliamentary, constituent and private meetings can occur at any of the seats or occur at all of them simultaneously via teleconferencing.

Day Life
With ASEAN’s focus on international relations becoming more important as the world becomes increasingly globalized, the study attempted to put the physical location of the region in relation to the other major offices of the bloc abroad through time. The intent was to investigate how much overlap through the working day as well as awake hours to understand how relevant instant communication and technology can be. For most of the world, there is some overlap in the local time zone and with associated offices in other nations. More interestingly, there is at least one hour of overlap around the world during the study of waking hours (in blue).

The value of this study is the validation of the potential for technology to both unite the bloc in its global missions and for the world in dealing with increased trade and dialogue. It also puts into a global context the temporal nature of the building. As the integration of technology dissolves the importance of the building in space, the context of time becomes more important and relevant.

Site (Global)
At the macroscale, the proposal takes on the idea of a constellation of ASEAN buildings in each of the capitals of the member nations, all centered upon Singapore, the location of the Secretariat. Where the Singapore building serves as the focus and organizing building, the ten member buildings have the ability to create larger democratic and social change in their nations as they can reach a much larger population. While the Singapore location has much more political and office space dedicated to the governance of the bloc, the member-state buildings can serve as regional planning offices as well as figuring a new, more innovative way for government to operate by embracing technology. Also, each of the member seats could offer programs and functions back to the communities and people they serve through publicly oriented programs.

Unlike the European Union, the proposal does not de-centralize the main organizing body of the bloc. Rather than moving different programs to the different member seats, the main executive functions of ASEAN occur at the Singapore site while parliamentary, constituent and private meetings can occur at any of the seats or occur at all of them simultaneously via teleconferencing.

Spaces of Debate
In researching political space, particularly between the lower houses of the assembly as a comparison of indoor space and formal and informal public spaces, one finds interesting revelations of a country’s history and political ideology. Democratic nations often have spaces for demonstration, discussion and provocation. Indoors, there is often a higher degree of visual connection to a gallery for public observation in parliamentary chambers. There is often a lack of hierarchy as the representatives have an equal share in governance. This can most notably be seen in the Thai and Indonesian examples where the focus often reserved for the speaker or bureaucracy. The focus in Brunei is reserved for the Sultan whereas in Singapore and Malaysia, the place of honor reflects the British traditions of governance.

However, more interestingly, are the informal spaces people create on their own- from highway overpasses to the roof of the Parliament building. Within the assembly chambers, one can also see the legacy of governance. Whereas British colonies have setups like the House of Commons, other free assemblies have a hierarchical system with an emphasis of bureaucracy over those of communism where the emphasis is on power.

Information
ASEAN Parliament
Singapore
Advisors: Prof. Graham Owen + Jeffrey Stacey
Completed 2007