International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

HETEROTOPIAN SPACE CONCEPT. CASE STUDY: CHINESE LIVING SPACE APARTMENTS IN SINGAPORE.
de Yong, Sherly ABSTRACT
Heterotopian space by Michel Foucault means sites in real places. These sites are very dynamic and can be changed by even the smallest turn of events or time. Some of these changes vary from mild-changes to, what was called by Foucault, counter-sites, a site with two very profound differences of activities, even the exact opposite activities e.g. real sites to unreal sites and sacred sites to profane sites. This heterotopian space were created by phenomenon in modern living apartments where the space for living is no longer in the one-storey building but in the modern living apartments. This research is using the descriptive methodology to analyze heterotopian spaces phenomenon. As the result, the first heterotopian space created because of culture changed. The Chinese traditional houses used to separate the sacred and profane area. These separations have a philosophy meaning for the horizontal and vertical hierarchy. The culture changed in modern society and limited spaces make the Chinese Singaporean lived in an apartments. They were juxtaposing the sacred and profane area into a living area and caused the first heterotopian spaces phenomenon. The second heterotopian space created because of time or activity changed. During the festivals or special occasion, the Chinese put several decorations and ritual offerings as signage of activity changed. When there were no festivals, they dressed and acted like usual, but when there was a festival they dressed and acted different. This changing of time happened in one place (the living area in apartment) and created the heterotopian space. Keywords: heterotopian, space, sacred, profane, Chinese, apartment
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1. INTRODUCTION
Most cultures have some concept of sacredness. The word sacred itself stems from Latin means to make holy, that which is set apart from the ordinary world. While profane is the opposite of sacred, ritually unclean or polluted. Sacred activity is all ritual activity dedicated to some religious purpose (Simmins, 7) Many cultures have a strong belief in the relationship between directionality and the sacred, a belief clearly tied into concepts of cosmology, or origins of the world. With the concept of cosmology, they have a belief that the sacred is to be found in heaven or anything closer to heaven (for example the mountain) to be regarded as more sacred. Cosmology concept in
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Lecturer, Department of Interior Design, Petra Christian University, Surabaya, Indonesia sherly_de_yong@petra.ac.id

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

traditional Chinese thought is that the earth becomes the intermediary between heaven and humans. This thought becomes the base concept of Taoism, Confucianism, and also Buddhism. Using this cosmology concept and by careful division and arrangement of space, the traditional Chinese homes gives concrete form to significant ethical relations between the horizontal hierarchy (which is family relationship) and the vertical hierarchy (which is the relationship between man and heaven). The Chinese traditional houses generally follow a basic structural form. A central rectangular unit with two or three connected wings surrounding a central courtyard (Shen, 1998). They use jian or bay the interval between four columns demarcates the fundamental unit of space and which is manipulated to give shape to all buildings. Jian shaped like rectangle. The jians width ranges between 3 and 5 meters up to 5 and 10 meters with a proportional depth . Using the jian, space is expandable by adding pairs of parallel columns and extending the overhead roof. Most Chinese dwellings are three or five jian, linked laterally to form a line which is transverse to the axis of the house (Knapp, 1989). The courtyard were put in the middle of the house has a function as sky well and function as vertical hierarchy while the surrounding enclosed unit with all rooms opening toward the courtyard has a meaning of family protection from intruders (horizontal hierarchy) (Shen,1988). During the Chineses festivals (New Year, tomb sweeping day, ghost and double ninth festivals) the Chinese worship various Gods, especially those gods the family wants to stay in good conditions with. Normally a house temple or a place to put incense will be at the entrance area of the house. Food will also be offered outside the house (the courtyard). The courtyard which is at the entrance area has a function of vertical hierarchy. This is why the Chinese put the God worship or house temple at the courtyard. Sometimes, the courtyard can also be functioned as an extra living space. The main hall is used for variety purposes. This purposes can be vary from sacred to profane depend on the activity. Most Chinese traditional people put their ancestor altar inside the house, near to the living space at the main hall. All the important events of family life where held in this main hall and in front of the ancestor worship. Chineses ancestor worship is a religious practice based on the belief that deceased family member have a continued existence. The Chinese believe that its ancestors spirits will look after the family, take an interest in the affairs of the world and possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. Ancestor worship is a family affair. This is why most Chinese put their ancestor altar inside the main hall as horizontal hierarchy. The shrines will show a tablet with ancestors name inscribed on it, as well as a picture or photograph. Usually the Chinese worship their ancestor during the Chineses festivals. In Singapore, as one of the country that has the largest people with Chinese ethnicity who hold Singaporean nationality (In 2010, there are 74.1% of Chinese Singapores resident

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

population). The land to build is very limited. Space in Singapore is at a premium, as a result of this, Singapore has already replaced the one-story Chinese traditional houses to high-rise apartment building. The public apartments in Singapore are currently managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). There are several types of public and semi-public housing available, classified on the basis of the number of rooms and size of the flat. Size is usually denoted by the terms such as 4 rooms, five rooms or similar, and is based on the number of bedrooms inclusive of the living room. The latest five-room apartments designs come with only three bedrooms and a dining room. A 3-rooms flat has two bedrooms in about 750 sq ft (70 m). A 4-room flat has three bedrooms with about 970 sq ft (90 m) of space. A 5-room is about 1200 sq ft (110 m). An executive apartment has three bedrooms and separate dining and living rooms with 1600 sq ft (150 m). This high-rise modern apartment phenomenon, with its limitation of space, made the ethical relationship (the horizontal and vertical hierarchy) in traditional Chinese living spaces gradually torn up. The problem is how to put the Chinese living space (including the horizontal and vertical hierarchy, the sacred and profane area) from traditional Chinese houses into a high-rise apartment. This living space problem can be solved by the idea of relative spaces. This relative space is what Michel Foucault calls as heterotopian space. Heterotopian space concept can create a layer of meaning spaces that can be vary. The implementation of the heterotopian space in Chinese living space apartment becomes an interesting phenomenon to be discussed.

2. THE HETEROTOPIAN SPACE CONCEPT

2.1 The Meaning of Heterotopian Space Concept Heterotopian space can be described as spaces with more than one layers of meaning. These layers of meaning spaces can be vary from mild-changes to counter-sites, a site with two very profound differences of activities, even the exact opposite activities like sacred and profane. Another way to describe heterotopian is heterotopias as a mirror. The mirror is a placeless place; the image inside the mirror does not exist. But the moment and the place where we stand in front of the mirror and the mirror itself is real. Heterotopian space is the real moment, the place and the object (Foucault, 1998). 2.2 Heterotopian Space Concept Principles The heterotopian space principles by Michel Foucault are (Foucault, 1998): 1. Heterotopian space obviously takes quite varied forms and perhaps no one absolutely universal form of heterotopia would be found. The first principle has two main categories. Crisis heterotopian and deviation heterotopian. The example of crisis heterotopian is when the menstruating women cannot enter the mosque. The example of deviation 3

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

heterotopian is when people with different behavior than the normal, they put aside in a mental hospital. The crisis heterotopian is concern to the physical condition while the deviation heterotopian is concern to mental condition. 2. Heterotopian space where the space context changed because of the context of culture changed. For example: in the past, the cemetery was placed at the heart of the city, next to the church. Nowadays, in modern society, the cemetery was placed not in the heart of the city but far away from the city. 3. Heterotopian space is capable of juxtaposing in a single real place several spaces, several sites that are in themselves incompatible. For example is a theater or cinema with a two-dimensional screen can create several spaces in single real place. 4. Heterotopian space is most often linked to slices in time. For example museums and libraries where some of the items in museums are often from different time but its display in one real place. 5. Heterotopian space that is isolated and penetrable yet not freely accessible like a public space. For example in the prison where it can always be accessible as a public space, but yet it is isolated for the prisoners. 6. Heterotopian space has a function in relation to all the space that remains. This functions role is to create a space of illusion that exposes every real space. This space of illusion can be created using the changing of activity or time. For example is a boat. The boat is a floating piece of space, a place without a place that exists by itself. When the boat is moving, the view, the climate and the time outside the boat are always changed and create a space of illusion, but the people inside the boat have the real place with real activity.

3. METHODOLOGY
This research is a qualitative research. The research is focusing in the living space activity (including the sacred and profane activity based on Chinese ethical relationship in Singapore) and applied activities in the interior of living space apartments in Singapore. The primary data is about living space apartments in Singapore and Chinese traditional living space. The secondary data is about the human behavior and activity in the living spaces. Data are collected from site observation, interview with user and literature. The methodology to analyze the data is descriptive qualitative methodology. Descriptive qualitative methodology is a method to give description about the facts and the relationship of the phenomena. With this method, we can examine factors that might be influencing behaviors, environments, circumstances, etc. The goal of this methodology is to improve practice; this presupposes a case/effect relationship between behavior and outcome. Based on the description of descriptive methodology, the research object will be at Singapore living space HDB apartments, and using the recent condition to get factual information about the connection of the phenomena and the effect of it. 4

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

4. RESULTS
There are six principle about how the heterotopian space: the crisis and deviation heterotopia, heterotopian space where the space context changed because of culture context, heterotopian space by juxtaposing in a single real place with several spaces, heterotopian space by linked to slices in time, heterotopian space where the public space that cannot be access as public space, and heterotopian space where the space created illusion for the user because of activity changed or time. Overall, the implementation of heterotopian space concept was created because of the second heterotopias principle (because of the culture changed) and the sixth heterotopias principle (because of the activity changed or time). The heterotopian space in the Chineses apartments is happening in the corridor, entrance area and living area. Due to the press of population flocking in Singapore, the space for living is at a premium. Singapore built high-rise apartment as a replacement of traditional one storey living houses. The culture context is changed. There is no longer suitable enclosed space for interactions among the extended family (horizontal hierarchy) and contact with the earth (vertical hierarchy) because most apartments do not have a central courtyard. The living space is also limited to 70-110m. This changed of culture phenomenon created heterotopian space. This implementation of heterotopian space can be seen in horizontal and vertical hierarchy.

1. 2. 3.

Courtyard Transition Area Main Hall Living Hall (which also contain ancestor and God Shrine)

(Red is for sacred activity and blue is for profane activity)

Figure 1 The Sacred and profane activity scheme in the Chinese traditional houses

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

The implementation of heterotopian space in horizontal hierarchy (relationship among the family including the ancestor) was created because of juxtaposing the living area. The main hall and courtyard in Chinese traditional houses juxtaposed into the living area in apartments. Ancestor worship, as one of the sacred area and activity, is a family affair. The sacred area was in the main hall (show with red arrow in figure 1) and all the profane area was held in the courtyard (show with blue arrow in figure 1). As shown in figure 1, in Chinese traditional house, they separate the sacred and profane activity. The ancestor worship was put in the main hall and towards the main courtyards where all the profane activity were held. The purpose is the spirits of deceased ancestors will look after the family, take an interest in the affairs of the world and possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. Because of limited space in the apartments and there is no more courtyard for the profane activity like in the traditional houses, the Chinese changed their culture by juxtapose the sacred and profane in the living area. By juxtaposing the sacred (the ancestor worship) with the profane area and put the ancestor worship facing to the living and the entrance area, the Chinese still believe that the ancestor spirit still can look after the family (as shown in figure 2).

Figure 2 The Sacred and profane activity scheme in the Chinese traditional houses

The second heterotopian space principle also happened in the vertical hierarchy. In the Chinese traditional houses, there was courtyard that also functioned as sky-well. The Chinese put their God Worship in the courtyard. This courtyard became the vertical hierarchy to God. In Chinese traditional house, the courtyard is a private area because the courtyard is a surrounding enclosed unit with all rooms opening toward the courtyard and only the family has accessed to it. But because of there is no courtyard in the apartments, the Chinese put their God worship near the entrance area, sometimes in the corridor. By doing this, the Chinese still believe that they created relationship with the God (vertical hierarchy). The effect of this, the God worship is now at the public area where all the people have accessed to it (as shown in figure 3). Sometimes, the modern Chinese put a door in front of their God altar. The door itself will be served both as the connector and the divider of sanctity of a room. This door will be open

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

only where there is a sacred activity (like Chinese new year festival) (Figure 4). Otherwise the door will be closed for profane activity (Figure 5). This becomes the solution of the effect.

PRIVATE COURTYARD

PUBLIC CORRIDOR

Figure 3 The Private area (Courtyard) and Public area (Corridor)

Figure 4 The God altar at entrance door (God Altars Door open).

Figure 5 God Altars door closed

The culture context in horizontal hierarchy was changed because juxtaposing of sacred and profane space in the living space apartments. And the culture context in vertical hierarchy were changed by changing the place of the God worship (from private area where only family can access it to the public area like corridor of apartments). The changed of culture context of horizontal and vertical hierarchy created the second heterotopian space principle. The sixth principle of heterotopian space in the Chinese apartments happens because of time or activity changed. In the past, there was always an area for the households ritual center. This area was usually used to worship various God, especially when there was a festival. During the festivals or special occasion, the Chinese put several decorations and ritual

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

offerings as signage of activity changed. The Chinese changed the interior decorations, and also behavior and the way they dressed. When there were no festivals, they dressed and acted like usual, but when there was a festival they dressed and acted different.

Figure 6 Activity when there is a ritual

Figure 7 Activity when there is no ritual

5. CONCLUSION
Based on the analysis data and the result above, the heterotopian space that was created, is the second and the sixth principle. The first heterotopian spaces implementation is because of changed of culture context in the modern society. Spaces changing in modern society created the juxtapose of sacred and profane in the living space and changing in God worships place. This spaces changing becomes the phenomenon of the second principle of heterotopian space and it served both horizontal and vertical hierarchy. The sixth heterotopian space was created because of time or activiy changed. When there is ritual in the house, the Chinese changed their interior decoration. This changing created the sixth heterotopian principle. Because of time changing, it also changed the Chinese behaviour and their dress. Usually they used traditional chinese cloths to attend this festivals. 8

International Conference on Planning and Design, 2011, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan

The heterotopian space was created because the limited space and the changed of activity. These two heterotopian space principles are very well connected and support each other. Further more, this heterotopian spaces phenomenan can be studied even more using different methodology (such as phenomenology methodology).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was supported by Petra Christian University, Surabaya-Indonesia and family. The authors are grateful to this support.

REFERENCES
Chinese Singaporean, 12 March 2011 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Singaporean Foucault, Michel. (1998) Of Other Space. Nicholas Mirzoeff (Eds.), Visual Culture Reader. London: Routlege. Knapp, Ronald G., (1989) Chinas Vernacular Architecture: House Form and Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Merriam, S. B., (1998) Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass. Shen, Vincent (1988). Ethics Shaping Architecture. Free China Review, December 1988, 32-35. Simmins, Geoffrey., (2008) Sacred Spaces and Sacred Places. Canada: VDM Verlag. 9 March 2011 https://dspace.ucalgary.ca/bitstream/1880/46834/1/Sacred%20Spaces.pdf Taoism ancestor worship, 11 March 2011. http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/taoism_ancestor_worship.h tm