How COVID will affect Architecture - Loss of Budget Air Travel

We know that air travel has fallen on uncertain times. This was because it was first hit by terrorism in the early 2000s and more recently this years 2020 by massive spread of COVID-19 virus due to prolong exposure in the aeroplane cabin with very little cross ventilation. We have explained that aeroplanes dont cross ventilate well because the external air is very cold to use as wind powered action and the pressure has a large difference inside and outside.

Singapore being the cross roads of Asia, prides itself for heavy air stop overs with large attractions like the Casinos, F1 races, Gardens by the bay and a whole lot of modern living adventure especially for Asians.

diagram by BBC

Aeroplane travel is fast becoming unpopular because of the pandemic. This leaves popular travel vehicles being trains, buses and cars. They do not have much pressure change and temperature difference to cross ventilate. These new prefered modes of travel only need to amplify their cross ventilation abilities to gain acceptance.


Social distancing in economy render them more spacious that 1st class tickets. This means either the passenger in economy wear a controled suit, or no economy class.

Perhaps the new format of travel is likely to be via rail, rail and more rail.
An eastern example of a developed rail network is found in Japan's Shinkansen Network and their domestic rail.

it only takes a few hours to move from state to state

The use of rail would make travel slower or longer in duration which will radically change the habit of travel just like the times when one would cruise from continent to continent which requires a lot of time. 

A boat trip in the 1930's from Shanghai to Singapore would have taken maybe 14 to 20 days. This would immediately change the habit of budget travel where someone could go on a trip for just 2 to 5 days. As an employee, travel for 20 days requires you to garner a longer working duration before one can explore a 20 day leave. The way work is developing today is however, changing from being an employee to a self employed subcontractor. This means 20 day leave can be more frequent !

Japanese Tatsuta Maru built in 1927–1929 by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Nagasaki, Japan traveled between Japan and Europe. It also moved delegates and troops during World War 2. It was sunk on 8 February 1943 by 4 torpedoes 42 miles east of Mikurajima

On the drawing board is a very bold effort by China's One Belt Campaign to link South East Asia via railway.

conceptual diagram how the countries will be linked by rail

The current KTM rail network in Malaysia looks like this

existing KTM rail network

 recent China involvement constructing the Malaysian East Coast Rail Link is well on the way. The Change of government between Najib / Mahathir / Muhyiddin has left the citizen gripping with anxiety on the out come for the certainty of this project.

East Coast Rail Network

Construction reported from March 2020 shows progress.

The Malaysian West Coast bullet train line however, seems vague

Meanwhile Singapore has already planned for this. Recent comments of 10 million population target for Singapore could have been related to the feasibility of having a high speed rail station. At that time, the world was still geared in the mind frame of economic growth model. Of late, circular economy sensibility is fast becoming a common place.

Imagery of High Speed Rail Station Jurong East by Farrells

Imagery of High Speed Rail Station Jurong East by Farrells

Imagery of High Speed Rail Station Jurong East by Farrells 

Guesstimated Route of track from Jurong East leading into Malaysia

If all parties could consolidate their aspirations with China, we would be able to see the High Speed Rail function somewhere from 2026 to 2030.

But we want cant wait and have to travel now ! Perhaps we should begin to venture into Malaysia just like the TV series JAPAN HOUR ! Or maybe the more obvious travel is within Singapore itself.

JAPAN HOUR: Travel Food Worship and Culture !

Singapore seems the same all over the island. This is because almost all product found in Singapore are imported in large bulks and distributed throughout the island. Suppliers from elsewhere find our bulk order relatively small in scale. A lot of geographical features have been overwhelmed by the massive urbanization and the use of mid and high rise structure maybe have diluted the sense of the place. High rise structures private or public are produce in a more template fashion so that the turnaround of production of buildings provide optimum speed and aesthetics. The aesthetics however may have less relation to the geography of Singapore.

Other than the coast, hills, wet lands and rivers, we could explore geology to add more dimensions to the character of the place. Singapore geology is obviously a continuation of Malaysian geology.

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, A FIELD GUIDE TO THE GEOLOGY OF SINGAPORE Grahame J. H. Oliver and Avijit Gupta 2017

A closer look at Singapore's geology shows the natural land character we seldom see ! Singapore has 2 prominent fault line as well. You can see how the geology indirectly influenced urban development and our attitude towards certain regions in Singapore.

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, A FIELD GUIDE TO THE GEOLOGY OF SINGAPORE Grahame J. H. Oliver and Avijit Gupta 2017

You may ask how do the Japanese make so well their place of interest albeit in the middle of nowhere. The Japanese respect KAMI which is a genius of a phenomenon. It can be a spirit, god, a super being, an effigy or even a principal. It can range anywhere between rocks to hill, a monk, rainfall a recurring event etc. By observing the character of the place, a "genius loci" one can bring out to amplify its goals of the place that usually involves human and  geography. Some times the KAMI is communicated as a Spirt or Demon, a little like drawing caricatures of  inanimate objects respond to your daily lives like it is a person.

 

Raijin the Kami

 

 

Sponge Bob Square Pant , Sea Sponge as a talking character

 

So there make your place wherever you are of value not just because the real estate agent tells you what the prevailing sale price is but what the spirit of the place can offer.

To Summarize:

a. The new travel trend is via Rail, Buses and Car
b. Short travel is preferred to minimize pandemic exposure
c. Short distance travel require the towns-cape to be mixed use
d. In order to make the district towns-cape attractive, one must identify the "KAMI" available.