FROST YAP ZHEN YUAN

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The para· SITE: Injecting tectonic interventions into public realms to rejuvenate forgotten spaces

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In the wake of rapid urban development, society faces detrimental impacts, as towering new structures overshadow and neglect the rich heritage of the past. To preserve tangible and intangible culture within the city's core, we must steer clear of commodification and gentrification. This calls for innovative interventions that rejuvenate forgotten urban spaces and repurpose vacant buildings, creating architecture that benefits the community, enhances cultural appreciation, and improves the city's image and socioeconomic aspects.

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Rather than viewing these interventions as invasive parasites, we should redefine them as collaborative entities known as para:SITE. These entities establish a beneficial relationship between the past and present, emphasizing the common SITE upon which new structures are built and attached. The para:SITE approach seeks to catalyze a pilot study, aiming to propagate like a living organism and eventually culminate in the meta:SITE – a harmonious amalgamation of the new city atop the old, preserving heritage while embracing progress.