Summer Show 2026
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The Carcass rethinks the end-of-life vehicle as both material resource and a means for urban regeneration within the industrial landscape of Kuala Lumpur. Set within the brownfield conditions of Sentul, this project aims to transform abandoned automotive infrastructure into grounds for dismantling, repair, modding, learning, and public engagement. Through the adaptive reuse of automotive components, the proposal establishes a circular material economy while creating new spaces for craftsmen, apprentices, enthusiasts, and the surrounding community. Rather than treating the scrapyard and automotive craft as hidden industrial activity, the project repositions automotive culture as a visible, social, and productive part of the city, improving the fragmented urban landscape through making, exchange, and ecological repair.
The car was studied thoroughly, from engines and drivetrains to smaller mechanical parts. Component functions and material were analysed for construction, organised into five categories - foundation, structure, envelope, systems, and details.
The building is organised around the workflow, from ELV storage to depollution and scrapping, before parts sorting and storage. Workshops connect to learning spaces and storefront. A central avenue and bridges create circulation and views.
The modding and repair bays are organised around mezzanines that encourage visibility and informal learning. By overlooking the workshop, apprentices can observe repair and crafting processes, creating opportunities for skill-sharing and development.
The exhibition pavilion is a shared public hub, drawing enthusiasts and the wider public into the site through exhibitions, workshops, markets, and events. It encourages learning, exchange, and participation, strengthening community ties in the area.
The car-centric Kuala Lumpur is imagined as a more social, walkable and ecologically sound environment, with new pedestrian routes, reclaimed brownfield sites, and upgraded shophouses. Bioswales, rain gardens and retention ponds improve site ecology.