malaysian architecture

1. PuiSan.Lim
2015
Thesearchofidentityin
ModernMalaysianArchitecture

2. Intheyearof1978to1990,politiciansandarchitectsof
Malaysiawerepayingaconsciouseffortinsearchingfora
nationalidentityfromarchitecture.Duringthisperiod,the
bloomingofbuildingshasreacheditspeakinKuala
Lumpur.Manynewurbanbuildingsattempttoexpress
Malaysianidentityinarchitecturebylookingatthecultural
heritageandconsiderationoflocalclimate.
-M.F.Moonzajer
“Mycultureismyidentityandpersonality.
Itgivesmespiritual,intellectualandemo-
tionaldistinctionfrom others,andIam
proudofit.”

3. 001KualaLumpurCityHall

4. Lookingforthenaturalarchitecturalidentity
inaconcernof“spiritoftheplace”,Kuala
LumpurCityHallisafineexample ofthe
high-risebuildingsinthelate1970’s,which
builtwithlocalclimateconsiderations.Its
windowsaresetbehindanouterwallof
sun-shading panels bearing the pointed
formofthetformofthetraditionalIslamicogivearch.
TowardsNationalIdentity
Architect:JKR
KualaLumpurCityHall

5. KualaLumpurCityHall

6. RepetitionofIslamicogivearchesandverticallinesseemlinesscreatesunityonthebuildingfacade.
KualaLumpurCityHall

8. Oneofthemostrecognizablehigh-risebuildingin
theheartofKualaLumpur.Theoverallaestheticsof
thecomplexisunifiedbyelegantgeometricgrilles
inIslamicpatternthatfunctionasasun-shading
device.
AsearchforNationalIdentityby
IslamicReferences
Yearofcompletion:1984
Architects:MAAandBEPAkitek
DayabumiComplex

9. Pointedarchesthatimpartarecognizable
Islamicexpression.
DayabumiComplex

10. DayabumiComplex

12. 003TabungHajiBuilding

13. Themostdaringattemptindevelopinganin-
dependentMalaysianIslamichigh-riseidentity
byitswaistedandcylindricalbuildingform.The
5pillarsofthebuildingalludestothe5pillarsof
faithinIslam.
Anelegantvocabularyusedin
IslamicSymbolism
Architect:HijjasKasturiAssociates
Yearofcompletion:1984
TabungHajiBuilding

14. Asmallsuraubuildinginfrontofthetower,
whichbuiltalongthestreetside.
Theentrance.
TabungHajiBuilding

15. TabungHajiBuilding

16. High-risebuildingsaroundTabungHajibuilding.
TabungHajiBuilding

17. 004MaybankTower

18. Astriking,wedge-shapedtowerwithstrongverti-
callines.Theexteriorisdesignedtobeanalogous
totheKris,atraditionalMalaydagger.
TheenormousMalayDagger
Yearofcompletion:1989
Architect:HijjasKasturiAssociates
MaybankTower

19. MaybankTower
“Succession of angles literally
movesfromthescaleofthepedes-
triantothatofthe‘skyscraper’in
onecomfortablegesture,recalling
Malaybuildingforms”
byHijjasKasturiAssociates

20. Malaysian|Identity