architecture you love and hate in malaysia

[el_empty]

here's a space for you to share on architecture in malaysia - buildings, bus stops, lorongs, mamaks, squatters, skyscrapers, houses, temporary pavillions etc.

anything that you think is intriguing, ugly, beautiful, historical, overrated, underrated, whatever.

feel free to post pics you've found or taken.

[__earth]

one of my favorites. =)

http://www.umich.edu/~mnoorsha/Graphics/reusable/koleq.jpg

[el_empty]

care to share what it is and where, and perhaps some context?

[__earth]

it's the malay college in kuala kangsar.

I've always like colonial architecture. It has a historical feeling in it and I've always love history.

[topdog]

i like: tengkera mosque, melaka

http://www.web.virginia.edu/asianarc/public/melaka/tranquerah01.jpg

dislike: putrajaya mosque

http://www.asiagalleries.de/Malaysia/Putrajaya/01%20Putra%20mosque.jpg

[topdog]

way underrated:
http://www.malaysiasite.nl/images/kampong1.gif

[topdog]

underrated:
http://www.geocities.com/rlanh/babahouseb.jpg

[phantom]

http://www.molon.de/galleries/Malaysia/Putrajaya/img.php?pic=1

the "floating mosque" in putrajaya- drop dead gorgeous. been there once and it was very,very beautiful.

[el_empty]

here's an article on ken yeang, probably the most famous malaysian in the international architectural scene.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/1/26/features/7062400

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2004/1/26/features/p2pavillion.jpg

the guthrie pavillion in selangor.

[__earth]

don't forget this one.

http://www.fanchon.com/vacances/pic/malay/kl/sultanpic.jpg

This is probably Kuala Lumpur's main icon for the best of its years before KLCC. And I think that Bumiputra HQ building should be torn down. heaven forbid. Its ugliness is well beyond the 70s!

The Bumiputra HQ of course can be seen in the picture. It's that building with a huge black box on it.

And come to think of it, I think the worst architectural designs come from the 70s and the 80s!

[z]

KLIA anyone? :)

(sorry can't find any nice picture to attach)

[el_empty]

here's a little shpeel from kisho kurokawa, the architect via his website:

Kuala Lumpur's new international airport is located 60km south of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Taking up an area of 100 k?u (10km x 10km), it is 10 times larger than Tokyo's Narita Airport. Between the airport and the capital city lies, Pudu Raya, the international information technology (IT) city designed as Malaysia's Silicon Valley.

As the world's largest airport, with 5 runways, it aims to be one of the three international hub airports of Asia, particularly in the future era of the HSST (High Speed Surface Transport, the plane flying between New York and Tokyo in 3 hours). The main terminal spans 38.4 m along a grid pattern, allowing for easy expansion in the future.
The hyperbolic paraboloid shell is reminiscent of traditional Islamic domes, striving to describe the symbiosis between cutting-edge technology and Islamic tradition. To put it in other words, the architecture of the airport is abstract-symbolic, the abstraction deriving from modern architecture' s idea of abstract (geometric), and the symbolism taken from Islamic tradition. A man-made tropical rainforest surrounds the airport, in addition to vegetation being planted in the central garden space of the satellite. The symbiotic relationship between nature and architecture is realized through the concentric garden in the airport, airport in the forest composition.

and here's a pic of the famous satellite building

http://www.takenaka.co.jp/takenaka_e/majorworks_e/asia/gif_b/kualalumpur.jpg

[el_empty]

check out this typical KL scene...

http://preg.org/~dan/fotos/2002Q3/DSCN2878.jpg

[el_empty]

does anyone have pics of the new university teknologi petronas in perak by sir norman foster?

[topdog]

here:

http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jlng/images/utp1.jpg

http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jlng/images/utp2.jpg

http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jlng/images/utp3.jpg

[__earth]

wow, utp has grown since I last stayed there.

[el_empty]

i don't know whether to like this image or not... it's the ELR train that runs between KL Sentral and KLIA.

http://about.reuters.com/malaysia/Picture%20gallery/Dec_train2_large.jpg

[el_empty]

malays (melanau) were very advanced back in those days

http://ewenbell.com/digital/borneo-kuching-and-bako/4418-melanau-community-house.jpg

imagine not having tools and other sophistry and building this with your bare hands.

[el_empty]

kuala lumpur by night

http://www.wilmarphotography.com/data/photostock/180k/ma0125.jpg

[el_empty]

found...

http://members.telering.at/studio-oetting/page_pics_fap/twb_specials_720/kualar%20lumpur/klpetronastowers.jpg

i was at cesar pelli's (klcc's architect) office the other day - but couldn't meet him cos he was meeting some clients. he still has a giant model of klcc at his office in New Haven. i was a celebrity for a day as there were some architects there who've never been to malaysia and had plenty of questions about KL. :P

[el_empty]

national shame, the palace of golden horses in KL:

http://www.worldkidmag.com/kuala_lumpur_palace_golden_horses_view.jpg

[topdog]

i wouldn't call it a 'national shame' but i do dislike buildings like the palace, the putrajaya mosque and the pm's office in putrajaya. they are majestic, no doubt, but they just come across as ostentatious and...soulless. kinda like those over-the-top monstrosities from the soviet era in russia.

[__earth]

Ubudiah mosque. Kuala Kangsar. Probably the most beautiful of all mosques in Malaysia.

It is however surprisingly small. Ive been there a few times and still can't believe how small it is inside.

http://www.kangsar.com/kangsar.JPG

[el_empty]

no waayyy the most beautiful mosque in malaysia has got to be masjid jamek KL... 8)

[el_empty]

i wouldn't call it a 'national shame' but i do dislike buildings like the palace, the putrajaya mosque and the pm's office in putrajaya. they are majestic, no doubt, but they just come across as ostentatious and...soulless. kinda like those over-the-top monstrosities from the soviet era in russia.

the putrajaya perdanas (pm office, pm residence,) are probably the worst buildings malaysia. where is the malaysianess in it? it looks more like an archaic western classical topped up with an arabic dome.

here compare:

http://kltalk.com/putrajaya/putrajaya86.jpg
perdana putra

to

http://tia2000.ru/dv/t/vatican.jpg
st peter's at the vatican

if you overlook the obelisk at st peters, conceptually the two buildings are pretty much parallels of one another. a grand avenue that leads you and your eye towards a symmetry with disproportionately gigantic scale.

one can appreciate that the architects (nobody has admitted to building this thing... wonder why...) are attempting something "grand" but unfortunately, it speaks more of the distance between you and the prime minister. i hear you have to take three elevators past numerous giant hallways just to get to the PM. essentially, perdana putra reads as a tool for malaysian bureaucrats to insulate themselves from accounting themselves to the public.

lastly, is this a malaysian building, or is this an arabic/islamic building?

[tmnt007]

The Merdeka Stadium. The place where we announced our independence, and a vow to live in harmony and peace, irregardless of ethnicity and religion.

[__earth]

The Merdeka Stadium. The place where we announced our independence, and a vow to live in harmony and peace, irregardless of ethnicity and religion.

no offense, but the merdaka stadium is ugly.

[el_empty]

you can be your own judge:
stadium merdeka 1958

http://viweb.freehosting.net/gif/viig_airview-VI1958.jpg

[el_empty]

now renong was planning to build this:

http://www.arkitekfaa.com/Merdeka.jpg

and tear down this:

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/kuala%20lumpur/kl%20skyline%20fr%20kl%20tower/DSCN8769sm.JPG

and replace with this:

http://www.proces2.com/merdeka2/merdeka-a04.jpg

for context:

http://ftp.maxis.net.my/szehoong/pix/kuala%20lumpur/kl%20skyline%20fr%20kl%20tower/DSCN8696smmod.JPG

so it's ugly, but should we tear stadium merdeka down? what about victoria institution? should it go?

[el_empty]

relak.... the plan is put on hold....

[__earth]

they should replace the stadium.

But VI needs to stay.

[topdog]

you can be your own judge:
stadium merdeka 1958

http://viweb.freehosting.net/gif/viig_airview-VI1958.jpg
wow i never knew merdeka stadium used to be a bowl. it looked sweet man. anyone know of any site about the history of merdeka stadium?

[el_empty]

here's a recent history of stadium merdeka

http://www.malaysia.net/dap/lks2094.htm

excerpt:

In 1994, the government had granted the UMNO proxy company, United Engineers Bhd (UEM), the right to demolish the two stadiums and develop the site into a Plaza Merdeka, a RM1 billion complex of office blocks, a retail and shopping complex and entertainment centre, condominiums and leisure facilities, including a park, and an amphitheater designed for cultural and social events that can seat 8,000 on a 13-hectare site.

[el_empty]

how do you resist the retro feel of stadium merdeka?

look at the empty stadium. can you imagine what it was like to hear everyone around you shout out for independence?

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/2200544.jpg

[__earth]

actually, it probably like the crowd during the michigan-michigan state game, albeit ppl wore sarung and songkok and stuff. :D

[el_empty]

songkok and sarung ya:

http://viweb.freehosting.net/gif/viig_merdeka.jpg

by the way if you look at the previous' page, at the pic with the plans for the site around stadium merdeka, you'll see this construction site for plaza rakyat. it's projected to the 7th tallest in the world (?) when built. however it's stalled due to financial constraints. and it's built by SOM, a hugely famous firm.

http://www.som.com/resources/projects/1/0/3/plaza_rakyat_model_103.jpg

[el_empty]

do you guys remember the old subang airport?

http://user.chollian.net/~cnu2001/Asia-Malaysia/Kuala%20Lumpur/WFAasi%20Malaysia-KLI%20Airport%201978-01.jpg

[jiinjoo]

Oh I remember Subang Airport - always pass through it to go to Subang new village for excellent food :)

I also liked the Ubidiah Mosque myself. My hometown in Kuala Kangsar and every Chinese New Year it's like a routine for me to run / bike around that area. To a kid, that mosque looks really big actually :)

Malaysia's 2nd link to S'pore.

http://www.kiat.net/malaysia/images/linkedua.jpg

Menara Telekom

http://www.kiat.net/malaysia/images/telekom2.jpg

Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple that houses a magnificent gold-plated reclining Buddha that is said to be the third largest in the world.

http://www.geographia.com/malaysia/newimages/pen6.jpghttp://www.geographia.com/malaysia/newimages/buddah1.jpg

Kek Lok Si

http://www.geographia.com/malaysia/newimages/pen7.jpg

And a bunch:

http://www.rainbowstamps.com.au/images/architecture/malaysia03.jpg

[lzyee]

i wanna be an architect.which university should i apply ?in malaysia.
pls help

[el_empty]

honestly i don't know about architecture schools in malaysia. i only hear of USM (or UPM) being better than UM, and others doing twinning in taylors then go australia.

if you want, NUS in singapore offers a pretty good program as well.

but i'm in brooklyn new york :? and i've not really lived in malaysia since... let me think... 1996

[zAiTsEv]

i wanna be an architect.which university should i apply ?in malaysia.
pls help

lim kok wing?

[lzyee]

what about public uviversities?
UPM>>UKM>>>>UTM>>>USM

[lzyee]

if we compare architecture of local(malaysia) to oversea universities?what can we say?

[jiinjoo]

Can't say much myself. It's rumored that NUS's architectural school is pretty good (no they don't teach you to build HDB flats only). Locally, I didn't hear about any famous architect who ended up in some school. Some people mention Lim Kok Weng and others USM. UPM is also rumored to have a good program.

Actually, I highly suggest that you launch yourself in to a full investigation, not just in terms of getting word of mmouth from people, but actually going to the school and chat with the faculty and find out about their courses etc. Sit in some of them - don't think people will mind if the lecture theatre is big. Look at the environment, i.e. are the students there wtih that upbeat I want to learn feeling? Or are they just lepaking all the time? It might be worth your while to get a feel for the campus as a whole too, especially if it's going to be away from home.

[el_empty]

speaking of local universities, what's wrong with MMU? :

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/cyber_stc03.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/fcm_building2.jpg

http://rcsc.mmu.edu.my/_photo/mmupic/mmuc_view/foe_side1.jpg

looks so ... generic...

[el_empty]

back in the days when we could produce buildings like this :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/kualaparli1.jpg

[__earth]

did a malaysian design that or was it some foreigner?

[lzyee]

thank you guys.

[el_empty]

believe it or not, if i'm not mistaken, the building was designed by an anonymous architect in Jabatan Kerja Raya in the 60s

http://www.cikgu.net.my/edisimerdeka/images/1963Parlimen.gif

2. 2/11/1963
PERASMIAN BANGUNAN PARLIMEN

DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong,Tuanku Syed Putra Ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail telah merasmikan pembukaan bangunan Parlimen.Bangunan yang menjadi lambang demokrasi di Malaysia ini terletak dekat Tasik Perdana, Kuala Lumpur. Kompleks ini berharga RM 16 juta dan kerja-kerja membinanya telah dimulakan pada tahun 1960. Rekabentuk bangunan Parlimen ini dibuat oleh seorang Arkitek dari Jabatan Kerja Raya. Sesungguhnya bangunan parlimen ini menjadi kebanggaan rakyat. Sistem demokrasi berparlimen telah berakar umbi di negara ini sejak sekian lama dan ia kini diperlambangkan kepada bangunan ini. DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong dalam titah perasmiannya menegaskan bukanlah keindahan bangunan ini yang menjadi ukuran, yang penting ialah peranan yang diperjuangkan oleh Parlimen sebagai sebuah bangunan yang menjadi bukti dan warisan akan pegangan demokrasi yang diamalkan dan dipertahankan di negara ini.

from http://www.cikgu.net.my/edisimerdeka/196069.html

[__earth]

http://www.kempen.gov.my/coci/image/angkasapuri.GIF

I find it interesting that Angkasapuri shares the same designs at the Parliament. JKR's philosophy or something?

[z]

well... the way i see it... it's the satellite building... for delivery of propoganda :P :D :D :D :D

[el_empty]

ahhh the roaring sixties

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/angkasaretor.jpg

compare to this random kl scene...

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/28934608.jpg

the skins that you see on both buildings are actually vertical louvres that block out the harsh sun. somewhat like a breath-able skin for air circulation minus the glare. quite revolutionary for their time.

but the one BIG flaw angkasapuri has is that idiotic looking WAWASAN 2020 signage.

on another note, i think kee huat violated fire safety code : there's no escape route from the facade and if a fire blocks up the store level, then the fireman would have to break through the grille. by then kee huat would probably be kee huat goreng.

wait.. that's if malaysia has a proper fire code...

[dinna_g]

what about public uviversities?
UPM>>UKM>>>>UTM>>>USM

i know a bunch of archi students (at least 10 of them) who graduated from utm.. the trend is, they did their diploma in utm and continue their degree in the uk (i know one person who went to australia instead). i'm not sure how good the program in other univs is. the program in um is fairly new but i think usm probably has a good program. usm has quite a good reputation in general compared to upm or ukm.

[cheongsoon]

wow, I'm so glad that some of us are talking about buildings.

there's this guy who's finishing his dissertation on Merdeka architecture who can answer some questions posted here, including who designed the Parliament House (I believe he managed to get an interview with the architect).

i'll send him the link to this discussion.

btw, I think the national mosque is just fantastic. I like the imagery of a folded and unfolded umbrella, which has local significance and is not just a shameful copy of colonial moorish architecture.

the desgin is echoed on a much smaller scale in a mosque near Old Town, PJ, near my home. The azan at 5.40ish a.m. and the ringing of the bells at the Indian temple up on Gasing Hills at 6 a.m. were my alarm clocks when I was growing up and going to morning school.

Talk about being Malaysian ? an ethnic Chinese boy for whom the Islamic and Hindu calls to prayer are the first sounds that enters his consciousness every day.

c.s.

[jiinjoo]

That would be wonderful! Hope to dig out all these "anonymous" people and put them in proper light. Our historians have a tendency to "forget", systematically. My tour of the US have shown me that they always give credit when credit is due.

I too was woken up by religious calls, but mine is the competition of amplifier systems of 3 mosques near my house. They each try to convince people to go to their mosque instead of the other by making sure that the rest of Damansara Jaya and Damansara Utama hear them (no Bandar Utama then but I'm sure they would all hear it too, or and Taman Tun also)

And obviously they won't do it one after the other, each ulama at the mic is slightly out of tune from the other. Sometimes I wish they had the Internet and just download the one they use on TV3 and play that.

:?

Back to buildings...

[el_empty]

remember when the lawyer in selangor got into trouble for equating the amplified azan to noise pollution?

yes cheongsoon, do bring him over. it'll be so wonderful to learn more about our exclusive and highly esoteric government. erm i mean parliament building.

hey jinjoo i lived in bandar utama then, and i think i could hear the calls from dj/du! (i went to school in SMDJ) -

[el_empty]

probably the most beautiful hotel in malaysia, carcosa seri negara

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images6/calcosa.jpg

[el_empty]

btw you mentioned national mosque? yes it's probably malaysian modernism at its best :

http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~jeanz/tms/pics/IMG_2362.jpg

[el_empty]

in a country where you also find this :

http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~jeanz/tms/pics/IMG_2284.jpg

[el_empty]

here's a nice but rare view of KL's masjid jamek

http://archnet.org/library/imgdownloader/jpg/47634/big/ITM0022.jpg

[el_empty]

look guys
i just discovered that there's THIS in kuala terengganu. malaysia boleh...

http://archnet.org/mediadownloader/LibraryImagesBig/image/22126/0/IAA4220.JPG

[el_empty]

while you folks were in putrajaya, did you notice these traffic lights??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/baqthier/traffkl1.jpg

[Thirdshifter]

i did. There's actually few other designs of these traffic lights. Its different on each section/precints of Putrajaya.

[Thirdshifter]

http://www.arrakeen.ch/malaysiafeb02/471%20%20Masjid%20Wilayah%20Persekutuan.JPG


http://www.islam.gov.my/maswil/image/maswildesign02.gif
Masjid Wilayah... They have escalators inside where you have to ride it with bare feet.. lol.

[Thirdshifter]

This is masjid Kapitan Keling in Penang.. I think this is the one mosque that actually has a true Malaysian Influence.. these pictures were taken after a massive restoration project of the Mosque and the surrounding building to make it more attractive to tourist. Next to the Mosque is the oldest chinese temple in Malaysia (the snake temple) .. more picture of the mosque http://www.malaysiasite.nl/klingeng.htm

If your in penang the whole area is a must see... they restored the place like it;s 1800.. even the road are not paved.. they laid bricks instead... it;s awesome

http://www.malaysiasite.nl/images/keling1.gif

and the famous Snake temple .. it's amzing how two totally different place of worship stand next to each other in great harmony .. Malaysia Boleh!

http://www.travelgrotto.com/images/Travelogue/Asia/Penang/Pen-SnakeTemple.jpg

[el_empty]

good job third. that's a really interesting mix of malaysian and islamic elements in a single building. the pitched roof certainly gives it the tropical/malaysian influence. notice the front odd-shaped little domes that remind you of the mughal colonial british influence in early malaysian civic buildings. now THIS mosque should've been the one sitting in putrajaya instead of that monolithic foreigner we currently have.

[__earth]

where is this masjid wilayah?

[Thirdshifter]

where is this masjid wilayah?

It's opposite the Jalan Duta Tennis Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

It was completed in 2000 and it's the Kuala Lumpur official mosque. It's actually Masjid wilayan persekutuan. Instead of having delagates and the sultan going to the old and not so fancy national Mosque.. now they can go to masjid wilayah where everything is high tech. The size of the mosque is probably a little bigger then the national mosque. The design is based from the Blue mosque in turkey.

Cost? 250 Million Ringgit... money well spent... :roll:

[zAiTsEv]

Cost? 250 Million Ringgit...

8O

[el_empty]

Cost? 250 Million Ringgit...

8O

taxpayer's money?

[Thirdshifter]

Cost? 250 Million Ringgit...

8O

taxpayer's money?

Ofcourse. The whole project was under the supervision of the Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah persekutuan.. who are funded directly with tax payers money.. come to think about it.. there are probably more Non-Muslim tax payer who lives in K.L .

I call for one RM250 million Chruch, One 250 Million Buddhist temple, Hindu Temple, Sikh temple and any other place of worship in the name of being fair to the current goverment...

I can't wait to hear the arguments from the people (same people who justify the spending on putrajaya - there are few here in recom) about this spending..

[el_empty]

but the best part is that the non-muslim taxpayers do not stop to think about who's paying for all these. quite typical eh? what's with BN's taste for grandiose scale?

[topdog]

but the best part is that the non-muslim taxpayers do not stop to think about who's paying for all these. quite typical eh?really? that's a pretty bold statement.

so the non bumis are ignorant fools, you think?

ever heard of the catholic church's difficulty (to put it mildly) in getting a suitable piece of land for a church in shah alam? and this is without using a single cent of taxpayers' money.

[el_empty]

but the best part is that the non-muslim taxpayers do not stop to think about who's paying for all these. quite typical eh?really? that's a pretty bold statement.

so the non bumis are ignorant fools, you think?

ever heard of the catholic church's difficulty (to put it mildly) in getting a suitable piece of land for a church in shah alam? and this is without using a single cent of taxpayers' money.

nope it's not that they're ignorant fools. they (we?) are just either too preoccupied with other more pressing and fundamental issues like the opportunities like education, jobs, and general welfare. that's the main problem with a lot of the non-bumis in malaysia - we're given just the right amount of minimum appeasement so that we don't question the blatant double-standards so prevalent in our society.

either that, or we generally succumb easily to threats of social anarchy ("you don't want may13 to happen again, do you?") and loog-good-feel-good propaganda.

yes of course i've heard about the catholic church's struggle. but who's shouting for them? who's making the protest? who's lobbying for them? who's championing the constitution that declares the freedom to practice religions?

[topdog]

in the case of the shah alam church, the church has taken the matter to court (shah alam high court iirc). not sure where they are now, but there certainly still isn't a church in shah alam to this day.

i guess my point is, what do you expect the non-bumis to do? i'm looking at things from a realistic, practical pov since i'm in all likelihood going back for good soon, and whatever criticisms i can think of now will apply to me. what do i expect others to do that i won't do myself?

sure things suck, but what can you do? demonstrate on the street and go to jail? to what end?

exercise your voting rights? sure... well that's the only thing i can realistically think of doing to go against the system.

actually, another way is to emigrate. unfortunately this option is closed to me.

either that, or we generally succumb easily to threats of social anarchy ("you don't want may13 to happen again, do you?") you're not afraid of that? good for you, but i'll be honest: i AM sure as heck afraid of that. recom has many (at least ostensibly) fair-minded, non-racist members. i am not so sure if it's an accurate representation of malaysian society in, you know, malaysia.

[Thirdshifter]

Maybe we should start a group in Malaysia where you meet physically instead of just being on the net and do some things to push the sensitive issues like the church to be more public and have people talk about it.

I'll be in Malaysia this march and most likely will be there for atleast 6 months if not more.

Also maybe a small group of support to students coming back from overseas on how to readapt to Malaysia and its politics?

Lets change Malaysia... one step at a time.

[el_empty]

this thread is starting to digress, but i feel this topic is as important as admiration for our domestic architecture, probably more.

firsly let us hope the church group succeeds in its lobby.

there's so much the individual can do, and they don't necessarily have to involve demonstration and street protest (thought it worked in ukraine recently....). there's grassroots coalitions, meet-the-mp sessions, etc. and the higher ups professionals, someone you're going to be in the near future topdog, will have their responsibilities too. dialogue, NGOs, and you'll also probably yield some lobby power in your area of profession.

basically the 'ignorant fools' need to know what's going on in the first place. few consider fundamental issues like basic rights and social welfare, their priorities almost always clouded by promises of income (jobs for some), education for their kids, a nice home, a nice car, etc.

afraid of social anarchy? the gov's claim is that elections in favor of the oppposition will cause social anarchy. do you buy that claim? do you think a pursuit towards color-blind equality will cause racial riots, or do you think it's caused by racial policies in the first place?

[topdog]

there's so much the individual can do, and they don't necessarily have to involve demonstration and street protest (thought it worked in ukraine recently....). there's grassroots coalitions, meet-the-mp sessions, etc. and the higher ups professionals, someone you're going to be in the near future topdog, will have their responsibilities too. dialogue, NGOs, and you'll also probably yield some lobby power in your area of profession.we can do all that, as long as we stay within the boundaries set by the ruling regime (by regime i mean the umno-led coalition in collusion with the judiciary and law enforcement agencies), failing which there await consequences not many are prepared to face.

one example: there was recently a proposal by the bar council to form an inter-religious council or something like that. very thoughtful gesture, right? a step in the right direction? WRONG! Islamic authorities didn't think so, and so it was shot down.

you can form/join your own interest groups/ngo's/charities whatever as long as you don't challenge the status quo.

clouded priorities? here's one example of clouded priorities at work, which actually has something to do with the topic of this thread:
http://www.peterson-travel.com/Formula%201/oth00072.jpg

[topdog]

afraid of social anarchy? the gov's claim is that elections in favor of the oppposition will cause social anarchy. do you buy that claim? do you think a pursuit towards color-blind equality will cause racial riots, or do you think it's caused by racial policies in the first place?are you assuming i'm naive? did i say i won't vote the opposition?

i guess we were looking at different causes of social anarchy "promised" by the government. miscommunication lah. i'm afraid of social anarchy stemming not from elections, but from challenging the status quo, which is, in my opinion, the root cause of malaysia's troubles. just ask suqiu.

[chenchow]

Keep this thread to discuss about architecture. Start a new thread or find appropriate existing thread for other discussions~!

[Thirdshifter]

Formula one.. Any sane Malaysian spend RM 1750 for a ticket to see it?

I know i might do this if i can't get a hold of free tickets as My sister in law just quit her job at the kementerian kewangan.

Anybody knows somebody that could get me couple of tickets?

[Thirdshifter]

anyone has the picture of Zouk in KL? It's a famous club

anyone likes going there?

[bachok83]

personally i think the most magnificient architecture goes to KLCC.. just a thought...

ps: it can shake up to certain frequency without breaking.. (approx 7++ richter scale)

[luke]

personally i think the most magnificient architecture goes to KLCC.. just a thought...

ps: it can shake up to certain frequency without breaking.. (approx 7++ richter scale)
Richter scale measures the amplitude of seismic wave, not its frequency. Any physical thing can break apart if exposed to a vibration with a frequency equals to the former's natural frequency. This phenomenon is called 'resonance'. :wink:

[el_empty]

afraid of social anarchy? the gov's claim is that elections in favor of the oppposition will cause social anarchy. do you buy that claim? do you think a pursuit towards color-blind equality will cause racial riots, or do you think it's caused by racial policies in the first place?are you assuming i'm naive? did i say i won't vote the opposition?

i guess we were looking at different causes of social anarchy "promised" by the government. miscommunication lah. i'm afraid of social anarchy stemming not from elections, but from challenging the status quo, which is, in my opinion, the root cause of malaysia's troubles. just ask suqiu.

good lord no i'm not assuming that you are naive la. when i said "you" i meant generally the skeptics of the opposition. my bad my bad. but isnt' challenging the status quo what democracy is all supposed to be about? instead of having a check&balance system for malaysia, we currently have a government with 2/3 majority and nobody to question their policies.

[el_empty]

did someone say zouk kl? posted from skyscrapercity.com

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/503/9zouk2.jpg

anyone been there?

[el_empty]

and hey, did any of the klites at home notice the construction of the new klcc convention center? what do you think of it?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Lovejesse/P2140009.jpg

[Thirdshifter]

I noticed and boy that thing is going up quick.. They're on a 24 hour schedule building it..

It's huge.. when it was first going up i thought it was going to be a stadium, i got that impression when looking down from the bridge between the towers.. and later when i pass by the site and it wrote "KL convention centre"

In my opinion.. the thing is beautiful and is located at the right place. I'm affraid to know the price tag though.

[el_empty]

yes and the construction at the back, on the left of the image, will be a new hotel. i wonder how KL hotels survive since tourists really flock to the forests and beaches anyway.

we compare the klcc convention center to putrajaya's.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/newspic/ge/1010_pcc.jpg

http://putrajaya.virtualmalaysia.com/mediafile/image/pcc_sunset.jpg

which comes equipped with superhighsecurity features:

PCC's Chief Operations Officer Abdul Aziz Yushak said the centre was constructed in the form of two rings, an inner ring and an outer ring, for security purposes.

The inner ring is the core of PCC where major conferences will be held, while the outer ring houses smaller conference rooms and a two-storey car park, he said here Wednesday.

Aziz said the two rings would ensure maximum security during an international conference.

"If a bomb explodes in the car park, it will only affect the outer ring, while the inner ring will remain intact, ensuring the safety of delegates in the main conference hall," he said.

from bernama (http://www.bernama.com/events/oicsummit/oicbasic/news.open.php?cat=BI&id=21815)

[Thirdshifter]

yes and the construction at the back, on the left of the image, will be a new hotel. i wonder how KL hotels survive since tourists really flock to the forests and beaches anyway.

Heh, you'd be surpised!! I often try to get a hotel room at the last minute.. like 10-ish at night iaround KL and almost all the five star, four star hotels around the Bintang walk area (Jalan sultan Ismail-golden triangle) are packed, i don't even try to check-in into a 3 star hotel because i'm so sure it's packed for atleat another 5 months.

Mandarin oriental and Nikko near KLCC area is also always packed.. i think you have to make reservation atleast 3 weeks in advance.

It's really hard to find a hotel room in KL.. maybe on your next trip you should try this.. you'll be shocked.

I always end up in an overpriced suite because those are the rooms that are ussually unoccupied.

The only hotel that never let me down is pan pasific KLIA.. It's a great hotel.. in term of service 9the building is ugly.. but a clear view of the run is unbeatable.. and also the distance from the airport..surprisingly..i never had a problem getting a room there. Maybe because most of the people who arrives rather travel to the city then stay at that airport.

KL needs more hotels.

[cryzpene]

Hey, I think this topic on architecture is a great one. Why don't we come up with a topic on the interior designs in Malaysia? or maybe about ghost stories from Malaysia? Maybe someday recom can compile about a book about those stories and I bet it'll sell like hot cakes. Just look at the Singaporean one.

[el_empty]

yeh good call, interior design, though i'm not sure about putting ghost stories here. but seriously, those 'true singaporean ghost stories' are pretty sad aren't they?

anyway, to launch of some interior design phenomenons in kl, check out the upscale japanese restaurant in kl, zensake. anyone been there?

http://niklim.com/albums/zensake/IMG_0771.sized.jpg

http://niklim.com/albums/zensake/IMG_0736.sized.jpg

http://niklim.com/albums/zensake/IMG_0754.sized.jpg

http://niklim.com/albums/zensake/IMG_0751.sized.jpg

i just had to.... courtesy of niklim.

[Chiyo]

Hi, i found out that you are an architect from recom. em...for your information i'm interested in this course...but still very blur with many things...i wonder what an architect really do...n also there r many types of architecture like landskap...or interior...what's the different between those? this course needed person who good in phsyic or other subject?em....architecture looks like a "cold door course" in M'sia...so would it have a good career path compare to other country? by the way can u suggest any book or magazine which introduce architecture in a better way? thanks and hope to hear from u soon.

[el_empty]

hi there chiyo

what an architect does? many things. it depends on what level you work for in a firm, and what kind of firm, from a small one to a large corporate. typically entry level architects do the mundane stuff like CADing (or drafting... preparation of construction drawings for contractors) and model building (some firms hire professional model builders, others do it in house). then as you progress upwards, you take charge of projects, in which you will be known as a project architect or project manager. basically you oversee projects, make sure they're on time, communicate with consultants and clients. lastly, when you become the principal of your firm (this means you either own the firm, or you collaborate with a small group of principals to manage the firm) you typically would take charge of the marketing (meet clients, pitch your ideas etc.) and/or lead the design's fundamental ideas (you tell your project architects what the building should look like); pretty much the creative force behind a project.

i'm not in malaysia right now (i assume you're there?) so i wouldn't know what's being sold at the bookstores. but here's a good site that gives you the lowdown on the practice and the education.

http://www.acsa-arch.org/infoStud.html

also you can look up on projects that're being done right now all over the world. you can look up these sites:

http://www.archiseek.com/
http://www.arcspace.com/
http://archinect.com/index.php
http://www.archrecord.com/
http://www.metropolismag.com/

yeah from my understanding, the approach to architecture education in malaysia is pretty conservative. most of the leading architects in malaysia (hijjas kasturi, ken yeang, david hashim etc) are educated overseas, and in schools that take a more progressive approach towards architectural design, addressing pressing issues like environmentally friendly buildings, contemporary civic spaces, advanced architectural technologies. they also pay a lot more attention to materials and engineering research. for those who dont' want to do arch in local unis, they do twinning programs like the one in taylors.

architects typically deal with buildings, both new construction and renovation. interior designers deal with furniture, some minor non-structural construction, fabrics, lighting etc. landscape designers deal with the exterior environment (and i believe they need to take courses on soil biology, basic chemistry, etc.) and urban designers plan for the zoning of the city.

lastly as for subjects, you don't need to be hardcore in physics, calculus, or any particular subject. but you need a basic grip on the mentioned subjects. as with many things what you really need is a driven mind.

holy crap this is a long post. hope this helps...

[el_empty]

you guys remember this timeless mall? i've not been there in more than 10 years....

http://www.qsl.net/dl2jbd/img/photo/nz1997/nz1997_640/kl34.jpg

[el_empty]

blow me down. look what i found :

http://www.baum.com.au/Dr_J_Baum/archiv_foto/small/23/23123-Zeleznice,_nadrazi_a_nadrazni_restaurace_v_Kuala_L....jpg

http://www.baum.com.au/Dr_J_Baum/archiv_foto/small/23/23124-Zeleznice,_nadrazi_v_Kuala_Lumpur,_kontrolor_listk....jpg

circa 1929
http://www.baum.com.au/Dr_J_Baum/archiv_foto/index.html

[Thirdshifter]

you guys remember this timeless mall? i've not been there in more than 10 years....


Is that "the Mall" ?

[zAiTsEv]

you guys remember this timeless mall? i've not been there in more than 10 years....


Is that "the Mall" ?

yes

[Chiyo]

:D ...hahah tat certainly is a long post n it does help a LOTS!!! thanks so much...i think i get part of the picture already...haha...but architecture really needed lot of passion in it,right? well...really thanks!

[Thirdshifter]

The old train station is still in it's original form. I'll be in KL next month.. and i'll take a picture if i get a chance.

alsohere is the penang equivalent of Zouk KL

http://penangpage.com/farquhar/garage20.jpg

It's located opposite the Easter and oriental hotel in penang.

http://penangpage.com/farquhar/eando88.jpg

Probably the oldest hotel in Malaysia.

[el_empty]

what do you think of our national libary?

http://archnet.org/mediadownloader/LibraryImagesBig/image/52766/0/IAA14277.JPG

http://archnet.org/mediadownloader/LibraryImagesBig/image/52767/0/IAA14278.JPG

http://archnet.org/mediadownloader/LibraryImagesBig/image/52770/0/IAA14281.JPG

http://archnet.org/mediadownloader/LibraryImagesBig/image/52769/0/IAA14280.JPG

[topdog]

what do you think of our national libary?judging solely from the pictures, the sharp angles are kinda painful on the eyes.

[el_empty]

in euphemistic terms that's sight provoking, eye catching, blabla. the architects were inspired by the tengkolok folds, and this building was their conceptualized interpretation of the hat gear.

i'm interested... does anyone have pics of public housing in thier hometown/city? beautiful and ugly ones?

[el_empty]

SO malaysia's gonna build the world's largest courthouse *bling bling*

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/3/15/nation/10417266&sec=nation

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/3/15/nation/p8radzi.jpg

Sited on a 12ha piece of land, the new court complex will have a library, tunnel access to holding rooms for the accused and will employ the use of television to air court hearings or for giving of evidence by child witnesses.

The increased number of courtrooms will certainly assist in speeding up court hearings and clearing the backlog of cases.

?We want to ensure that the facilities reflect the building that symbolises justice. We want it to be comfortable for the public, staff and judges,? Mohd Radzi said.

i'm going to go cry now. here we are, another building which is a hodgepodge mix and patch of greek, roman, middle-eastern, palm-tree-lined collage for a questionable judiciary.

why use so much prime space??

what you think?

[edit]
since we're looking at funny courtrooms, what do you think about singapore's new courthouse aka the "flying saucer?" it's currently still under construction.

http://img98.exs.cx/img98/1663/sc2010a.jpg

http://img163.exs.cx/img163/7185/sc31017fj.jpg

[el_empty]

what do you guys think of the bukit tinggi (fake medieval) town in pahang?

http://www.pbase.com/myd70/image/30099827.jpg

[el_empty]

has anyone seen this building in and around KL? is it a house? note the size of the car...

http://img219.exs.cx/img219/1701/hjk11fz.jpg

[__earth]

what do you guys think of the bukit tinggi (fake medieval) town in pahang?

looks like, um, universal studios, without the mascots.

[USSDefiantNX74205]

what do you guys think of the bukit tinggi (fake medieval) town in pahang?

That place was in Pahang? Looks so...German.

[pandaboy]

what do you guys think of the bukit tinggi (fake medieval) town in pahang?

Doesn't look like Malaysia at all.... :?

Is it a residential area or what? It looks very nice though...

[el_empty]

i believe the bukit tinggi resort is some fantasyland built by berjaya group - the same guys who developed tioman, berjaya resorts, etc. it's just a fake medieval town... that's it. oh there's a japanese zen village as well
http://www.btresort.com.my/

what do you think of such 'fake' architecture in malaysia? like sunway pyramid, or even the putrajaya buildings and their pseudo-arabic look?

[SHuLy]

bukit tinggi's atmosphere is nicer than subang jaya's!..at least the temperature there is cooler and it's not so polluted..
and..it's only a SINGLE row..so it's kinda boring.

[bp_ffei]

what do you guys think of the bukit tinggi (fake medieval) town in pahang?

That place was in Pahang? Looks so...German.

Actually, the place is modelled after a French town called Colmar.

A building that I like... the Mesiniaga tower. It won the Aga Khan Award 1995. Mesiniaga=Business Machines ~~ IBM headquarters in Malaysia...

http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2001/07/100129.jpg

[bp_ffei]

http://www.innogize.com/gallery/Malaysia1/07.jpg

The State Secretariat Building in JB. Built in 1940. Looks a bit dull, but it is one of the few larger colonial buildings left in JB. Used by Japanese as a fortress before attacking Singapore. Maybe they should brighten it up a little? It's design is rather unique....

[el_empty]

recognize?

http://www.petercreative.com.my/aerial3.jpg

[zAiTsEv]

haha. sunway!

[el_empty]

The State Secretariat Building in JB. Built in 1940. Looks a bit dull, but it is one of the few larger colonial buildings left in JB. Used by Japanese as a fortress before attacking Singapore. Maybe they should brighten it up a little? It's design is rather unique....

this building is actually one of the few examples of colonial british architecture with mughal influences. another famous one is the courthouse - bangunan sultan salehudin. if built in the 1940s, it's probably one of the last few attempts the colonial government made to leave their mark behind as it was struggling to keep its colonies intact.

i believe the johor palace's (from the kesultanan johor) looks something like this too?

[el_empty]

ok the GIANT klcc convention center is coming up...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/ethandillon/KLCC/Picture011.jpg

[el_empty]

http://img232.exs.cx/img232/1188/fbg1gy.jpg

[bp_ffei]

I can see the F-1 circuit leh...

[el_empty]

new baby in town
the KL Performing Arts Center

http://www.asianewsnet.net/picture/malaysia_copy.jpg

[el_empty]

have you ever noticed these?


http://static.flickr.com/23/90760377_2f6974fb38.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/22/90760012_05283a27f9.jpg

[Thirdshifter]

this is probably the most richest neigborhood in Malaysia. If you ever go through that road, you'll see some spectacular designs. I have some of the pictures but it'ss not with me.. in the other laptop, with wife. I'll post it up once i get a hold of it.

http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/7121/picture0406gd.jpg

[__earth]

new baby in town
the KL Performing Arts Center

http://www.asianewsnet.net/picture/malaysia_copy.jpg

damn. that reminds me of Ann Arbor's power center! picture here:

http://www.leeandkristin.net/AnnArbor/CCampus/Power2.html

that site is my favorite when it comes to Ann Arbor. Almost comprehensive.

or maybe it just looks like the securities commission at bukit kiara

[el_empty]

damn. that reminds me of Ann Arbor's power center! picture here:

http://www.leeandkristin.net/AnnArbor/CCampus/Power2.html

that site is my favorite when it comes to Ann Arbor. Almost comprehensive.

or maybe it just looks the securities commission at bukit kiara

securities commission? were you referring to this one by hijjas kasturi?:

http://www.hijjaskasturi.com/projects/images/scplus/scplus.jpg
http://www.hijjaskasturi.com/projects/images/securities_commission/securities_commission.jpg

[__earth]

yeah. or least the facade looks similar (if its not bent ) :D

THe interior is quite, er, spacey. Lots of space. Claustrophobic won't have any problem there.

[el_empty]

woah! when did this appear!?

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7104/1105/400/Murugan_big.jpg

[DecentMerson]

wait... is that some optical illusion thingy... where the statue is right in front of the camera, hence, appears to be much much bigger than it actually is?

[Zeroth]

no, i've seen it before.. Its huge!

[cra]

the ten stupid clock towers in my town. a total waste of taxpayers' money. a total work of corruption.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/24/nation/n_01clocks.jpg -starpic

sorry i dont have more pics of the clock towers, it's an eyesore to me whenever i drive around the town, let alone to halt and take pictures of them.

[CrosshaRe]

btw you mentioned national mosque? yes it's probably malaysian modernism at its best :

http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~jeanz/tms/pics/IMG_2362.jpg

My grand uncle was the architect. Jus xtra info.. :wink:

[ed]

what are the life prospects of an architect compared to a pharmacist here in malaysia. Im kinda caught between the two :?

[el_empty]

what are the life prospects of an architect compared to a pharmacist here in malaysia. Im kinda caught between the two :?

talk about being in the wrong thread. your reply here:
http://recom.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=83168#83168

My grand uncle was the architect. Jus xtra info..

respek! may i know his name? the malaysian government does a shitty job in acknowledging the designers. i think all great builders deserve credit whenever it's due

[bp_ffei]

woah! when did this appear!?

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7104/1105/400/Murugan_big.jpg

It's the new 42.7m Lord Murugan statue... Obviously already in the Malaysian Book of Records as the tallest statue of a Hindu deity. They're hoping to get it in the Guinness Book of Records too. Completed in time for Thaipusam I guess.

[khiahsu]

There's a roundabout in Penang that's been the butt of many jokes in The Star. >.< Yep,the silver futuristic looking cylinderical objects with bunga raya thingy.

...I mean,seriously. Phallic symbolism,anyone? :wink:

[whatever]

You guys might find this site interesting:

http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?20108821

[sarikasingha]

The Emerson Cup is back again! We are inviting architects, real estate developers, building owners, engineers, consultants and students with innovative projects across the fields of air-conditioning and refrigeration. Do you think you have what it takes to walk away with the Cup? Then apply at http://bit.ly/CupApp