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Images from Georgetown, Penang
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As an office based in Malaysia we are constantly faced with the dilemma of what is a Malaysian Identity? The incredible boom in the economy over the last ten years has produced a corresponding development boom which has seen Malaysian towns and cities change dramatically before our eyes. George Town, Penang, a town with a strong and very consistent identity of colonial and Chinese/Peranakan influenced buildings is well on the way to being transformed into an international city. But at what cost to its identity? DEM has been faced with many important commissions which have the potential to change the identity of a place forever and this is an exciting but daunting prospect. The tendency for so many developers has been to produce buildings that seek either to embrace an image of the past or to head for the comfort of an 'international style' both at the expense of a modern Malaysian Identity.
The problem starts with the introduction of building types not previously seen in the built environment: high rise offices and condominiums, massive shopping centres and mixed use developments are imposed onto a fabric of low rise houses, rows of shophouses and delightful colonial commercial and civic buildings. The common reaction is to try and imbue these new developments with icons and elements of the 'historic' architecture: pediments, classical columns and kampung house roofs decorate unskilful designs which only serve as a parody of past culture and identity. Geoffrey Bawa has said 'although the past gives us lessons, it does not give the whole answer to what must be done', this is a very salient point. Why were the buildings of the past designed the way they were? The answer is a simple reaction to the culture, climate, social conditions and technology and expertise of the time. This is the place we should start when seeking a modern architecture.The buildings of the past tell us a lot about how one of the biggest influences on the built environment was handled - the climate. The heat and humidity of Malaysia is a constant element and only recently have we had the comfort of air-conditioners but these call for sealed environments and take a tremendous toll on energy resources. In the past the verandah, the courtyard and ventilated roofs with large overhanging eaves to shade walls were used. Kampung houses are raised on stilts and arranged to allow for maximum ventilation and its natural cooling effect. These are lessons that should be referred to and these are the elements that truly give Malaysian architecture its identity - both past and present.
If we take the example of a high rise office building we can see how these lessons can be put to good use. Even with the inevitable use of air conditioners the brightness of the sun is still a strong force to deal with. The facade of a tower covered with a modern 'international' curtain glass wall can never be successful from an end users point of view. The brightness and temperature differential at the windows make it extremely uncomfortable and thus windows are generally covered with blinds which defeats their purpose. This is not to say that curtain walling is bad - it must be dealt with in an appropriate manner, namely filtered sun shading; horizontally against the northern sun and vertically against the east and west. Importantly the floorplan can be arranged to maximise the best working environment, orientated east to west to cut down on the low sun angles, place the core to the west where it can act as a heat shield to the building. Having the core on the outside face also allows for the toilets and fire stairs to be naturally ventilated saving energy and significant costs in the running of a building. These are all fundamental points, not original thought; why then does not more modern Malaysian architecture follow these simple principles? A new Malaysian identity would automatically emerge as a result of applying the lessons of the past to today's building types. It is not the image of the historical buildings we should follow but the principles of what made those buildings good and why we like them.
In the case of wanting to create a new identity, which by default is different from the local vernacular, many use the reason that "we want to be different" or "we don't want to be associated with the past because we represent the future", a common thought in emerging countries. Here again we must not slavishly copy from the international scene. A slick glass tower in America or a heavy masonry apartment in Europe cannot be merely plucked up and placed in situ in Malaysia. The signals are all wrong, the reasons for the typology do not fit Malaysia and in the process Malaysia loses its integrity, a very high price to pay for wanting to be different. The tools for the new emerging identity of this country are already in Malaysian hands and always have been. The things to adopt from the west is not its imagery but its technology and techniques, and then to put them to good use by adaptation, assimilation and further innovation.
Of course in the real world there are clients with needs and influences, corporate image and of course the need for financial viability, excuses so many use to defend poor architecture. As architects it is our responsibility to help educate the client. We also have a responsibility to the public, our commission is not to slavishly reproduce the same old thing but rather to develop and apply our ideas to create a modern yet culturally relevant typology. Even a building type as fundamental as a shop office can take on a more relevant modern approach, it is not simply a matter of what 'identity' can be plastered onto the first six inches of the front facade. DEM is not immune from the real world conditions, most of our clients are developers who produce 'spec' buildings, we also cannot claim to always be successful in our attempts to modify their taste requirements or break away from the norm. In all cases, however, we try to the best of our ability to uphold an ideology and integrity we believe in. We are most successful where we can show how these ideas can actually benefit the client. This can be in the form of real cost savings or producing a building with an in-built design premium which can actually sell for a higher price or be simply more attractive to the end users. Smarter building techniques and appropriate climatic controls can save hundreds of thousands of Ringgit which can then be put to better use in making a more sophisticated building.
There are many other factors to consider with development - successful urban and town planning, sensible historical preservation (just because it is old does not automatically make it worthy of preservation) and the environment are equally important. These are issues which deserve discussion of their own, the point is that architecture and development has a very important part to play in so many areas which determine the future identity of any country. For this reason we should not take our responsibility lightly - it is worth fighting for the best to ensure long term benefit over short term gain. This course ensures that Malaysia will maintain its heritage and identity and most importantly its architectural integrity.
Paul Allinson
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