Design history, Petronas, Malaysia's oil company, invited leading architectural firms from around the world to submit a design concept for its new headquater at the Kuala Lumpur.The winning entry, two 88-storey high tower. Linked 170 metres above street level by a sky bridge with two 44-storey side towers, was submitted by Cesar Pelli & Associates Inc, reowned firm architects based in Boston, USA. A national icon of Malaysia, the design of the Petronas Twin Towers projects an images of a dynamic, rapidly industrializing country, it also respond to the tropical climate and to Islamic architectural traditions, all within a Malaysian cultural context.Comteporary Malaysians motifs, adapted from pandan weaving and bertam palm wall matting patterns, feature on the marble floor of the entrance lobby to each tower, while the wall motif are inspired by songket weaving patterns and timber carving. The form of the towers reflects the importance of geometry in Islamic architectural tradition.The shape of the tower’ floor plate is based upon two anterlocking squares forming an eight-pointed star; eight semicircles are inserted into the re-entrant corners or angels.Unique design features, the exterior is organized in horizontal ribbon of visions glass and stainless steel panels.In all, there are 65.000 squares metres of vision glass. The sky bridge has rational pins at the end of each leg and the at the top of the crown of the arch, which act as a centering device equalizing joint movement at the both towers. The girders are pinned to the crown of the arch which stays centred between the towers while both girder end blocks slide on pads.As the towers move together or apart, the legs change slope, the spherical bearings rotate at springs points and the legs flex at their top end.Horizontal ‘bull nosses’ and vertical ‘teardrop’ sunscreen brackets provide shading to the windows.The unitized curtain wall panel system comprises 33 000 panels.The Petronas Concert Hall is designed in the shape of a 19-century European concert hall.
2. Freezing of the Past
Sze Ya Temple, lot 149, Lebuh Pudu near Petaling Street…this oddly-oriented temple, the oldest Taoist/Buddhist temple in Kuala Lumpur, has an interesting association with the famous third Kapitan Cina, Yap Ah Loy.He founded the temple in 1864.like most Chinese buildings, this temple was built on the principles of Feng Shui, which explains why the layout is not in alignment with the surrounding building and roads Jalan Tun H.S.Lee, Jalan Hang Kasturi and Jalan Petaling, near the present Pasar Seni(Central Market).The Feng Shui geomantic orientation also means the temple is hidden from the main roads by old double-storey shoplots designed to the fill out the remainder of the rectangular block.This unaligned orientation resulted in the temple being rather isolated from its surrounding streets, with the only access being small achway entrance of curious design, leading to the temple courtyard.The temple is a single-storey building with a straightforward, utilitarian design, through with many embellishments suitable for a temple. The plan comprises a main hall, two side halls, with multiple deity idols and associated images filling the spaces.
3.Transition between the Past and the Present
Pasar Seni (Centrals Market) and old name Old Market Wet, location Jalan Hang Kasturi, not too far from old market wet site, one of the most distinguishing features of 1930s Art Deco styled building is its high skylights which run the length of the building , as well as the enormous glass panel windows.In fact, Central Market may have well been Kuala Lumpur’s first energy-efficient building.Designed by R.H.Steed of the Town Engineering Department, Central Market had originally been intended as a two storey building with an internal double storey spaces.Most fortuitously a decision to turn the market ito the tourist centred arts and crafts centre saved it from possible demolition.Following conversation and refurbishment made with some expansions, Central Market reopened in 1986.Much of the building has been preserved, including its original Art Deco features, blue-green resistant glass, metal grill work, and strongly mouled friezes. The new Central Market has become an award winning Malaysians living arts and crafts centre, bustling with the new activity-it now hosts over 200 shop & stalls, as well as restaurants & cultural activity areas. All this befits its Malay name, Pasar Seni, or Arts Market. Behind the Central Market, several old shops lots have converted in eateries & boutiques. This project, called Central Squares, is aimed at the retaining shops’ older Art-Deco or colonial facades while establishing the are facing the river embakment in a wildly post-modern architectural style.
4.Cultural Crossroads
The commercial centre every town in Malaysia before World War II was characterized by one or more main street lined with shophouses, usually two storey high, with the lower floor used for trading & upper floor used the for residential.The early masonry shophouses in the 19th century were usually around 6-7 metres wide & 30 metres deep, sometimes extending to 60 metres. They were always built in rows with uniform facades & continuous, covered 5 foot way in front. Other typical features included the jack roof-a smaller roof raised above the main roof to allow accumulated hot air in to the houses to escape & low, rickety, shuttred windows on the front of the first floor. The decorative styles which typified the facades of Malaysians shophouses constructed up to the 1920s were builts from memory or based on copy books of styles found in parts of southern China & Shanghai which had come under British jurisdiction in 1842 were attracted to stylistic interpretaction European architecture.The decorative styles which emerged on the Western facades & Chinese forms on Malaysians shophouses thus varied from Neogothic, Baroque & Classical to Palladian. Stucco design of flower & birds decorate the walls below the window, while wreaths, festoons & swags decorate the walls. The window appear various shapes; some comprise square-topped openings with arched fanlights, others full length windows balustrades, while yet others have squares or segmented vents above. In accordance with Neoclassical Palladian styles of the period, the facades of the symmetrical in their arrangement since the row of houses was usually designed as a block or entity. During the postwar period, particulary from the 1960s onwards, the form of shophouses was continue was along similar lins, but with advent of International Modernism, & the move away from excessive ornamentation, the facades of shophouses were not longer embellished in revivalist styles but were left completely unadorned.With rising land values, the shophouses became taller,sometimes reaching storeys.
5. Collapsing Identity
Internationally, 1950s & 1960s was a period of rethinking and evuating many of fundamental principles of the Internationally Style. With the rise of nationalism in newly independent countries & the perceived decline of Western ‘Progessive’ idea, non-Westren nation such as Malaysia searched their roots to indentity images that would serve as models for their architectural future.The nationalist response,…in the West, where the International Style ideals were born, critiscm of its bland machine aesthetic came from architects & artist who favoured a more communicative building relating more closely to the socialcultural and historical context. The importance of internationalism in architecture began to ebb with national tradition coming to the fore, based on climate, natural resources, local traditions & economic concerns.Climate to the solution, in funtionalist design by architects in Malaysia during 1950s & 1960s can be seen in the use strateges, such as sunshading elements & building orientation. The building is taken as a machine that is modified climatically through the sensitive design of fenestration, choice of weathered materials & spatial layout.
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