The Forgotten Glory

Project idea

The Klang River, passing right through the center of our capital city, was once a source of Malaysia’s wealth. In the past, the river was the only effective means of transportation. Boats would transit to and from the town of Klang to the confluence of Klang and Gombak rivers to offload their cargoes, and this had transformed Kuala Lumpur into a trade center. However, after decades of industrialization, the river has faded under the glitz of the skyscrapers that dot the city. It has now become a transportation corridor where the modern public transportation system was constructed parallel above the river, forming an invisible boundary.

Industrialization has also caused an impact on our nation's historical heritage. One of Malaysia’s highest achievements, the indigenous and unique boat-making technique of the coastal Malay community, is now on brink of extinction as the demand is decreasing rapidly nowadays. Aside from that, the wood crafting industry is also fighting a losing battle. These cultures have become industrialized and getting replaced by machine-made products, thus slowly losing their traditional craftsmen cause an urgency in preserving the collective memory of its artistic value, which carries not only the cultural identity values but also knowledge of authenticity that should not disappear.

The aim of this project is to design a culture experience center devoted to the boat-making and wood crafting heritage. The purpose of the center is to remind people of the history and importance of the Klang River, in the hope that its program will gravitate people towards the river. The Culture Experience Center will also raise public interest and raise the society’s awareness regarding the dying cultural heritage, acting as a learning center forth dying arts, an archive for the valuable knowledge of tradition.

Project description

The concept is to propose a culture center with a strong visual identity that spoke of the nature of the program, to translate the essence and spirit of boat making.

Technical information

Sustainable Design Features:
1. Double roof system to filter heat and carries heat gain away from the building
2. Overlapping roof creates gaps to allow natural cross ventilation
3. Introducing water element for passive cooling
4. Double skin facade to provide partial shading from the harsh tropical sun

Materiality:
- Composite timber wall cladding to imitate the boat surface.
- Metal corrugated roof to complement the existing shophouses on site
- Copper coloured metal perforated screen to provide partial shading while providing a sense of transparency

Documentation

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