Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Architecture and Fine Arts DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE Sta.

Mesa, Manila

Submitted by: Apigo, Kryzia A. Asuncion, Arvin Jerome A. Basco Jr., Mario A. Calleja, Martin Owen G. Erni, Ned Angelo J. Estadilla, Jerome Cristopher H. Fabregas, Alissa Joana C. BS Arch II-2

Submitted to: Archt. Jocelyn Lutap

Professor

February 18, 2013

I.

INTRODUCTION

Architecture of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic influences that have shaped the said countries as a whole. Invaders, colonizers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques of these countries. A. MALAYSIA Architecture in Malaysia is a combination of many styles, from Islamic and Chinese styles to those brought by European colonists. Malay architecture has changed due to these influences. Houses in the north are similar to those in Thailand, while those in the south are similar to those in Java. New materials, such as glass and nails, were brought in by Europeans, changing the architecture. B. INDONESIA The Architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonisers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques. Traditionally, the most significant foreign influence has been Indian. However, Chinese, Araband since the 18th and 19th centuries European influences have played significant roles too in shaping Indonesian architecture. Although religious architecture has been widespread in Indonesia, the most significant was developed in Java. The island's long tradition of religious syncretism extended to architecture, which fostered uniquely Javanese styles of Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and to a lesser extent, Christian architecture C. SINGAPORE The architecture of Singapore displays a range of influences and styles from different places and periods. These range from the eclectic styles and hybrid forms of the colonial period to the tendency of more contemporary architecture to incorporate trends from around the world. In both aesthetic and technological terms, Singapore architecture may be divided into the more traditional pre-World War II colonial period, and the largely modern post-war and post-colonial period.

II.

INFLUENCES

A. MALAYSIA Geographical Malaysia is a country located in Southeast Asia. There are two distinct parts to this country being Peninsular Malaysia to the west and East Malaysia to the east. Peninsular Malaysia is located south of Thailand, north of Singapore and east of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. East Malaysia is located on the island of Borneo and shares borders with Brunei and Indonesia. The architecture was taking on the feel of the country that each region was settled by as neighborhoods, especially in Malacca, arose in the Chinese style and Indian style; certain regions, such as the northern part of the Malay Peninsula took on outside influences as well, such as the Thailand style, while those in the south are similar to those inJava.

Geological Since Malaysia has a tropical climate, building materials such as timber, rattan, tree roots, bamboo and leaves are easily available from the tropical forests. In a traditional Malay house, timber is used for the building structures, rattan and tree roots are used for tieing up joints whereas bamboo and leaves are used for floors and walls. Climatic Malaysia is situated in the central part of the Southeast Asia, it is bordered by longitudes 100 degrees and 120 degrees east; and by Latitudes of the Equator and 7 degrees North. The country is sunny, hot anf humid all year round with temperatures range from 25 C to 34 C. It has an annual rainfall from 80" to 100". Due to heavy monsoon rains, the roofs of the Malay vernacular houses are very steep. In some places, flooding occurs after heavy rainfalls. To solve this problem, some houseshave used timber stilts to elevate the building above the ground level. The warm climate also effects the style of the Malay vernacular architecture. For ventilation purposes, many buildings have large openings on the sides and grilles are provided at high level in gable ends. Houses raised on stilts are provided with better natural ventilation. Culture & Religion In the Malay culture, buildings such as houses andpalaces that are highly handcrafted and beautifully patterned and decorated reflect the building owners high status. For instance, the old Kenangan Palace in Kuala Kangsar, Perak which was built by a

Fig.1. Map of Malaysia. http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/malaysia_m ap.htm

Malay sultan, has mignificiently crafted walls. As Muslims, the Malays have adopted the Islamic principles of orientation of mosques, particularly the prayer halls which have to be designed and faced towards Mecca. In other cases, some of the traditional Malay houses have floors at different levels, indicating the room functions. For instance, the verandah floor is raised lower than the living room floor. This is not only indicating the room functions but also giving a sense of spatial transition in the building. Foreign Influence During the colonisation periods of the Portuguese, Dutch and British, Malay architecture was exposed to many new building technologies. For example, zinc and clay tiles as substitutes for roofs made of leaves; brick and cement columns as replacements for timber stilts and ladder; glass for windows which were formerly open; and nails as alternatives for rattan and tree roots that tie joints together. These features can be seen at the Alor Setar's Balai Besar or Audience Hall in Kedah state. Built in 1898, the building has clay tile roofs, brick and cement stairs, glass windows with brick and timber walls. Each of these had a profound impact on the Malay vernacular architecture. It can also, then, be observed that the process of adopting new technologies to ancient architecture is not entirely a new idea. Malay architecture has been modified by technological and cultural changes for centuries. Today, the styles of the Malay vernacular achitecture have inspired many young architects and engineers in designing Malaysia's contemporary architecture. In the past years, many modern buildings have focused their design concepts on the Malay vernacular architecture, particularly the Malay houses and palaces. Various roof shapes have derived from the Malay houses such as from the states of Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu.

B. INDONESIA Geographical

Indonesia is an archipelagic island country in Southeast Asia, lying between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is in a strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean. The country's variations in culture have been shapedalthough not specifically determinedby centuries of complex interactions with the physical environment. Indonesia is an archipelagic country extending 5,120 kilometres (3,181 mi) from east to west and 1,760 kilometres (1,094 mi) from north to south. It encompasses an estimated 17,508 islands, only 6,000 of which are inhabited. It comprises five main islands: Sumatra, Java, Borneo (known as "Kalimantan" in Indonesia), Sulawesi, and New Guinea; two major archipelagos (Nusa Tenggara and the Maluku Islands); and sixty smaller archipelagoes. Four of the islands are shared with other nations: Borneo is shared with Malaysia and Brunei, Sebatik, located eastern coast of Kalimantan, shared with Malaysia, Timor is shared with East Timor, and the newly divided provinces of Papua and West Papua share the island of New Guinea with Papua New Guinea. Indonesia's total land area is 1,919,317 square kilometres (741,052 sq mi). Latitude = 5.00 S & Longitude = 120.00 W Geological

Sumatra, Java, Madura, and Kalimantan lie on the Sunda Shelf and geographers have conventionally grouped them, (along with Sulawesi), as the Greater Sunda Islands. At Indonesia's eastern extremity is western New Guinea, which lies on the Sahul Shelf. Sea depths in the Sunda and Sahul shelves average 200 metres (656 ft) or less. Borneo is the third largest island in the world and the original vegetation was mostly Borneo lowland rain forests although much of this has been cleared with wildlife retreating to the Borneo montane rain forests inland. Nusa Tenggara consists of two strings of islands stretching eastward from Bali toward Papua. The inner arc of Nusa Tenggara is a continuation of the chain of mountains and volcanoes extending from Sumatra through Java, Bali, and Flores, and trailing off in the volcanic Banda Islands, which along with the Kai Islands and the Tanimbar Islands and other small islands in the Banda Sea are typical examples of the Wallacea mixture of Asian and Australasian plant and animal life. The Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) are geologically among the most complex of the Indonesian islands. They are located in the northeast sector of the archipelago, bounded by the Philippines to the north, Papua to the east, and Nusa Tenggara to the south. The largest of these islands include Halmahera, Seram and Buru, all of which rise steeply out of very deep seas and have unique Wallacea vegetation. Climatic

Lying along the equator, Indonesia's climate tends to be relatively even year-round. The country experiences two seasonsa wet season and a dry seasonwith no extremes of summer or winter. For most of Indonesia, the wet season falls between October and April with the dry season between May and September. Some regions, such as Kalimantan and Sumatra, experience only slight differences in rainfall and temperature between the seasons, whereas others, such as Nusa Tenggara, experience far more pronounced differences with droughts in

the dry season, and floods in the wet. Rainfall in Indonesia is plentiful, particularly in west Sumatra, northwest Kalimantan, west Java, and western New Guinea. Parts of Sulawesi and some islands closer to Australia, such as Sumba and Timor, are drier, however, these are exceptions. Historical, Social, Religious

Although religious architecture has been widespread in Indonesia, the most significant was developed in Java. The island's long tradition of religious syncretism extended to architecture, which fostered uniquely Javanese styles of Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and to a lesser extent, Christian architecture. A number of often large and sophisticated religious structures (known as candi in Indonesian) were built in Java during the peak of Indonesia's great Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms between the 8th and 14th centuries. The earliest surviving Hindu temples in Java are at the Dieng Plateau. The Dieng structures were small and relatively plain, but architecture developed substantially and just 100 years later the second Kingdom of Mataram built the Prambanan complex near Yogyakarta; considered the largest and finest example of Hindu architecture in Java. The World Heritage-listed Buddhist monument Borobudur was built by the Sailendra Dynasty between 750 and 850 AD, but it was abandoned shortly after its completion as a result of the decline of Buddhism and a shift of power to eastern Java. The monument contains a vast number of intricate carvings that tell a story as one moves through to the upper levels, metaphorically reaching enlightenment. With the decline of the Mataram Kingdom, eastern Java became the focus of religious architecture with an exuberant style reflecting Shaivist, Buddhist and Javanese influences; a fusion that was characteristic of religion throughout Java. Although brick was used to some extent during Indonesia's classical era, it was the Majapahit builders who mastered it, using a mortar of vine sap and palm sugar. The temples of Majaphit have a strong geometrical quality with a sense of verticality achieved through the use of numerous horizontal lines often with an almost art-deco sense of streamlining and proportion. Majapahit influencess can be seen today in the enormous number of Hindu temples of varying sizes spread throughout Bali. Although they have elements in common with global Hindu styles, they are of a style largely unique to Bali and owe much to the Majapahit era. By the fifteenth century, Islam had become the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia's two most populous islands. As with Hinduism and Buddhism before it, the new religion, and the foreign influences that accompanied it, were absorbed and reinterpreted, with mosques given a unique Indonesian/Javanese interpretation. At the time, Javanese mosques took many design cues from Hindu, Buddhist, and even Chinese architectural influences In 19th century, the sultanates of Indonesian archipelago began to adopt and absorb foreign influences of Islamic architecture, as alternative to Javanese style already popular in the archipelago. The Indo-Islamic and Moorish style are particularly favoured by Aceh Sultanate and Deli Sultanate, as displayed in Banda Aceh Baiturrahman Grand Mosque built in 1881, and Medan Grand Mosque built in 1906. Particularly during the decades since Indonesian

independence, mosques have tended to be built in styles more consistent with global Islamic styles, which mirrors the trend in Indonesia towards more orthodox practice of Islam.

C. SINGAPORE Geographical

Singapore is comprises 1 main island and about 50 small adjacent islands off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. The main island, Singapore Island, is separated from Malaysia on the north by the narrow Johore Strait and is linked by road and rail to the Malaysian city of Johor Baharu. On the south, Singapore Island is separated from Indonesias Riau Archipelago by the Singapore Strait, an important shipping channel linking the Indian Ocean to the west with the South China Sea on the east.
Fig.3 Map of Singapore-www.learngeo.com

Geological

Tropical hardwood plays an important role in erecting the skeletal structure of their houses. Medium hardwoods, like meranti, were used as floor boards, roof rafters and door and window frames. Soils are relatively infertile, and clays and sand are the only mineral resources. A timber house in Palau Ubin is an example of vernacular architecture part of village or kampong houses built in the Malay tradition. Malay kampong houses were built on stilts and raised above the ground or water depending on location.

Fig.4 A timber house in Palau Ubin en.wikipedia.com

Climatic

Because Singapore lies just north of the equator, the wet tropical climate has no clearly defined seasons. The average annual temperature is 27C and the average annual rainfall is 2,400 mm. Although rainfall is abundant throughout the year, November through January is the

wettest months. Due to the countrys climate emphasis of lush landscaping and sleek sunshading are developed. Historical, Social and Religious

Inhabitants of the Malaysian peninsula and the island of Singapore first migrated to the area between 2500 and 1500 B.C. British and Dutch interest in the region grew with the spice trade as it was made a separate Crown colony of Britain in 1946, when the former colony of the Straits Settlements was dissolved. The other two settlements on the peninsulaPenang and Malaccabecame part of the Union of Malaya, and the small island of Labuan was transferred to North Borneo. Singapores principal religions are Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. The majority of Chinese Singaporeans follow Buddhism, although Daoism (Taoism), and more recently Christianity, are also popular. Malay Singaporeans are predominantly Muslim, while more than half the Indian Singaporeans profess Hinduism. Singapores cultural and social life reflects its past colonial administration and the countrys diverse population. Chinese, Malay, Indian, and British influences are apparent in Singapores art, architecture, and fine arts. British colonial architecture, for example, is represented by the Parliament House, City Hall, and the Raffles Hotel. Chinese, Hindu, and Islamic architecture are represented in the ornate Shuang Lin Temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, and the Sultan Mosque, respectively. Singapores National Museum complex consists of one museum devoted to the contemporary art of Southeast Asia, one to Asian cultures, and

III.

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

A. MALAYSIA Architecture in Malaysia is a combination of Islamic, Chinese and European brought by European colonists. Houses in the north are similar to those in Thailand, while those in the south are similar to those in Java. New materials, such as glass and nails, were brought in by Europeans, changing the architecture. Houses are built for tropical conditions, raised on stilts with high roofs and large windows, allowing air to flow through the house and cool it down. Wood has been the main building material for much of Fig.5 Malaysia's history; it is used for everything from the simple Kampong a malaysian villagekampong(a Malay hamlet or village see fig . ) to royal walkingbackintime.wordpress.com palaces. Besides wood, other common materials such as bamboo and leaves were used.The Oral Asal of East Malaysia live in longhouses and water villages(see fig .). Longhouses are elevated and on stilts, and can house 20 to 100 families.

Water villages are also built on stilts, with houses connected with planks and most transport by boats. Even before the Second World War, European style had influenced the architecture of Malaya, especially to the buildings style in Malacca, Penang, Kuala Lumpur as well as Perak. The styles were modified according to the tropical climate and combined with architecture influence of Malay, Classical Portuguese, Dutch, English and Chinese. Since 15th Century, when Chinese merchants came to the Straits Settlement of Malacca, they had Fig.6 brought in Straits Eclectic styles. Besides, the British Long houses are elevated and on stilts, architecture was also altered to cope with the tropical and can house 20 to 100 familiesclimate and combined with the influence of Malay, isharethese.blogspot.com European, Portuguese and Dutch. It has created a unique style in urban architecture, such as shophouses and terrace houses. This architecture style was very initially influential in Penang and Singapore but later spreading to the whole of the town and cities in Malaysia. These styles have a few variations from one region to another where large numbers of Chinese populations have settled predominantly in Penang, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Within this general style, several building periods can be identified as: 1) Malacca Town Houses Town houses designs were unique and had variety of architectural styles. Columns and pilasters may be in Doric and Corinthian. Windows may be Venetian, Chinese or Malay imitative with louvered by European influence, or solid shutters, by Chinese influence. In houses of that era, the upper floors do not extend beyond the walkway and instead there is a lower secondary roof. Though the main architecture influences to the buildings were from Chinese, the European architecture influences, especially Dutch row houses tradition were very obvious as well. Buildings are usually less lavish with more usage of wood on the faade. The houses were usually only two storeys with a variety of building heights but some of them were only 1 storey. The unique roofs tiled with Chinese clay tiles with the rounded gabled end, which originated from Chinese were one of the features rare to be found in this era. These roofs do not have a secondary roof for ventilation and only rely on internal air wells. Figure:7 Town houses built during Mid-18th century and earlier; or known as early town housesmalaysiadesignarchive.org

2) Kuala Lumpur Shophouses In the 1850s, many Chinese tin miners migrated from Klang to Kuala Lumpur to operate new and larger tin mines under Sultan of Selangor. It was then the beginning of the development of Kuala Lumpur. Though the shophouse form was developed in Malacca, Penang and Singapore by the early 19th century, shophouses were only introduced in Kuala Lumpur during 1884. The Kuala Lumpur shophouses styles are similar to the styles that are current in Europe. Kuala Lumpur because of its strategic location. During this early period, all building structures were made of wood and attap (thatch roof).

Figure :8 Kuala Lumpur in transition (c 1884) attap shanties in the foreground and brick buildings behind with the wall of jungle in the background; Source: Gullick, J. M., (2000), A History of
Kuala Lumpur 1856 -1939, Selangor: MBRAS, p. 312

Thereafter, buildings are required to be constructed in bricks and tiles also the introduction of a building system by instructing the original attap hut settlement to be rebuilt in brick with tiled roofs and a five foot covered passageway along the road. A shophouse was required to provide a walkway or veranda-way, which at least had five feet in width. Since then, this kind of walkway was called the kaki lima or five-foot way. The main reason of creating a 1.5m wide covered passage in front of the shophouse was to enable pedestrians to walk under cover, protected from the sun and rain, and away from vehicular traffic. Later on, they also imposed a regulation to leave a space or lane at the back of the shophouses as a sanitary lane. It was a space in between two rows of shophouses that faced back to back.

Figure : 9 The first shophouses built in brick, sited in Old Market Square, and built by Yap Ah Loy, noticeably lacking the ornate fronts of later shophouses, though they are two-storey buildings of that type.
Source: Gullick, J. M., (2000), A History of Kuala Lumpur 1856 1939, Selangor: MBRAS, p. 319

3) Kuala Lumpur villas The grand villas in Malaysia were mainly built during the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century by wealthy Chinese businessman. After staying sometime in Europe, they were strongly influenced by the architecture style. After returning to Malaysia, they asked their designers to design and employed craftsman from Europe to build mansions, which look like the ones they saw in Europe. They even imitate the Neo-Classical motifs that were popular in Europe. The Chinese believe in fengshui and it was incorporated into the design of these buildings and this gave them a specifically European/Asian eclecticism. The orientation of the buildings was strictly following fengshui principles and the mansions were liberally decorated with symbolic ornamentation that had special meanings to them. Within the Straits Eclectic style, several architectural styles can be identified in Kuala Lumpur villas:

A. European influence - These buildings had a mixture of different style but the building plans were mainly European-style with some Baroque influence and Palladian style during Renaissance revivalism. The Renaissance and Palladian buildings have a special feature, which is a symmetrical design. However, the slight curve on the portico, ornateness of the gate and grand central stairs are of Baroque influence. The roof in Malaysia has a steep pitch. The balustrade on the roof peak serves the purpose of hiding skylight that provides natural lighting for the hall on the upper floor. There is also a verandah surrounding the building on its both floors. Bok House, which is located at JalanAmpang, is one of the great examples of these types of the villas. It is a more purely European-style villa built in the early 1890s in Kuala Lumpur. The symmetry of the building, the uniquely shaped balusters, the repetition of columns at the corners and the extreme use of the dentils and the brackets at the architrave showed that the Renaissance planning was adapted to the tropical climate.

Fig..10 Bok House (example of Kuala Lumpur villa) bonescythe.blogspot.com

B. Chinese/European influence These buildings have various styles from both Chinese and European influences. Another example on this style is WismaLoke. The mansion is reminiscent of a European-style villa and had a symmetrical design with a central entrance doorway leading to an inner two-storey courtyard. The annexe, which has ornate balcony terraces with decorative formed iron beautify the building. There are artworks on the Dutch gable ends and on the front faade of the building. Chinese-style ventilators and windows were used and roof-top parapets obviously rose above the roof line. Chinese murals, Chinese figures and sculptured relief are found in the exterior and

interior of the mansion. Although the style is more to European style, the integration of Chinese style makes these houses a unique Straits Eclectic structure.

Figure :11WismaLoke stands on the site of an earlier mansion which was erected by a wealthy tin miner, Chow Ah Loke in 1885

B. INDONESIA The architecture in middle Java consists of solid stone walls, corbelled arches and with no load bearing columns, which reached its consummation with the stupa of Barabadur and the temple complex of prambanam. It is always associated with isolated religious communities and never with large centers of popoulation. In the 11th century, With the shift of power to east Java ,A new development started characterized by lessening the Indian Influence and focus on native Indonesian tradition, reflected especially in the sculpture which already foreshadows the folk-art of the Javanese wayang puppet drama.( see fig ) Timber is abundant and varried throughout Indonesia and has always been the material used for houses, the traditional dwelling is a long house(see fig.. ) generally raised on stilts and often sheltering an entire Fig.12Wayang shadow puppet clan. It is seen at its architectural best in Menang Kabau homes of South Central Sumatra, which are carried on carved and decorated wooden pillars, the facades adorned with colored patterns of intertwined flowers in white , black and red, he inwar-sloping ridge(saddle back) roof with high gables at each ornamented with buffalo horns.

Fig.13 Indonesian long hous http://artasia.www2.50megs.com/Indonesia/ houses.htm

Fig.14. Rumahadat : A traditional Indonesian dwelling -ibijehmata.wordpress.com

Each of Indonesia's ethnic groups has its own distinctive form of the traditional vernacular architecture of Indonesia. Rumahadat(see fig) are at the centre of a web of customs, social relations, traditional laws, taboos, myths and religions that bind the villagers together. The house provides the main focus for the family and its community, and is the point of departure for many activities of its residents.Traditional Indonesian homes are not architect designed, rather villagers build their own homes, or a community will pool their resources for a structure built under the direction of a master builder and/or a carpenter Traditional dwellings have developed to respond to natural environmental conditions, particularly Indonesia's hot and wet monsoon climate. As is common throughout South East Asia and the South West Pacific, most rumahadat are built on stilts, with the exception of Java and Bali. Building houses off the ground on stilts serve a number of purposes: it allows breezes to moderate the hot tropical temperatures; it elevates the dwelling above stormwater runoff and mud; it allows houses to be built on rivers and wetland margins; it keeps people, goods and food from dampness and moisture; lifts living quarters above malaria-carrying mosquitos; and reduces the risk of dry rot and termites. The sharply inclined roof allows the heavy tropical rain to quickly sheet off, and large overhanging eaves keep water out of the house and provide shade in the heat. In hot and humid low-lying coastal regions, homes can have many windows providing good cross-ventilation, whereas in cooler mountainous interior areas, homes often have a vast roof and few windows.

IV.

EXAMPLES

SINGAPORE Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is an Integrated Resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is billed as the world's most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, including cost of the prime land. Design The resort is designed by Moshe Safdie, who says it was initially inspired by card decks. In addition to the casino, other key components of the plan are three hotel towers with 2,500 rooms and suites, a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) ArtScience Museum and a convention centre 110,000 sq. m of space, capable of accommodating up to 45,000 people. The resort's architecture and major design changes along the way were also approved by its feng shui consultants, the late Master Chong Swan Lek and Master Louisa Ong-Lee. Esplanade Theatres on the Bay

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay is a waterside building located on six hectares of waterfront land alongside Marina Bay near the mouth of the Singapore River, purpose-built to be the centre for performing arts for the island nation of Singapore. Taking its name from the nearby Esplanade, it contains a Concert Hall which seats about 1,600 and a Theatre with a capacity of about 2,000 for the performing arts. The library at esplanade is located on the third floor of the building. There are outdoor performing centres, and retail and food space at the Esplanade Mall. There is an outdoor open space on the fourth floor of the building, which is the highest point open to the public. Design The building was designed by two architectural firms working in conjunction: by DP Architects (DPA) of Singapore and the London-based Michael Wilford & Partners (MWP), although the latter left the project in May 1995. The original design, presented to the public in 1994, consisted of unadorned glass cases over the theaters, and initially elicited criticisms from the public, including calling it "two copulating aardvarks". Critics also accused that the design is insensitive to Singapore's location and climate as it would have created a greenhouse in the tropical climate of Singapore, but according to DPA director Vikas Gore some form of shading was always intended, and a cladding of aluminum sunshades was added to the final design. The unique architectural design has been said to have an appearance similar to either a

durian (a tropical fruit) or the eyes of a fly. Hence, the building is colloquially known to locals as "the durians". Gardens by the Bay Gardens by the Bay is a park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. Old Parliament House

The Old Parliament House, now known as the Arts House at the Old Parliament, is a building in Singapore. It is currently a multidisciplinary arts venue which plays host to art exhibitions and concerts. The building was formerly home to the Parliament of Singapore from 1965 to 1999, when it moved to an adjacent new building. Built in 1827, the Old Parliament House is the oldest existing government building in Singapore. School of the Arts, Singapore

The School of the Arts is Singapore's specialized independent pre-tertiary arts school. It was initiated by Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, and caters to youths who have talent and capability in the arts. Its campus is built in the Arts and heritage district of Singapore, adjacent to The Cathay.

National Library, Singapore

The National Library in Singapore is located on an 11,304-square metre site between Bugis Junction and the Bras Basah Complex at 100, Victoria Street. The new building, a 16storey, two-block development situated in the city's Civic District, replaces the old National Library at Stamford Road, which closed on 31 March 2004. History The National Library traces its history back to the establishment of the first public library as a result of suggestions by Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. This library, renamed the Hullett Memorial Library in 1923, was co-

located with Singapore's first school, Raffles Institution, at a site now occupied by the Raffles City complex. It moved to a separate Library and Museum Building in 1887 under the name of Raffles Library as part of the Raffles Museum, before moving to the Stamford Road premises in 1960 under the name of the National Library of Singapore. As Singapore gained its independence in 1965, and as the country's population spread into the suburbs, the library, in collaboration with the city's urban planners, established a presence in the suburbs by building a library branch in most of the new towns built by the Housing and Development Board. These branch libraries were each considered a physical extension of the original library at Stamford Road, rather than distinct institutions in their own right, thus the term "National Library" could be said to apply to the original institution and all its affiliates. Parliament House, Singapore

The Parliament House of Singapore is a public building and cultural landmark and houses the Parliament of Singapore. It is located in the Civic District of the Downtown Core within Singapore's central business district (the Central Area). Within its vicinity is Raffles Place, which lies across it from the Singapore River, and the Supreme Court's building across the road. The building was designed to represent a contemporary architectural expression of stateliness and authority. The prism-shaped top, designed by the late former president Ong Teng Cheong, was similarly a modernist take on the traditional dome. Architecture The new Parliament House was designed by the Public Works Department, and comprises three new blocks (Chamber Block, Front Block and Public Block) integrated with an existing restored building built in 1864 and which once housed the Attorney-General's Chambers. This block was gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992. The building was built not only as a venue for parliamentary debates, but also a research centre and meeting place for the members of parliament (MPs), as well as a place of interest for students and the general public. Due to its setting in the richly historical area, the building's overall design harks back to its more historical neighbors with its slate grey external colour scheme and liberal use of accentuated columns reflective of the colonnade design common in classical architecture. The main entrance from North Bridge Road is preceded by a grand ceremonial driveway flanked by palm trees, an iconic tree peculiar to the tropical region and complemented by fountain pools. The building's grand foyer is toped by the timber atrium, seen from the outside as the building's signature prism-shaped pinnacle. With 100 seats and room for 20 more, the new Chamber features contemporary IT features like an electronic voting system, an integrated congress system, IT terminals and so

on. Generous space is devoted to the Strangers' Gallery and the Press Gallery, allowing for more members of the public to observe proceedings. In addition, a new sound-proofed Educational Gallery was built on the top floor of the chamber allowing for staff and teachers to verbally explain live parliamentary proceedings to students, as well as a moot parliament, history corner, and multimedia information kiosks to provide a full educational programme, as is the case in the Parliament House in Canberra. Also part of the new building are a 170-seat auditorium, a library, range of meeting and IT rooms and media facilities, a dining room, a 100-seat public cafeteria and even a gymnasium. Carparking is available below ground, leaving much valuable space above to include lush landscaping and a 2,770 square metre garden. Raffles Hotel

Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore. It was established by two Armenian brothers from PersiaMartin and Tigran Sarkiesin 1887. In later years they were joined by younger brothers Aviet and Arshak and kinsman Martyrose Arathoon. With their innovative cuisine and extensive modernisations, the firm built the hotel into Singapore's best known icon. It was named after Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, whose statue had been unveiled in 1887. The hotel is currently managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International and houses a tropical garden courtyard, museum, and Victorian-style theatre. OCBC Centre

OCBC Centre is a 197.7 m (649 ft), 52-storey skyscraper in Singapore. Serving as the current headquarters of OCBC Bank, the building was completed in 1976 and was the tallest building in the country, and South East Asia, at that time. There are two extensions, OCBC Centre South and OCBC Centre East. There is an Executive Club on one of the higher floors of the building. OCBC Centre East has food and beverage outlets. History OCBC Centre was the result of the second Sale of Sites of the Urban Renewal Department of the Housing and Development Board in 1968. The building was designed by I. M. Pei & Partners (now Pei Cobb Freed & Partners) together with now defunct BEP Akitek (Pte) Singapore and started construction in 1975. Its construction period was only two years due to a three-tier system. The building was completed on 26 November 1976 and was Southeast Asia's tallest building at the time. A bronze sculpture designed by Tan Teng Kee sat at the building until 1983 when it was moved to the now defunct Bras Basah Park. A reclining figure sculpture by Henry Moore has replaced it and a new plaza and reflecting pool were built outside the front entrance of the building. The building has undergone several modernisations and OCBC Centre East and South was constructed at a later date.

Architecture It is designed to be a symbol of strength and permanence, and its structure consists of two semi-circular reinforced concrete cores as well as three lateral girders which helped made construction faster. The building is divided into three sections due to the steel trusses being constructed off-site and were put into position. Each section consists of floors that are cantilevered 6 metres from each column, with load transfer girders spanning at each end taking up boxed sections of the pre-stressed concrete. Swisstel The Stamford

Swisstel The Stamford, is a luxury hotel in Singapore managed by Swisstel Hotels & Resorts. Designed by architect I.M. Pei, Swisstel The Stamford, at a height of 226 metres is one of Southeast Asias tallest hotels. Located in the heart of Singapore, this hotel is part of the Raffles City complex comprising two hotels, the Raffles City convention centre, Raffles City shopping centre, and an office tower. Situated at 2 Stamford Road, the hotel sits above City Hall subway station. The 5-star hotel has 1,261 rooms and suites, 16 restaurants and bars, Raffles City Convention Centre, and one of Asia's largest Spas. The hotel was designed by architect I.M. Pei as The Westin Stamford Singapore, along with its adjacent smaller sister hotel, The Westin Plaza. When completed by the South Korean firm SsangYong Group in 1986, The Westin Stamford was the world's tallest hotel building, rising to a height of 226 metres. Republic Plaza

Republic Plaza is one of the three tallest skyscrapers in Singapore, located at the Southern end of Raffles Place in the Downtown Core, the central business district of Singapore. It shares the title of "tallest building" with the OUB Centre and UOB Plaza One. Built at 280 metres (919 feet) tall, it was completed in 1995, and incorporates earthquake proof features despite the city being relatively far from earthquake zones. Architectural Features The tower is turned 45 degrees from the axis of the ground floor level to maintain sea views from the upper floors. The building has 15 double-decker vertical lifts. The tower was designed to reflect a subtle Oriental influence. The main lobby is four storeys high, finished in polished granite and ceramics. The lobby is framed by concrete-filled tubular steel columns. The exterior faade transitions from granite with strip windows to tinted wall glass, smoothly inclining from an octagonal base to a square top.

Overseas Union Bank Centre (OUB Centre)

Overseas Union Bank Centre, is one of the three tallest skyscrapers in the city of Singapore, sharing the title with the UOB Plaza One and Republic Plaza. At 280 ,it was the tallest building in the world outside North America at the time of its completion in 1986, surpassing South Korea's 63 Building completed 1 year earlier, until it was succeeded by the Bank of China Tower. 280 m is the maximum height permitted by the National Aviation Authority. The building sits at the city centre of Raffles Place. Architectural Features The building consists of two triangular structures with a small space between them. The steel frame allows for column-free office space. The floor system is of reinforced concrete slab composite with a ribbed steel deck. A car park, retail areas, and a link to the MRT system can be found above and below ground. The tower is clad by chemically treated aluminium alloy which changes colour along with the light it reflects. Square and circular designs perforate the building's faade, etched by a grid pattern of rectangles and window units. The dramatic entrance is presented by an eight-storey high cutaway, coupled with skylights and other lighting effects to create an airy feel

MALAYSIA

Petronas Towers The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the CTBUH's official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101. The buildings are the landmark of Kuala Lumpur with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower. Designed by Argentinian architect Csar Pelli. They chose a distinctive postmodern style to create a 21st century icon for Kuala Lumpur. Planning on the Petronas Towers started on 1 January 1992 and included rigorous tests and simulations

of wind and structural loads on the design. Seven years of construction followed, beginning on 1 March 1993 with the excavation, which involved moving 500 truckloads of earth every night to dig down 30 metres (98 ft) below the surface.

Kuala Lumpur Tower The Kuala Lumpur Tower is a tall tower located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its construction was completed on 1 March 1995. It is used for communication purposes and features an antenna that reaches 421 metres. The roof of the pod is at 335 metres. The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant, providing diners with a panoramic view of the city. The official groundbreaking for the Kuala Lumpur Tower was overseen by the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia's Dato Seri Doktor Mahathir Bin Mohamad on 1 October 1991. Construction of the tower was a three-phase process. The first phase was the widening of Jalan Bukit Nanas and the excavation of soil from the construction site. This phase was completed on 1 August 1992. On 1 July 1992, the second phase began with the construction of the foundation and basement of the tower. Approximately 50,000 cubic metres of concrete were continuously poured for 31 hours, thus setting a record in the Malaysian construction industry. The foundation work, requiring no piling, was completed on 1 April 1993. The third phase was the construction of the 'superstructure' which began on 1 May 1994. The construction of the tower started with the erection of the tower shaft, then the tower head. As the finishing touches to the tower head were applied, the construction of the touristic building began. The construction was completed in record time. Maybank Tower Maybank Tower is a major skyscraper and landmark in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Located near Puduraya on the eastern fringe of the old Kuala Lumpur city centre, the tower is the headquarters of Maybank, and houses the Maybank Numismatic Museum. History The construction of Maybank Tower commenced in 1984 on Court Hill, over the site of a colonial era Sessions Court building, and was completed in 1988. Before the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers in 1995, Maybank Tower was the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur as well as Malaysia, at 244 m, around half the height of Petronas Twin Towers. The tower remains a prominent part of the city's skyline.

Architecture The floor plan of the tower consists of two square-based blocks that interlock each other at one of their corners. Each of the two block features a roof and lower base that slant at a direction opposite its other block, while the midsection stands in a perpendicular angle. The main access points of the tower are at the two corners of the structure that feature a space formed from the combination of the structure's two blocks, covered by tiered triangular roofs. Sultan Abdul Samad Building

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is located in front of the Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) and the Royal Selangor Club, by Jalan Raja in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The structure takes its name from Sultan Abdul Samad, the reigning sultan of Selangor at the time when construction began. The building houses the offices of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture of Malaysia. It was designed by A.C. Norman and built in 1894-1897 to house several important government departments during the British administration. A.C. Norman spent time in Africa and saw Muslim mosques in India which led him to use Moorish architecture in the building's design.The 41-meter tower chimed for the first time to coincide with Queen Victorias Jubilee Parade in 1897 and has chimed since.

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