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Malaysia's Merdeka 118 tower, the world's second-tallest building, tops out

2021-12-02T15:03:00-05:00

Malaysia on Tuesday completed the tower spire of the building that’s set to become the world’s second-tallest skyscraper. The Merdeka 118 will reach a height of 678.9 meters when completed in 2022, the tallest structure after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The project will be an economic catalyst for the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said at a ceremony.

The new imposing tower in central Kuala Lumpur was designed by Australian firm Fender Katsalidis Architects.

BIG unveils ambitious masterplan for Penang South Islands

2020-08-24T13:37:00-04:00

BIG, Hijjas, and Ramboll have been selected as the winners of the Penang State Government's international competition to design a masterplan for the Penang South Islands, which will provide locals with roughly 4.6 kilometers of public beaches, 600 acres of parks and 25 kilometers of waterfront. Called "BiodiverCity," the design team's masterplan supports the Penang 2030 vision, focusing on livability, social and economic inclusive development, and environmental sustainability.

The project will span three islands to bring together a series of mixed-use districts of 15,000 to 18,000 residents across 50 to 500 acres, with an emphasis on the symbiotic relationship between reserves, parks, corridors and urban plazas.

Of the project, BIG founder Bjarke Ingels said in a statement: "If Penang is defined by its rich cultural diversity and its abundant biodiversity, we would like to envision the Penang South islands as an archipelago where the two can coexist in a human-made ecosystem, expa...

Is Singapore really the greenest city in Asia?

2019-07-12T14:49:00-04:00

It's a small, dense, island nation where 100% of the population is urbanized. And yet, the city-state of Singapore is the greenest city in Asia, according to the Green City Index, and arguably has few competitors in the rest of the world. As Singapore's population and economy grew, so did its green cover: it was about 36% in the 1980s and it now stands at 47%, according to the Center for Liveable cities.

Becoming one of the "must-see" places in the world, Singapore has created a name for itself amongst travelers. Even Hollywood has already capitalized on the nation's likability and illustrious cityscape thanks to the top-grossing film, Crazy Rich Asians. However, beyond the food and Instagramable sites, what can other cities, urban planners, and architects learn from Singapore's urbanized infrastructure?

Singapore: Flower Dome and Cloud Forest in The Gardens by the Bay. Image © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

In a CNN travel piece written by Meera Senthilingam, she explains, "while the word "green" can take on a variety of connotations, Singapore appears to encompass them all -- lush environments, renewable energy, and future sustainability." The Singapore Green Buildings Council (SGBC) does not take sustainability lightly. Although the city-state is budding with lush greenery, we must note the city's lack of natural resources. However, where it lacks in natural resources, it makes up for in env...

The Petronas vs. Sears Tower controversy revisited

2019-05-03T14:43:00-04:00

The decision – that the Petronas Towers were indeed the world’s new tallest building(s), measuring 451.9 meters to the tops of their decorative spires – was based on the re-affirmation of a standard the Council had held for some 60 years. The antennae atop Sears Tower, which took it to an ultimate height of 527 meters, did not count toward its “architectural” height, because the antennae were not considered a permanent part of the building. [...] It was not a popular decision in Chicago [...]

Remember when the Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia laid claim to the title of "World’s Tallest Building" in 1996; daring to challenge Sears Tower's crown which had been the incumbent record holder since 1974? The Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the organization responsible for keeping track of proper building heights, back then determined in a historic announcement that Kuala Lumpur's brand new twin Petronas Towers measured 451.9 meters/1,483 feet from sidewalk to the top of their spires and were indeed the world's new reigning champions.

The CTBUH's decision was not well received in Chicago, to say the least, and a heated debate errupted whether Sears Tower's antennae should have been included in the building height determination to keep the 110-story behemoth at the top and the largely unrivaled sense of American exceptionalism intact. (The champion title has never returned to the United States since then, and Sears Tower, now Willis Tower, is currently ranked at ...

The Garden of Eden is reimagined with Pamela Tan's ethereal installation

2019-01-22T10:38:00-05:00

Generally depicted as a place filled with lush greenery surrounded by life and abundance, The Garden of Eden is referenced in literature, film, and design. In religious texts, those familiar with the book of Genesis read about Eden and its detailed reference to "Paradise." A place filled with trees bearing the fruits of the earth, Eden also happens to be the place where the serpent tempts Adam and Eve. However, despite its common visual representation architectural designer Pamela Tan used her multidisciplinary background to approach Eden's vision with a different perspective. Tan's project, Eden, is a vision in white. The public installation set to be a permanent exhibition in a Malaysian retail center reflects an ethereal heavenly approach.

Eden designed by Pamela Tan. Photography by David Yeow

The Crystal Palace, 1851. © wikiarquitectura.com

At first glance, the immersive installation embodies shapes forms reminiscent of modern architectural designs. However, upon closer examinati...

From London to Kuala Lumpur: Serpentine Pavilion on the move.

2017-12-14T12:07:00-05:00

The Serpentine Pavilion 2017, designed this year by Germany-based architect Francis Kere, will be moved to Malaysia by early next year. “Thanks to the generous donations by a group of philanthropists, Ilham Gallery now has a prestigious architectural commission in its collection. “It was a surprising yet very welcome bit of news to be the new custodian of this exciting work,” said Ilham Gallery director Rahel Joseph.

In an exciting and unexpected outcome, Francis Kere's serpentine pavilion will be given renewed life with a permanent move to Kuala Lumpur next year. With the final site still unknown, the transition was made possible by a plethora of donations and support.

The short shelf life and physical ephemerality of architecture's competitions and their constructs have become a potent theme of debate in contemporary discourse, and as such, it is invigorating to see such a positive outcome to the Serpentine's pavilion competition.

Kere's pavilion was inspired by the tree that serves as a central meeting point for life in his home town of Gando, Burkina Faso, Francis Kéré design is a responsive Pavilion that seeks to connect its visitors to nature – and each other. An expansive roof, supported by a central steel framework, mimics a tree’s canopy, allowing air to circulate freely while offering shelter against London rain and summer heat.

To see a walkthrough of the pavilion's inception and ins...

Shitting bricks: researchers experiment with making concrete from sewage

2016-07-13T13:52:00-04:00

Malaysia has too much sewage sludge and not enough concrete, a problem which naturally prompted an "aha!" moment among researchers. By burning and drying wet sewage sludge cake and then grinding and sieving the dry cake to produce Domestic Waste Sludge Powder (DWSP), the Malaysian researchers are attempting to create an additive that can be mixed with cement to produce concrete.

So far, they've found a mixture of between 3% to 15% DWSP in cement produces fairly strong concrete, although the higher percentage of DWSP, the less strong the concrete becomes. Variables abound: according to this report, higher incineration temperatures can produce better DWSP, and the more DWSP in the concrete, the higher the water absorption.

More waste-related news:

The anti-starchitect approach of Malaysia's Veritas Design Group

2016-04-08T17:56:00-04:00

the firm founded by Harvard-trained David Mizan Hashim has made a name over three decades as a stalwart of the Malaysian architecture scene [...] It is now the country’s second-largest architecture firm, with 330 staffers led by 14 architect principals; 5 of them head Veritas offices overseas. [...] “I purposely don’t want all decisions to come from me,” [Hashim] says ... “My strategy is planned obsolescence.”

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