Vernacular architecture
The Malays, the original inhabitants of Malaysia, have been present here since Neolithic times. This is particularly true of the Dayak people in the Malaysian part of Borneo, to whom we owe the longhouses. Constructed of wood and built on stilts - because they are built on marshland - they can accommodate up to a hundred people. In addition to mitigating the effects of humidity, stilted structures allow air to circulate beneath the dwelling, thus cooling it. Far from the "primitive" label often attached to them, these constructions are in fact highly sophisticated, as evidenced by their wooden framework made from tropical hardwood posts and beams. Medium hardwoods are used for floors and door and window frames. The steeply pitched roof is made from palm thatch, while the walls are constructed from woven bamboo strips. This structure, perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions, is complemented by carved wooden decorative elements. The villages thus created are called kampong. This traditional Malay architecture is found mainly in the states of Sabah and Sarawak. In Kuching, don't miss a visit to the Sarawak Cultural Village, with its beautiful reconstructions of traditional dwellings. In the state of Negeri Sembilan, the houses have a fascinating peculiarity: their structures are built without nails, using the beam assembly method. The Istana Lama, Seri Menanti's old palace, built in 1905, is one of the most astonishing examples. Kelongs, offshore dwellings designed by fishermen, are also built without nails, rattan being used to bind trunks and planks of wood. The stilts of these houses, 20 m long, are sunk to a depth of around 6 m. Though frail in appearance, they are nonetheless extremely resistant.
Chinese and Indian influences
The Chinese have left a strong imprint on Malaysia. First of all, they imported their traditional architecture, mainly used for building temples. These constructions rival each other in boldness and beauty, but they all share common features such as wooden frames, roofs curved at the corners (or coattails), coloured tiles and an abundance of ornamentation (with ceramic sculptures on the roofs and carved columns in particular). The Cheng Hoon Teng temple in Malacca is considered one of the oldest and finest examples of this traditional Chinese architecture. And don't miss the Khoo Kongsi temple in George Town, where one of the country's most powerful clans welcomed new Chinese immigrants. This typically Chinese architecture is complemented by a hybrid architecture, a mixture of Chinese tradition and Malay influence, used by the Chinese to facilitate their assimilation. These Chinese of the straits, the Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan, devised a style that today is referred to as "Chinese Baroque" or Tropical Renaissance. From Chinese architecture, this style borrows colorful tiles, composite pilasters and decorative richness. From Malay tradition, it borrows wooden eaves and ornamentation. This style is particularly evident in shophouses, colorful boutique houses whose rich ornamentation reflects that of their owners. The store is located on the first floor, with the living quarters on the upper floors. Their entrances are often double-doored: swinging doors to the outside allow the interior doors to remain open, thus ventilating the dwelling, which also has several interior courtyards. Penang and Malacca are fine examples.
Like the Chinese, the Indians imported their beliefs and architectural systems to build their temples. These are organized around a sanctuary housing a statue of the deity being celebrated. A porch must be passed through before entering the sanctuary, which is covered and protected by a tower lavishly decorated with sculptures. Depending on the size of the temple, prayer rooms may be added on the way to the sanctuary, and a corridor created around the heart. Hindu temples are often protected by an outer enclosure. The Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur, with its gold ornamentation, hand-painted motifs and stunning carvings, is one of the most beautiful in the country. Built in 1873, its superb tower, Raja Gopuram, was added in 1968. The Batu caves, with their cathedral-cave and richly decorated sanctuaries, are among the largest Hindu shrines outside India. Alongside this Hindu architecture, another style developed, imported by the Sikh community, and characterized by the sober beauty of its lines and the use of onion domes, poly-lobed arches, frescoes and marquetry. This style, itself highly inspired by Mughal art developed at the height of Muslim expansion in India, is also found in certain mosques. Mughal mosques are most often built in red sandstone or white marble, and are organized around a domed prayer hall and a large courtyard, to which are adjoined vaulted prayer rooms also topped by domes. Malaysia's oldest mosque, the Masjid Jamek in Kuala Lumpur, built in 1909, is directly inspired by this Mughal art.
Western styles
Coveted by merchants from all over the world, Malaysia still bears the imprint of Western settlers. This is particularly true of Malacca, a mythical city and trading hub founded in the 15th century. It was the Portuguese who first conquered it. Alfonso de Albuquerque built a fortress there in 1511, Fort A'Famosa. Today, the only vestige of this fortress is the Santiago Gate. Another vestige of the Portuguese presence are the ruins of St. Paul's Church, built in 1521. Then, in the 17th century, the Dutch settled here. The town's Dutch Square bears important witness to this presence, starting with the Stadthuys, or Town Hall, with its massive scarlet stature. It is one of the oldest Dutch buildings in the Orient. Another major landmark is Christ Church, built in 1753 with bricks imported directly from Zeeland. But it was of course the British presence that had the most lasting impact on the country. It was under their impetus that the country was equipped with roads, bridges and railroads. And it was also to the British that the country owed its extravagant Western buildings, such as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, one of the oldest in Kuala Lumpur. With its copper domes, 41 m tower - an oriental replica of Big Ben - and arched windows, it's hard to miss. Another British fantasy is the Royal Selangor Club, a collection of half-timbered cottages designed in the purest Tudor style. While the British overwhelmingly favored the neoclassical and Palladian styles, then in vogue in Great Britain, and characterized by the use of classical canons (symmetry, harmonious proportions, columns, pediments...), they also attempted some astonishing reinterpretations of Oriental styles, as with the Kuala Lumpur railway station, a sort of pastiche of the rajah palaces of 1001 Nights. In Kuching, the legendary Brooke family - inducted as the first dynasty of white rajahs by the State of Sarawak in recognition of their help in the fight against the rebels - built two landmark buildings: Fort Margherita, which dominates the city with its imposing whitewashed silhouette, and Astana, the Palace of the Three Rajahs, which faces the city. The palace is a stunning blend of colonial and medieval styles.
Contemporary Malaysia
Faced with constant demographic pressure, Malaysia embarked on major urban planning and development projects in the 90s. To stem the exponential growth of the country's metropolises, led by Kuala Lumpur, the then Prime Minister envisioned a brand-new city to serve as the administrative center of the federal government. Putrajaya was born in 1995. This is an example of a fully planned capital city. The Prime Minister, an ardent defender of a "benevolent dictatorship", imagined a city that would underline his omnipotence. He took the Paris of Haussmann and Napoleon III as his model. Putrajaya is thus characterized by long, wide boulevards of uniform architecture and by the presence of a central, historic axis overlooking Pedrana Putra, the Prime Minister's offices. In 2010, the city added the incredible Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque, nicknamed the Iron Mosque. Its elegant silhouette of glass and steel gives the impression of a levitating edifice. In general, contemporary Malaysia offers daring examples of reinterpretation of Islamic architecture, such as the floating mosque in Kuala Terengganu, the Malacca Straits mosque built on an artificial island or Malaysia's national mosque, Nasjid Negara, dominating Kuala Lumpur with its imposing concrete silhouette overlooked by an 18-pointed star-shaped dome, symbolizing the 5 pillars of Islam and the 13 states of Malaysia. But today, the capital is best known for its ever-changing skyline. Since 1971 and the construction of the city's first skyscraper, the 102-metre-high Bangunan Sime Bank, hundreds of towers have sprung up. The Petronas Twin Towers, designed by architect César Pelli in 1998, are undoubtedly the city's most famous. At 170 m high, these towers are not made of steel, like most skyscrapers, but of concrete. A unique formula was specially designed to withstand the weight of these giants. Iconic towers... but even today, they're far from universally acclaimed. Faced with these somewhat standardized constructions, a new architecture is emerging, led by personalities such as Jason Pomeroy and Ken Yeang, who both describe themselves as eco-architects. For Jason Pomeroy - whose work includes the Idea House in Shah Alam, Selangor, and the Windows on the Park buildings in Kuala Lumpur's Cheras district - it's all about getting back to basics and focusing on structures with little or no energy footprint. An ardent defender of vertical urbanism, he multiplies the number of gardens and terraces in height and favors natural ventilation and lighting. Ken Yeang, named by The Guardian newspaper as one of the 50 personalities who could save the planet, also imagines vertical plant architecture and active, intelligent building systems capable of regulating their energy expenditure. His philosophy is reflected in his Menara Mesiniaga building in Subang Jaya, Selangor, an emblem of bioclimatic architecture. To cope with the constant growth of its capital, Malaysia has launched a vast project entitled Vision Valley Malaysia, covering the districts of Seremban and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan. This vast area is to be home to new industrial, commercial and residential complexes. Scheduled for completion in 2045, the project aims to link economic and social growth with sustainable development... to be continued.
Brunei or the reign of monumentality
As the country is largely based on water, the most common type of construction is the stilt house. Kampong houses are still widely used, particularly in Kampong Ayer, the oldest part of the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. But the small sultanate is best known for the monumentality of its official and religious buildings, most of which were designed during the post-World War II reconstruction period. Brunei's mosques are among the most impressive in Southeast Asia, starting with the Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudien Mosque. Built in 1958, it is a blend of Malay and Mughal styles, with a strong emphasis on ornamentation. Another emblematic mosque of Brunei is the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque, with its 29 golden domes symbolizing the 29 sultans of Brunei and its 52-m-high minarets. Brunei is also best known for the administrative center of its capital, dominated by a palace unique in the world: the Nurul Iman Palace, or Palace of Light and Faith. Completed in 1984, it spans 20,000 m² and boasts 1,788 rooms. With its gilded domes, vaulted roofs and decorative overload, it is a highly kitsch reinterpretation of Malay and Islamic traditions. But nothing is too ostentatious to symbolize the sultan's power.
Stopover in Singapore
As in Malaysia, Singapore's vernacular Malay architecture is reflected in its houses built on stilts. Off the coast of the city, you can also see kelong or offshore dwellings. Singapore is also home to Chinese shophouses, testimony to Peranakan culture. The finest examples can be seen in the Joo Chiat district. But these legendary Chinese businesses also bear the imprint of British colonists. In 1822, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles launched a vast urban planning operation for the city. In addition to specializing neighborhoods and buildings according to function, he also imposed strict rules on shophouses: no more than three storeys, compulsory walkways to protect pedestrians from heat and rain - the famous five-foot way - and taxes on the width of houses - which explains their narrowness. The British also left behind imposing neoclassical and Palladian buildings, such as the Raffles Hotel, the Supreme Court of Justice and the City Hall, now converted to house the National Art Gallery. A style rarely seen in Malaysia, Art Deco has made a remarkable breakthrough in Singapore, with buildings such as the Ford Factory and Kallong Airport. In its place came a soulless modernism, widely used for public housing, which today still accounts for ¾ of the city's buildings. These standardized constructions are countered by stunning contemporary creations such as the Marina Bay Sands Complex and the Esplanade Theatre, and above all the Gardens by the Bay and its artificial supertrees . Created on polders, these gardens illustrate the city's tendency to gain ground on the water... since 1996, it has increased its surface area by 23%. Today, Singapore wants to become the first city in a garden, and to this end is multiplying sustainable creations, such as those by the WoHa agency, famous for its green hotels, like the Parkroyal on Pickering and the Oasia Downtown Hotel. Singapore's transformation continues!
