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
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
. New materials, such as glasses and nails, were brought in by Europeans, changing the architecture.
Houses in the region 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 Malaysia's history; it is used for everything from the simple ''kampung'' to royal palaces.
In
Negeri Sembilan traditional houses are entirely free of nails.
Besides wood, other common materials such as bamboo and leaves were used.
The
Istana Kenangan in
Kuala Kangsar
The Kuala Kangsar (Perak Malay: ''Kole Kangso'') is the royal town of Perak, Malaysia. It is located at the downstream of Kangsar River where it joins the Perak River, approximately northwest of Ipoh, Perak's capital, and southeast of ...
was built in 1926, and it the only Malay palace with bamboo walls. The Orang Asal of East Malaysia live in
longhouse
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America.
Many were built from timber and often rep ...
s and water villages. 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.
Architectural influences
Various cultural influences, notably
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
,
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
and Europeans, played a major role in forming
Malaysian architecture. Until recent time, wood was the principal material used for all Malaysian traditional buildings. However, numerous stone structures were also discovered particularly the religious complexes from the time of ancient Malay kingdoms. Throughout many decades, the traditional Malaysian architecture has been influenced by
Buginese and
Javanese from the south,
Islamic,
Siamese, and
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
from the north,
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
,
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
,
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
,
Acehnese and
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to:
* Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people
* Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center
* Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see belo ...
from the west and
southern Chinese
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not ...
from the east.
Ancient
![Bujang valley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Bujang_valley.jpg)
The evidence of ''
candi'' (pantheon) around south
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman and historically as Queda, is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km2, and it consists of the mainland ...
between the mount
Jerai and the
Muda
Muda or MUDA or MuDA may refer to:
People
* Sultan Muda (1579–1579), nominal Sultan of Aceh
* Tycho Muda (born 1988), Dutch rower
* Vincent Muda (born 1988), Dutch rower
Places
* Muda, Estonia, a village
* Mudá, Spain
*Muda River, Malaysi ...
valley, a sprawling historical complex known as
Bujang Valley
The Bujang Valley ( ms, Lembah Bujang) is a sprawling historical complex and has an area of approximately situated near Merbok, Kedah, between Gunung Jerai in the north and Muda River in the south. It is the richest archaeological area in Ma ...
served as a reminder of Malaysian pre-Islamic art. Within an area of about 350 square kilometres, 87 early historic religious sites have been reported and there are 12 ''candis'' located on mountain tops, a feature which suggests may derive from pre-Islamic Malay beliefs regarding the sanctity of high places.
An early reference to Malaysian architecture can be found in several Chinese records. A 7th-century Chinese account tells of Buddhist pilgrims calling at
Langkasuka
Langkasuka was an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula. The name is Sanskrit in origin; it is thought to be a combination of ''langkha'' for "resplendent land" -'' sukkha'' for "bliss". The kingdom, along with Old K ...
and mentioned the city as being surrounded by a wall on which towers had been built and was approached through double gates. Another 7th-century account of a special Chinese envoy to
Red Earth kingdom
Chi Tu (other alternative spellings include Chihtu, Chitu or Ch-ih-t'u; Sanskrit: Raktamaritika or Raktamrittika; ; Malay language: ''Tanah Merah'') was an ancient kingdom mentioned in the history of China. The Sui Dynasty annals describe an advan ...
in West Malaysia, recorded that the capital city had three gates more than a hundred paces apart, which were decorated with paintings of Buddhist themes and female spirits.
Classical
![Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Malacca_Sultanate_Palace_Museum_1.jpg)
The first detailed description of Malay architecture was on the great wooden palace of
Mansur Shah of Malacca
Sultan Mansur Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Muzaffar Shah (died 1477) was the sixth Sultan of Malacca from 1459 to 1477. He ascended the throne after the death of his father, Muzaffar Shah.
Expansions
Mansur Shah implemented a policy of expansioni ...
(reigned 1458–1477).
The ''
Sejarah Melayu
The ''Malay Annals'' ( Malay: ''Sejarah Melayu'', Jawi: سجاره ملايو), originally titled ''Sulalatus Salatin'' (''Genealogy of Kings''), is a literary work that gives a romanticised history of the origin, evolution and demise of the g ...
'' (Malay Annals) had references to the construction and the architecture of Malacca's palaces. According to this historical document, the building had a raised seven-bay structures on wooden pillars with a seven-tiered roof in cooper shingles and decorated with gilded spires and Chinese glass mirrors.
![Around-Kota-Bharu-(19)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Around-Kota-Bharu-%2819%29.jpg)
The traditional
Malay houses
Malay houses ( Malay: ''Rumah Melayu;'' Jawi: رومه ملايو) refer to the vernacular dwellings of the Malays, an ethno-linguistic group inhabiting Sumatra, coastal Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.
Traditional architectural forms, such ...
are built using simple
timber-frame
Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
structure. They have pitched roofs, porches in the front, high ceilings, many openings on the walls for
ventilation
Ventilation may refer to:
* Ventilation (physiology), the movement of air between the environment and the lungs via inhalation and exhalation
** Mechanical ventilation, in medicine, using artificial methods to assist breathing
*** Ventilator, a m ...
,
and are often embellished with elaborate
wood carvings
Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...
. The beauty and quality of Malay wood carvings were meant to serve as visual indicators of the social rank and status of the owners themselves. With the migration of
Acehnese,
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to:
* Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people
* Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center
* Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see belo ...
,
Javanese,
Banjarese and
Buginese, regional Malay architectural style with influences from other parts of the archipelago also exists, especially in places where they formed the majority.
The shapes and sizes of houses differ from state to state. Common elements in Peninsular Malaysia include pitched roofs, verandahs, and high ceilings, raised on stilts for ventilation. The woodwork in the house is often intricately carved. The floors are at different levels depending on the function of the room.
Mosques have traditionally been based on
Javanese architecture.
Chinese
![Ke Lok Si Illuminations 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Ke_Lok_Si_Illuminations_01.JPG)
Chinese architecture can be divided into two types, traditional and
Baba Nyonya. Baba Nyonya households are made of colourful tiles and have large indoor courtyards. Indian architecture came with the Malaysian Indians, reflecting the architecture of southern India where most originated from. Some Sikh architecture was also imported.
Malacca, which was a traditional centre of trade, has a large variety of building styles. Large wooden structures such as the Palace of Sultan Mansur Shah exist from early periods. Chinese influence can be seen in brightly decorated temples and terraced shop houses.
The largest remaining Portuguese structure in Malacca is the
A Famosa
A Famosa ( ms, Kota A Famosa; "The Famous" in Portuguese, also known as ''Fortaleza Velha'' Portuguese: the old fortress, and Dutch: ''Slavenburgh'' (slave castle) & ''De Misericorde'' (Our Lady of Mercy, from French: ''Notre Dame de Misér ...
fort. Other colonial building include the Dutch
Stadthuys,
the Dutch Colonial town brick buildings, and buildings built by the British such as the Memorial Hall, which combines
Baroque and
Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...
.
Bornean
Many indigenous people of Borneo, the
Dayak and
Kadazandusun
Kadazan-Dusun (also written as Kadazandusun or Mamasok Kadazan-Dusun) also less-known as "Mamasok Sabah" are two indigenous peoples of Sabah, Malaysia—the ethnic groups Kadazan and Dusun people, Dusun. The Kadazandusun is the largest native ...
, live in buildings known as
longhouses
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America.
Many were built from timber and often rep ...
. Commonly, the longhouses are built raised off the ground on stilts similar to the Malay houses but are divided into a more or less public area along one side and a row of private living quarters lined along the other side. The entire architecture is designed and built as a standing tree with branches to the right and left with the front part facing the sunrise while the back faces the sunset. The longhouse building acts as the normal accommodation and a house of worship for religious activities.
In some parts of Sabah and Labuan, a substantial number of indigenous people like the
Bajau
The Sama-Bajau include several Austronesian ethnic groups of Maritime Southeast Asia. The name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the Sama or Samah (formally A'a Sama, "Sama people"); or are known by the exonym ...
and
Bruneian Malay still remain to live in water villages. These water villages are also built on stilts, with houses connected with planks and most transport by traditional boats. The floating of rubbish and sewage on the water is still a persisting issue in many of these villages despite substantial measures and initiatives taken by various government and non-government agencies.
File:Bajau Laut Pictures 5.jpg, alt=, A Bajau
The Sama-Bajau include several Austronesian ethnic groups of Maritime Southeast Asia. The name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the Sama or Samah (formally A'a Sama, "Sama people"); or are known by the exonym ...
water village near Omadal Island, Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...
.
File:Modern Iban Longhouse.JPG, alt=, A modern Iban
IBAN or Iban or Ibán may refer to:
Banking
* International Bank Account Number
Ethnology
* Iban culture
The Ibans or Sea Dayaks are a branch of the Dayak people, Dayak people on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is believed that the ...
longhouse in Kapit Division
Kapit Division, formed on 2 April 1973, is one of the twelve administrative divisions in Sarawak, Malaysia. It has a total area of 38,934 square kilometres, and is the largest of the administrative divisions of Sarawak.
Its population (year 20 ...
, Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
.
File:Salarom Sabah Frame-of-a-new-house-01.jpg, alt=, A traditional house being built in Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...
.
Colonial
![2016 Kuala Lumpur, Stacja kolejowa Kuala Lumpur (02)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/2016_Kuala_Lumpur%2C_Stacja_kolejowa_Kuala_Lumpur_%2802%29.jpg)
Most of Malaysia's colonial buildings were built toward the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. These buildings have
Mughal,
Tudor Revival
Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...
,
Gothic Revival or
Straits Eclectic style of architecture. Most of the styling has been modified to cater to the use of local resources and acclimatised to the local Malaysian climate, which is hot and humid all year round. Buildings with Mughal, Tudor Revival and Gothic Revival style of architecture were built by the colonial power, the British while the Chinese influenced Straits eclectic styles are common in many urban centres around Malaysia where Chinese settlers lived.
Malacca, which was a traditional centre of trade in the region, has a large variety of building styles, ranging from Islamic and Chinese styles to those brought by European colonists (Portuguese, Dutch, British). Along with Malacca,
Penang is also considered one of the architectural gems of Malaysia. With its colonial-style government buildings, churches, squares, fortifications, and multicultural heritage, both
Malacca and
George Town demonstrate a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.
Modern
![KLIA Main Terminal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/KLIA_Main_Terminal.jpg)
Several design elements of traditional Malaysian architecture are adapted to modern structures to reflect the Malaysian identity. Wood, an important element in traditional Malay buildings, is also reinterpreted and readapted in the modern landscape in the
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is Malaysia's main international airport. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of Kuala Lumpur and serves the city's greater conurbation.
KLIA is the largest and ...
and
Putrajaya. Some of these buildings also incorporated Islamic geometric motifs and designs, such as square patterns or a dome. With the help of modern technology, Malaysian firms are developing skyscraper designs that are specifically for Malaysia's tropical climates.
The stilt elevated undulating roof structure of the KLIA is supposed to imitate the traditional Malay-styled raised village houses. In
Putrajaya, the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
's office is lined with wood panels to achieve the design goal. The underside of the KLIA's domed roof structure is similarly "clad in narrow strips of wood" which the architect suggests, "alludes to vernacular Malaysian timber structures, reinterpreting traditional building methods and strengthening the sense of local identity".
In modern times, the government has promoted different projects, from the tallest twin buildings in the world, the
Petronas Twin Towers
The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers or KLCC Twin Towers, ( Malay: ''Menara Berkembar Petronas'') are 88-storey supertall skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, standing at . From 1998 to 2003, they were officially desig ...
, to a whole garden city,
Putrajaya. Malaysian firms are developing skyscraper designs that are specifically for tropical climates.
References
Bibliography
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