BUILT AREA - 1,245 SQM
LAND AREA - 4,472 SQM
BUILT 2015
EXTENDING HISTORY_ “How can the future be solely informed by the past, but yet remain relevant?” Situated along Macalister Road in Penang's UNESCO heritage district, the site houses an existing 100-year-old colonial bungalow to be adaptively reused and incorporated into the new design for a show gallery for developers Ecoworld. MOD's proposal derives its very form, presence and articulation from the heritage building itself.
The new building simply could not exist in its current form without the heritage building, and literally 'extends' from the heritage building, sharing its profile, proportions and image. The new building's entry is angled towards the heritage building in deference to it, a gesture underpinning the importance of the forerunner, establishing a clear hierarchy which pays homage to heritage.
When considering the richness of this heritage building, there were 2 possible design responses. The first is to create a 'unseen' sacred boundary around the heritage building and respectfully distance any new buildings away. Though this would allow the heritage building to maintain its rightful place but misses the opportunity to embrace the richness of Penang's heritage context.
There is a second approach, one grounded in humble reverence for heritage and paying homage to it, by literally becoming an “extension” of it, albeit with a contemporary twist. This approach seeks to create a continuum between old and new, whilst simultaneously maintaining an artful balance, to celebrate old and new.
