Celebrating unique charm of Penang houses

Lim (right) and Cheng-Hopkins during the launch of ‘The Penang House – Rise of the Malaysian Architect 1887-2017’.

BUILDINGS are such a ubiquitous element of the urban environment that few give a second thought to how they were designed and constructed.

From the inception of an idea on paper and then brick, there are countless processes and influences involved, especially in places like Penang which was at the crossroads of global trade by the turn of the 20th century.

The confluence of cultures along with colonialism gave rise to a vast spectrum of architectural styles that shaped the careers of architects.

Singaporean author Dr Jon Lim Sun Hock hopes to shed light on the intriguing subject through his book The Penang House – Rise of The Malaysian Architect 1887-2017.

A former architecture lecturer at the National University of Singapore, he spent over 40 years doing research on the subject.

“I spoke to people and built relationships with them rather than just downloading information,” he said at the book’s launch at a hotel in Penang.

The 248-page hardcover is a sequel to his first book The Penang House and the Straits Architect 1887-1942, published in 2015.

While that covered colonial architects, the new book focuses more on local talents who succeeded them, such as Lim Soo Loon and Chew Eng Eam who worked as tracers in the studio of H.A. Neubronner at the turn of the 20th century.

“The book stemmed from my time as a lecturer in the early 1980s when I was developing a curriculum on the history of architects and architecture in the region.

“I enjoyed the support of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj who kindly wrote a letter stating that my research would benefit students.

“This letter opened doors and allowed me to access private houses and even palaces in Malaysia,” shared Jon, who has a fascination for colonial houses in Penang.

His parents hailed from the island and as a child in the 1950s, he helped his mother transfer decorative patterns from paper to the fabric of her kebaya.

“I noticed that similar patterns appeared in buildings.

“It was then I realised that architecture is much like fashion.

“It is all around us yet does not command much public attention,” he noted.

During the launch, Jon noted that the practice of architecture in Malaysia used to be the preserve of colonial engineers as Malayans had no means of advancing themselves by studying abroad.

However, many locals who trained as technical assistants were finally able to declare themselves architects under the Municipal Ordinance of 1887.

The arrival of the Architects Ordinance in 1926 and establishment of the Board of Architects in 1927 further empowered them to register as architects but under certain provisions.

Jon cited Soo Loon and Chew for evolving their own modern transitional styles during the 1930s.

This is seen in Soo Loon’s pre-war house and studio while Chew created the iconic Radio House.

“In the post-war years, foreign- trained Malayan architects started making a name for themselves.

“The Board of Architects (later known as Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia) had a registration system favouring qualified architects over a sub-professional category known as building draughtsmen who also helped raise the level of architectural practices,” said Jon.

Over time, unique architectural styles evolved as architects incorporated local elements such as the Malay roof form influenced by the Modern Movement.

Jon pointed to Dr Soo Kim Lan’s house in Bukit Tunku by architect Kington Loo in Kuala Lumpur as an example of the 1960s.

Datuk Judy Cheng-Hopkins, a former UN assistant secretary-general for peacebuilding, launched the book as guest of honour.

Based in New York, she returns to Penang frequently.

She expressed disappointment that after all these years, there was still no policy in place on what to preserve as cultural heritage and what to tear down in the interest of modernisation and development.

“I see it as a struggle between the romantic types who feel strongly about preserving our cultural heritage versus those who want to push full steam ahead with modernisation in Penang.

“A compromise will have to be reached in the interests of Penang and the country,” she added.

The Penang House -– Rise of The Malaysian Architect 1887-2017 is published by Entrepot Publishing and retails for RM135 in major bookstores and online.