National identity in Malaysian architecture

Abstract

This research intends to analyse the architectural strategies of the Petronas towers and the Mesiniaga building based on Malaysian society and Malaysian architectural history. The first part of this paper provides a general overview and highlights the key points of Malaysian society and Malaysian architectural History. This is followed by issues of national identity, cultural identity and the symbolic content of architecture which help to explain the formation of a national identity in Malaysian architecture. The third part of the essay attempts to draw some conclusions about the direction of Malaysian architectural development. The fourth part of the paper looks into the architectural strategy of two case studies, the Petronas towers and the Mesianiaga building, and the works and philosophies of Cesar Pelli and Ken Yeang. This paper ends with the conclusion drawn from carrying out this research. As a Malaysian, I am very interested to find alternative ways of building a Malaysian identity that would respond to Malaysia's way of life. This is often difficult and confusing because Malaysians have diverse cultural practices. The rapid development in Malaysia has also changed the local environment and raises questions about the direction that Malaysia is heading. I hope to gain insight from this research that would be valuable to the building of an engaging architecture in Malaysia. To be able to analyse the case studies, I researched writings on Malaysian society, political systems, culture, identity and symbolism. At the same time, I was carrying out research on Pelli and Yeang's work and ideology. I then used this information to analyse the buildings from the drawings, photos and actual visits.