George Town has many heritage buildings as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that need to be preserved due to their status. Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings is a common method of building conservation and should be done in maximum retention with minimal intervention by applying the right materials with the appropriate approach. This paper focuses on the four approaches of adaptive reuse that were applied to Shophouses at Cannon Street in George Town, Penang. The data was collected from a survey on ten Shophouses in Cannon Street, Penang. The findings of this research point to the common approach of adaptive reuse in Shophouses that has been used as the Preservation approach.
The township planning in Perak was affected post-signing of the Pangkor Treaty in 1874, as the state became the first state in Malaysian Peninsula intervened by the British. Introduction of grid system by the British has apparently affected the early layout of major cities such as Ipoh, Taiping, Kuala Lumpur, George Town and Singapore. This study attempts to investigate the theory of town planning during the British era after noticing a knowledge gap in regard to early town planning system of small towns in Perak. Based on purposive sampling using varying topographies as the criterion of site selection, 10 out of 20 small towns in Perak were selected for data collection. The small towns were Kuala Kurau, Klian Intan, Bagan Datoh, Lumut, Parit, Tanjung Rambutan, Pusing, Sungkai, Padang Rengas and Lenggong. Besides measured drawings, interviews were conducted with the locals and historical manuscripts of the research locale were also revisited. Based on comparative analysis, the study found that topographical factor was insignificant in influencing the early layout of small towns in Perak since linear system was used at different topographical background (riverside, coastal, hilly terrain and flatland areas). Moreover, location factor was found to be significant in terms of influencing the arrangement of early shophouse buildings into rows, which influenced the early layout of small towns in Perak.
The layout and planning of royal towns as capitals of Malay sultanates are based on principles of forming a palace complex complete with defence systems, infrastructures for economic activities, transportation systems, religious centres and surrounded by settlements. Sultan Muzaffar Shah I (1528-1549) built such a complex with a defence system in Tanah Abang as the first capital and administrative centre of his newly founded Perak sultanate. Regretfully today no trace of it have been found. However, based on the remains of the fort surrounding the area, the layout and planning of the palace complex in Tanah Abang, Kota Lama, Perak can be ascertained. Based on the period of 15th-19th centuries’ layouts of other Malay royal towns as references, this study employs geomorphological study and topographic mapping to study the layout and milieu of Tanah Abang. Upon further probe the area was found to meet the essential characteristics of the layout of a Malay palace complex which often consisted of a complete and intricate network of centres for administration, defence, socioeconomic activities and population concentration. The study also found that the remnants of the compacted earthen ramparts need an in-depth analysis regarding their structural condition, still well-preserved after almost 500 years.
The layout of the shophouse combined two main functions, as a residence and commercial building. The living and business activities were main influences on how these spaces were designed in the shophouse that first made its appearance in the small towns and surrounding areas in the early 19th and 20th centuries. In Malaysia, in particular Perak, these shophouses are still intact and have enabled the opportunity to identify and record the layout features of interior space for this study. From interviews and measured drawing of the early shophouses in 16 small towns in Perak, a complete set of layout plans were produced and analysed. This study has found that the domestic (or family) space was given prominence in terms of size; thus, the lifestyle was a determining factor in the building's layout for interior space. Yet, the importance of business sets its relevant space at the forefront where customers are received.
The pondok school system was the earliest in the Malay Archipelago that focused on Islamic studies. The teaching method which stressed on group communication was said to have given rise to integrated space within a building thereby influencing its architecture and spatial design. Two of such schools, almost a century old in Pattani, Thailand, have been used as case studies to measure the influence of communication and integrated space on the interior layout. Data from interviews congruent with floor plans is the crucial reference as to the significance of integrated space. Studies have shown that emphasis on communication in the pedagogy of the traditional pondok school is the main creator of the integrated space, and this gave priority to the positioning and size, and subsequently influencing the overall floor plan.
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