Lesson from Singapore - Lighting

Robert Venturi once wrote a book entitled “Learning from Las Vegas” where he elaborate on the importance of public’s participation in architecture by means of consumerism. Ad hoc signage along the streets of Las Vegas has significantly gave the town its identity. It is a fact that architects learn from their environment, however there are also a handful of egoistic individuals who think that they are above the natural system by proclaiming the originality of their creation. They proclaim that their ideas purely came from their mind, not inspired or making reference to anything and they claim absolute ownership of the design. This is the greatest lie of all time and they are merely deluding themselves.

As such, it is important that we always keep our eyes open and absorb the myriad things around us. There is nothing to be ashamed of in learning from someone who is far superior than us. The worst thing that can happen is when we think that we are the best and stop progressing. It is an undisputed fact that Penang is way backward than Singapore in many ways. But we should not be in a denial stage forever. Why not learning from people who have been through the same experience and have made progress along the way.

‘LEARNING’ is too casual a word. I feel that urgent action has to be taken to bring back the shine to Penang. That is the reason I choose the word ‘LESSON’ due to its stronger implication. The first lesson that I’m going to highlight here is about lighting. Thanks to the advance in technology, we can now have very attractive lighting at a very low cost. LED (light emitting diodes) is the latest features that can be found in most landmarks due to its attractive colors as well as cost effective reasons. It is cheaper than the conventional up lights that shine on the façade of major buildings. In Singapore, the government has guidelines on which type of light to be used in certain areas. Up lights are still being used for big public buildings like museum due to the grandness effect that it produce. In a more trendy and up-market shopping district like Orchard Road, LED lighting can be spotted in most of the shopping malls. It also helps in attracting customers to its door.

Penang actually has a few good examples such as the e-Gate and Suntec building. However, most public buildings such as the City Hall are not lit at night except for the eve of public holiday. If cost is the main concern, the authority should consider using LED to highlight certain architectural elements of major landmarks and it could be turned on every night!

Remember the Magic Moment (KDU DESIGN)

Bus Home From Singapore

KDU Achievers

KDU 2009 Booth Design

From The Star Metro North - Saturday February 14, 2009
New attraction at college boothsBy ANDREA FILMER

Magnet for students: An artist's impression of KDU College Penang's booth design for the education fair.

Mentors

The popularity of reality show like American Idol has intoxicated the young generation's minds of instant success and rapid celebrity status. Young girls imitating the behavior and lifestyle of Paris Hilton while the boys try hard to be as cool as Jay Chou. Most of them have forgotten that success only can be achieved through years of hard work and dedication. They worship their idols like God. Commitment is simply too hard for them, they prefer short cut to reach their final destination. Sadly, most of them would deviate from the proper path if not guided along the way carefully.

Nowadays people don’t have mentors anymore, they have idols. Mentors is just too old school for them. I however, am from the old school. I was taught to learn from the greats. I have never personally met all these people before except Ken Yeang, some of them have even passed away before I was born. But their legacy lives on and their works are well documented that one can easily find in bookshops or libraries. The idea is to study the thinking of these masters who has reached the pinnacle of their career and adopt some of their successful strategy while avoiding their mistake. Now that is a constructive short cut indeed!

Sakura

Finding a good place to dine is indeed a challenge in Singapore, not that there is no place at all. On the contrary, there are plenty of choices wherever you go around the island. The only problem is finding a less crowded place with good food.

It is not surprising that with a population of 4.84 million, people have to 'reserve' their seating place in foodcourt by placing TISSUE on the seats! It is pathetic! Sometimes I was quite frustrated looking for a place to have my lunch.

Until one day Joelyn and I found this little place at the middle of nowhere: Sakura International Buffet Restaurant @ Admiralty Park. To get there, you have to take the MRT to Woodlands Station, then take bus 903 from berth no. 4. When you see a huge campus with lots of green on your right, press the bell and alight at the second bus stop. Then walk across the road and you will see the Sakura signboard at the open carpark.

The restaurant is located at the bottom of the car park. It is indeed a very clever way of playing with the terrain of the site to tuck it below street level. And yet when you take the stair down and finally arrive at the restaurant's entrance, you don't feel that you are at underground. By having skylights with trees growing all the way up to the car park above and opening up the whole frontage to a lotus pond in front, the interior is very bright and refreshing.

And of course the food..........they have Sashimi, my favourite! Not to mention that the price is very affordable - SGD48.00 for 2 pax.

Colours of Penang

This was the first time in 10 years that I actually have to ‘balik kampung’ (going back to hometown in Malay) to celebrate Chinese New Year with my folks. After a full year of hard work, everyone is looking forward to this biggest celebration of the Chinese tradition. And to be away from hometown working, it only makes the experience an even more meaningful one: the idea of returning to one’s hometown and reunite with family members. Hence the reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year. I once read that the round table was first invented by the Chinese. Square or rectangular table was actually a western creation. Since reunion is such a big deal in the Chinese tradition, round table enables all the family members to be congregated around the feast of the year. Unfortunately, this year we celebrated our reunion dinner along a freaking long rectangular table! One can easily sees in the picture that I was unable to talk to the person sitting at the other end of the table. Rectangular table is obviously not practical when it comes to the reunion rituals. Anyway, the joy of being with my family members overshadowed my architectural contemplation of the different geometric shapes available.

Penang is well known to be the food paradise of Malaysia. It could be traced way back to the 19th century when Asian, European and Indian merchants came here to trade. Besides doing business, they brought along their cuisine with them. The interaction between these communities helped to give birth to the rich palette of food we can find here in Penang today.

Apart from food, Penang is also famous for its rich culture and heritage. George Town was recently recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage site mainly for the integrity of its Straits Settlement architecture. However, the listing is just the beginning, there is indeed a long journey ahead for all Penangites to fully committed in preserving and renovating these priceless premises for its value to be elevated and sustainable.

One of the more successful and most famous tourist attraction will undoubtedly be the Kek Lok Si Temple. I’ll visit this place every time during Chinese New Year when the group of temples will be lit with colourful lighting decoration.

At least to most tourists, George Town and Kek Lok Si symbolizes Penang because of their architectural grandeur and the cultural elements they encapsulate. There is however a different side of Penang that is not widely publicized but the one that I’m equally excited about. It is the modern and trendy part of Penang which one can find in areas like Queensbay, Penang Time Square, The Light Waterfront and Gurney Drive. When fully developed, these places will complement the rich heritage of George Town and return the Pearl of the Orient to its former shine and glory. Penang has so much more to offer compare to KL or even Singapore. I pray hard for the success of Penang becoming a global city in a not too distant future.

Explosion of Chinese Culture

Tuesday February 3, 2009 (The Star Metro North)
Explosion of Chinese culture
By JEREMY TAN

THE Penang Chinese New Year Cultural and Heritage Celebration 2009 at the heritage enclave around Armenian Street was a massive success, with tens of thousands of people from all walks of life turning up to witness a plethora of cultural and heritage showcases.

Visitors to the 12-hour long celebration were greeted by an ornate archway as well as a Wang Niu (Prosperous Bull) polystyrene sculpture shimmering in brown and yellow.

At the main stage on Cannon Street, visitors and VIP’s were treated to multicultural dances, cross-talk shows, lion dances, classical song and drum performances, and an acrobatic display.

“Such a celebration showcasing our cultural and living heritage is very meaningful, especially after George Town’s listing as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
“It’s part of our efforts to promote George Town and give an insight into the traditions of various Chinese clans, among them the Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, Teochew and Hainan,” said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in his opening speech.

Over at the Khoo Kongsi, a showcase themed Wushu City highlighted Chinese martial arts. Exponents performed lightning quick moves, much to the delight of the audience.

They also enjoyed a Pekingese lion dance, a dragon dance and Qi Lin and Qi Gong performances.
“It’s amazing, the performances are so colourful and diverse. There is so much we have never seen before,” said Australian Wesley Cooke who brought his whole family along.

Former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who rushed from Kuala Lumpur to attend the celebrations, was given a warm welcome by the public when he arrived.
“Since the Cultural Celebration was first held in 1999, I haven’t missed any, and I don’t intend to,” he said.

Armenian Street was the site of the Hokkien City which showcased a traditional Hokkien Wedding Ceremony demonstration, a Hokkien Glove Puppet show and a traditional Nan Yin Opera show.

Complementing these were several dance and musical performances that kept many visitors engrossed. Others were seen admiring the traditional operatic costumes and God of Heaven display.

At Ah Quee street, a traditional handicraft showcase drew scores of curious onlookers, all fascinated by the skill and finesse of local craftsmen. Mini-figurines of Chinese warriors and cartoon characters, made of a special powder mixed with water and then hardened, were a hit with the children.

Other crafts included a traditional facial treatment method using a string, wood carving and joss stick making.

Further down, at a section themed Canton City, visitors were entertained with a Kwang Tung cuisine demonstration, a Cantonese pop song performance as well as a traditional opera performance.

The Hainan City at Soo Hong Lane showcased its traditional cuisine, song and dance. Visitors took part in a calligraphy contest and there was an aromatic Hainanese coffee auction. Scores of local vendors sold tempting Hainanese treats.

The Penang Youth Centre at Acheh Street was turned into a Hakka City with its own mini archway. Songs and dances were performed below it, highlighting Hakka culture.

Further down, the Malaysia Cultural City showcased a giant mural depicting the heritage buildings of George Town.

The Teochew City at Chulia Street showed a traditional wedding ceremony and held a puppet show and a pottery and bamboo exhibition while at the Poh Hock Seah temple, people were engrossed watching glutinous rice flour ball and mooncake making demonstrations, with a lucky few getting to sample the sweet treats.

There was also an exhibition highlighting traditional Chinese festivals such as Jade Emperor’s Day, All Soul’s Day, Hungry Ghost Festival and the Mid Autumn Festival.

The festivities were capped off with a spectacular five-minute fireworks show that lit up the night sky.

Also present were Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, his consort Toh Puan Majimor Shariff, Indonesian Consul-General Moenir Ari Soenanda and Japanese Consul-General Hideaki Hoshi.