Re:claiming Heritage – Shophouses and vernacular houses in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

by Lai Chee Kien (Editor), Yahaya Ahmad (Editor)

This book offers insights into the architecture and the urban landscapes of Kuala Terangganu, the kampongs and shophouses in Kampung Cina, Kampung Lorong Haji Jamil, Kampung Banggol and Kampung Tiong. Based on a study by staffs and students from the architectural departments of the University of Malaya (UM) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) conducted from May to June 2009, the project involved urban analysis, documentation, measured drawings and model making. The result is a valuable study of a part of Kuala Terangganu that is witnessing rapid change due to land reclamation and its accompanying demolition works. Through color maps, drawings and photographs, this book showcases these urban streetscapes and shophouses, their value and significance, as well as highlights them as important built environments in Southeast Asia.

131 pages

Published January 1, 2009

About the author

Chee Kien writes about the histories of art, architecture, settlements, urbanism, and landscapes in Southeast Asia. He muses on their ineluctable effects on contemporary life, and traverses its times and spaces whenever he can. His publications include A Brief History of Malayan Art (1999), Building Merdeka: Independence Architecture in Kuala Lumpur (2007), Cords to Histories (2013), Through the Lens of Lee Kip Lin (2015) [Best Non-Fiction Title, 2016], Building Memories: People, Architecture, Independence (2016) [Book of the Year], and The Merdeka Interviews: Architects, Engineers and Artists of Malaysia’s Independence (2018, co-authored with Ang Chee Cheong).