Architecture in Malaysia – The Man behind the Twin Towers
Cesar Pelli. This name probably does not ring a bell among most Malaysians. But this 85-year old Argentine American is perhaps surprisingly, one of the key figures in reshaping the landscape of modern Malaysia, and in the process, whether inadvertently or not, imbued a renewed sense of pride and patriotism among its people. How so?
Well, for starters, Mr. Pelli was the chief architect of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Though no longer the world’s tallest buildings, a title now being held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, they are still the tallest twin towers on the planet. Now a true symbol of modern Malaysia, the unique yet sophisticated design of the Towers – with its shimmering stainless steel and glass facade gloriously reflecting the Malaysian sunshine – was the brainchild of Mr. Pelli. Besides being an architectural marvel, the Towers also incorporated traditional Islamic art motives…inspired by, and paying tribute to Malaysia being a progressive Islamic country. The cross-section of the towers meanwhile, is based on the ‘Rub el Hizb’ symbol (albeit with additional circular sectors to meet office space requirements). 
This is an integral lesson that should be part of any textbook or architecture course in Malaysia. An ‘Architecture 101′, so to speak. And what lesson is that? …How to balance modern designs with one’s cultural, religious or national identity. This is a worthwhile challenge that every architect designing a building, particularly a commercial one, should face. As daunting as it is rewarding though, students who study architecture in Malaysia and are on the lookout for inspiration, need not look further than their own backyard.
The majestic Petronas Twin Towers are symbols of what the human mind and creativity are capable of achieving in the exciting field of architecture. A true wonder of the modern world, these 88-floor, 400-metre high towers are proud testaments that designing buildings with ‘character and identity’ is indeed a thriving art and should be the way to go. Not creating cold and soul-less structures which are only functional but ‘lifeless’. As they say, don’t just build a house…build a HOME.
