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This book is not mine, but belongs to University of Malaya library. I just finish my reading, this book is important for me, since its show a real works of Malaysian architects in Malaysia. The front cover, show the ‘House of Johor’, done by Ken Wong Architect and Unit One Design. The price tag is RM 120.00 in Kinokuniya, KLCC. It’s done by a team of three people; Philip Goad (Professor of Architecture in University of Melbourne) and Lim Teng Ngiom (best-known architects and architectural critics), and Patrick Bingham-Hall (architectural photographer).
I had seen this book much time, but only now I had an advantage to read it all. The first essay is about culture and the crossroads: recent Malaysian architecture, done by Philip Goad. He starts with the world situation before narrow down to Malaysian and specifically about Kuala Lumpur. The brief comparative about the same spreading of the city, which similar to Bangkok and Jakarta, but not as Singapore, which is more control. One phrase that show the local identity, “Kuala Lumpur has space, and over the decades it has a patchwork of ideal plans and uncontrolled organic growth, ever becoming but never completing. Alien to conventional understandings of urbanism in Europe and the United States, Kuala Lumpur has a different sense of public space, a different sense of mobility, and a specific visual culture that has little parallel in the West. “ He also talks about the housing scheme, how we deal with sustainability and conservation, and the national identity, and the talk about Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Lim Teng Ngiom was talk about ‘the state of Malaysian architecture’. He narrows down to say about the progression of architectural in Malaysia, within our 50 years of independence. In 1950s to 1960s, how we borrow the idea from the West, the 1970s show the collaborative practices, such as BEP, MAA, and Kumpulan Akitek, and the individual practice of Hijjas Kasturi Associate, my favorite architect. In 1980s in the focus of no particular style, and how ‘Balinese style’ came to us, and focus to Jimmy Lim, who try to translate the Malay vernacular into a modern vernacular, that follow up by his apprentice, Lok Wooi. The 1990s show the economic boom in Malaysia, and show the cast amount of construction has done, and show how the Prime Minister at that time Dr. Mahathir talk about the true landmark. The result shows many of Malaysia superb structure. And finally talk about our spirit. I like one phrase of him “Current Malaysian architecture is has traces from its own past: the shophouses are a unique urban architectural in heritance: and the indigenous kampong houses comprise a proud rural architectural heritage. Several architects have adapted these indigenous heritages to a contemporary level, but every contemporary modification that has taken place was one that was determined by external international trends”. And I like to refer both of it; shophouses and Malay house, both are influenced my way of architecture. In this book also have a five section; houses, housing, conservation and adaptive re-use, commercial and public and civic. All are taken from best architectural practice like, Ken Wong, ArchiCentre, GDP Architects, Razin Architects, CLS Associates, Wooi Architect, TR Hamzah and Yeang, GSD Archtect, Architect LAA, ATSA Architects, Design Network, Arkitek Karya Budi, Veritas Architects, and my favorite Hijjas Kasturi Associates, and a lot more. You should buy one for your collector item, and I would like to buy after this. It’s published under Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM). 
The last but not least, the photo inside is very superb, I like how the photographer play with the light, very spiritual. And I learn also about the photography by reading this book. Thanks for reading.
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