The Perak Heritage Society recently launched an exhibition and book launch entitled “A Celebration of Perak’s Built Heritage” which showcased the joint works by the Architectural Faculties from the National University of Singapore and University Malaya.
Shop owner Ms Kamala pointing to the model of her home, the Singhalese Bar
The joint NUS-UM studio projects which took place in 2010 covered Taiping while the 2012 study covered Ipoh, Old and New town.
At these study projects, students took measured drawings of the buildings at the site locations which allowed them to be exposed to the methodologies of historical documentation and analyses of the places and buildings.
The findings of their studies are now on exhibition and are being displayed in images of the town, plans and drawings as well as architectural models of selected shop houses.
The study has also been compiled into two books for Taiping (Returning Taiping) and Ipoh (Familiar Spaces Untold Stories) respectively and which are being sold at the exhibition. During the launch copies of the book were presented to the shop house owners where the students did their analyses.
Present at the exhibition was Ipoh born architect Ken Yeh. Yeh who has his office in Australia described the publications as “a good reference and understanding of how our forefathers built our town which creates the sense of appreciation for our heritage architecture.” Fellow architect Lim Take Bane concurred and added that “we should always respect our elders”.
The UM-NUS Joint Studio Programme Exhibition is being held at the Lim Ko Pi Gallery, upstairs of Lim Ko Pi restaurant on Hugh Low Street from February 26 to March 10 from 12.30pm to 4.30pm daily, closed on Mondays.
JAG
