Penang Performing Arts Centre @ Esplanade, Penang
M. Arch Design Thesis
George Town has been a cultural melting pot of tangible and intangible heritage since its establishment in the late 18th century, branding a unique blend of diversity in architecture, food, arts and culture. From the time when traditional theatre such as Chinese Opera took to the streets, to the influx of English theatre brought about by the expatriates who settled here during the colonial era, performing arts isn’t something new in Penang. However, the general public’s appreciation of performing arts is not much, probably due to the tickets that have to be paid, or simply feel unrelated. One of the main factors that decide whether or not people go for a show, is the venue of performing arts. Conventional theatres or auditoriums often give people a sense of exclusivity which the public usually would not think of going there unless for a specific reason.
Designed to complement the existing facilities at the neighbouring Dewan Sri Pinang, this project intends to create an open, welcoming and inclusive performing arts centre that attracts and engages a broader public, to make performing arts accessible to everyone.
Being the historic and cultural heart of George Town, the Esplanade is envisaged to be enhanced into an inclusive public realm that celebrates the richness and diversity of the vibrant cultures of Penang.
Concept Video
The Site
The site, Esplanade, is a significant historic waterfront since the British settlement; it served as a recreational spot as well as an administrative and military base where Fort Cornwallis was built to protect the island from possible attacks.
The present-day Esplanade is a major venue for festive celebrations and cultural performances, welcoming people from all around the world to our unique cultural heritage.
Design Intention
With the intention to open doors for cultural interaction and development, the Penang Performing Arts Centre is proposed as an integrated scheme that aims to regenerate the Esplanade as a bustling regional attraction for both locals and tourists.
​
Aspired to cultivate passion and appreciation of performing arts, this public-oriented design encourages people to interact, collaborate, innovate and develop cultural knowledge among people from all social strata.
Spatial Design
The three main components: performance venues, academic programs and public entertainment intermingle to create an integrated cultural destination.
​
Besides, new programmatic dialogues are integrated into the design to create versatile performance venues that suit different ranges of productions.
Design Concept
Urban Living Room
Leaving behind the formal and enclosed characteristics, this new performing arts centre is designed to create an urban living room, where people are welcomed into the building in a most casual way.
Urban Artscape
More than just a building, it is an urban vista for social interaction, bringing people closer to each other while being exposed and engaged to the performing arts culture. With the concept Urban Artscape, the building itself is a huge amphitheatre looking towards George Town, where the undulating roof serves as either a stage or a seating area, making it a non-directional stage of the city.
3D Walk-through Video
Structural Design and Services
Sustainability and practicality are the main consideration in this project's structural design. Studies are done on performance space design to achieve flexible stage and auditorium configuration for performances and events of various scales.
Flexible Stage and Auditorium Configurations
The Grand Hall and the Black Box Theatre are designed for varied purposes with the flexibility to host different seating or event layouts ranging from small scale traditional performances to large scale concerts.
Front of House vs. Backstage
As the proposed building is located at a prime area bounded by both the public waterfront promenade and the big field, the scheme is designed to have minimal vehicular movement at ground level to preserve the walkability at the promenade, which the back of house spaces are placed above and below the main performance spaces.
Structural Design
The building is mainly supported by reinforced concrete framed structure. The green roof above the auditorium is sitting on a 2.8 meters deep steel space frame that span across the 26 meters column-less auditorium.
