Galeri Petronas is hosting an architecture exhibition, showcasing the work of Malaysian architects during the early years of Merdeka, until July 30, 2017.

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Be a tourist for a day and take a ride to the top of the KL Tower. From one of the screening windows you can witness the dazzling Petronas Twin Towers in all its glass and steel glory and through the other one, you can see the majestic Sultan Abdul Samad building, standing royally across Dataran Merdeka.

Such is the contrast in architecture that the city has gone through since its liberation in 1957.

Showcasing how Malaysian architecture has shaped the transformation of the nation during its pre- and post-independence period of the 1950s and 1960s, Galeri Petronas is hosting Manifest: Modernism of Merdeka – an exhibition that features select buildings of 1957- 1969.

The exhibition is in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Architects and is part of the Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival 2017 (KLAF2017).

Visitors to the exhibition will get to view photographs, drawings, models, social documents and new media presentations which showcase the achievements and ideals, ethics and aspirations of the pioneering generation of Malaysian architects during the early years of Merdeka and the formation of Malaysia.

The exhibition was officially launched on July 13 and will run through until July 30. Present at the opening  was Dato' Baharuddin Abu Kassim, one of the few early modernist architects who along with his many masterpieces, was also involved with the design and layout of Masjid Negara.

Scroll for more images from the event. 


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Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah Idris with Dato' Baharuddin Abu Kassim at the opening ceremony of Manifest.


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Joseph Edwin, Dato' Baharuddin Abu Kassim, Datuk Hashim Wahir, Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah Idris, Kam Pak Cheong, Ezumi Harzani Ismail and Ang Chee. 


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Director of KLAF2017, Ang Chee, explaining the exhibits to guests during the exhibition's curatorial walkthrough at Galeri Petronas.


“I hope this exhibition and related programmes from KLAF2017 will promote dialogue and exchange of novel ideas in developing better cities with sustainable, congruent and lively architecture,” said Datuk Hashim Wahir, CEO of KLCC Holdings Sdn Bhd.

“I am hopeful that Manifest will bring to light the significant relationship between architecture and nation-building, and how far we have come as a nation since Merdeka,” shared Tengku Datin Paduka Setia Zatashah Idris who was present at the launch and is the royal patron of KLAF 2017.

Manifest: Modernism of Merdeka is bringing together international and local experts who are catalysts of change in Malaysia’s architectural industry today and is giving visitors a deep insight into the significant changes that Kuala Lumpur went through during the transformative period of Merdeka.

Manifest is open for viewing at Galeri Petronas on Level 3, Suria KLCC until July 30, 2017, from 10am – 8pm.

To know more about the ongoings at Galeri Petronas, click here

(Photos:  Galeri Petronas)

Don't forget to stop by White Box, Publika for Reimagining Architecture that pays tribute to the legacy of world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid.