Malaysia and Singapore’s Art Deco legacy: Buildings that tell stories

However, architectural photographer Darren Soh, who has documented Singapore’s buildings for decades, notes an important distinction. “The main differences between art deco and streamline moderne buildings lie mainly in the level of ornamentation,” he says. “Art Deco buildings tend to be more elaborate, whereas streamline moderne buildings are sleeker, with fewer embellishments.”

What emerged in British Malaya wasn’t a carbon copy of Miami Beach or Manhattan Deco. Here, the style became something that was uniquely Southeast Asian—adapted for torrential downpours and the equatorial heat. Buildings featured deep overhangs, generous louvred windows for ventilation, and five-foot walkways that were already a set element of local architecture.

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On a narrow street in Singapore’s Chinatown, 21 Carpenter Street exemplifies how careful restoration can breathe new life into art deco buildings. Four 1930s shophouses were amalgamated and transformed by Woha Architects into a modern hotel, while preserving the structures’ distinctive features.

Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has taken a systematic approach to conservation, with entire neighbourhoods such as the Tiong Bahru estate gazetted as conservation areas.

“For streamline moderne buildings, the way the lines flow on these buildings’ facades makes them very visually attractive—like the lines on the facades of 78 Moh Guan Terrace and 81 Tiong Poh Road in Tiong Bahru, for example,” said Soh, pointing to buildings constructed in 1937.

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But Singapore’s preservation record isn’t unblemished. The Cathay Building, once Southeast Asia’s tallest skyscraper and first air-conditioned cinema when completed in 1939, now exists only as a “husk of a facade”, according to Soh. “In the 1990s, Singapore approached conservation in a very unsophisticated manner that unfortunately led to many cases of ‘facadism’, where only the old building’s facade was kept and everything else behind it demolished,” he explains.

Sometimes, the most remarkable buildings aren’t the famous landmarks. Soh points to The Great Madras hotel in Little India, which was adaptively reused by Singapore design studio Farm from a former Singapore Improvement Trust 1940 residential building, as “actually more visually interesting to photograph” than the more celebrated Cathay Building.

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Cross the Causeway into Malaysia and the architectural heritage story becomes more complex, with preservation battles being fought block by block, often against daunting odds.

The Odeon Cinema in Kuala Lumpur, with its dramatic vertical fins and stepped outline, recently escaped demolition and is being converted into a Citadines hotel. Yet the Rex Cinema in Penang wasn’t so lucky; it was slated for demolition in 2023 despite local protests.

“The loss of the Rex Cinema is devastating,” declares Lim. “BWM considers it highly irresponsible and ultimately short-sighted to permit the destruction of these heritage gems, when there must be viable alternatives.”

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In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Bangunan Sulaiman’s elegant four-storey facade still commands a fair amount of admiration and attention. Built in 1933 across from what is now the Majestic Hotel, its symmetrical composition showcases how Art Deco principles were successfully adapted to local contexts.

“Bangunan Sulaiman features a blend of art deco and neoclassical elements,” explains Widodo. “Local architects adapted Art Deco by incorporating local materials and motifs, blending traditional elements together with modern design principles.”

Widodo highlights other significant Malaysian examples: “The Coliseum Theatre in Kuala Lumpur, Sultan Sulaiman Mosque in Klang and the Penang Masonic Temple are some notable examples of art deco buildings in Malaysia that demonstrate how this international style was interpreted through a local lens.”

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Sitting in a beautifully preserved art deco building by Dr TanLM Architect now housing the Ur-Mu art gallery in Kuala Lumpur, a structure known colloquially as “Toffee”, it’s easy to see the appeal of these architectural gems. But economics often dictate their fate.

Most Art Deco buildings occupy prime locations in city centres, where land values make preservation financially challenging. Without robust heritage protection and enforcement, commercial interests often prevail.

BWM advocates for a balanced approach. “We do not believe in creating museums out of every heritage building, but in incorporating our heritage assets into the fabric of our modern built environment,” Lim explains. “This necessarily means restoring the heritage infrastructure and adapting it for new uses.”

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In both countries, successful adaptation requires finding the right balance. “A good fit has to be found for any building that will be adaptive-reused,” notes Soh. He cites Hotel 81 on Jalan Besar as exemplary—originally built in the 1940s as the White House Hotel, it’s still operating as it was intended.

Widodo adds that the preservation challenges reflect broader regional issues. “The challenges of preserving Art Seco heritage in Singapore and Malaysia reflect broader issues such as rapid urbanisation and economic growth, limited understanding and funding for conservation, and the need to balance development with heritage preservation. Both countries face pressures to modernise, while retaining their historical identity.”

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As developers continue to reshape Southeast Asian cities, the fate of these architectural treasures depends on finding innovative ways to balance economic viability with cultural conservation.

Lim proposes a comprehensive solution. “There needs to be a detailed National Register of Malaysia’s Heritage Buildings, including their state of repair, which would assist Jabatan Warisan Negara in taking a necessarily more proactive approach.”

Widodo emphasises that “conservation is the management of change; it is not freezing the past, but maintaining its relevance to the present and future.” He further advocates for sustainable approaches. “Successful conservation must prioritise sustainability and carbon neutrality. This involves using eco-friendly materials and methods to reduce environmental impact, implementing policies to achieve carbon neutrality through renewable energy sources, and providing financial incentives like tax credits and grants to encourage conservation efforts.”

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Meanwhile, Singapore is expanding its preservation focus beyond the colonial era. “It is important that Singapore is starting to recognise more post-war architecture as important and worthy of conservation,” says Soh. “If we do not start looking at conserving these ‘newer’ buildings sooner rather than later, there may not be many of them left.”

As the morning light shifts across Central Market’s blue facade, these buildings continue to tell a story of when Southeast Asia embraced modernity while making it uniquely its own. The shadows they cast today may grow longer, but with proper care, they won’t disappear entirely.

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