TRX City Park KL: How Pentago merges cultural heritage with sustainable landscape design

The TRX City Park has been praised for its unique approach to representing Malaysian landscape and identity. How has Pentago—together with Oculus—achieved this?

Spanning two levels on The Exchange TRX Mall’s rooftop, the design philosophy for the TRX City Park centres on celebrating Malaysia’s diverse landscapes, featuring varied environmental settings that represent the country’s natural topology.

From forest edges and clearings to riverine hillsides and traditional hillside gardens, from mountain slopes to coastal vegetation—these are portrayed through a further layer of localised context seen through the planting designs in the park, with the incorporation of ethnobotanical species that are used culturally for crafts, culinary and medicinal uses.

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The ethnobotanical species mentioned feature an impressive 95 per cent of indigenous planting with nearly 180,000 locally sourced plants. What were the ecological considerations behind this approach?

The use of indigenous planting is essential not only to reflect the design ideal for the TRX City Park, but also to provide sustainable benefits for local wildlife, creating habitats and food sources for insects, butterflies, and birds. Additionally, these indigenous species thrive in the local climate with minimal maintenance and additional irrigation.  

While a modified rooftop landscape does not afford us the luxury of creating ideal habitats, we have, however, integrated native species within publicly accessible spaces. Clusters of plants have attracted birds, and over time, encouraged many other species to come into the park, particularly at the water features, where the dragonflies are.

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How about when it comes to creating a public space that truly reflects Malaysia’s diverse cultural landscape?

Our primary goal for the TRX City park was to establish a sense of place in the heart of Kuala Lumpur—a central destination that is woven into the fabric of the city, where people from all walks of life are welcomed to enjoy both physically and through visual connection. 

Beyond ensuring pragmatic functionalities like circulation linkages are well-integrated, we’ve focused on making the park special and unique with carefully designed pockets of inspiration throughout the space.

From public artworks depicting native animals nestled in the undergrowth, to abstract sculptural pieces that reflect the park’s context, we’ve incorporated elements of discovery and surprise as one moves through the park for recreation or relaxation, keeping the user experience fresh and engaging as time passes.

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What were the most significant challenges in designing an elevated urban park in a dense metropolitan environment?

We are, after all, crafting an elevated landscape that feels natural despite its artificial setting. So, the logistics of delivering materials 20 metres above ground level presented immediate practical challenges. 

Besides that, the park’s location above the mall required extensive engineering considerations. We needed to integrate various mechanical and electrical systems—including air conditioning plants, ventilation ducts, and fire safety provisions—while ensuring they didn’t interfere with the mall’s operations below.

The structural design presented another challenge as well. Some areas required large column-free spaces in the mall below, necessitating careful consideration of roof loading capacity. Additionally, managing Kuala Lumpur’s heavy rainfall on a rooftop park required innovative solutions. For this, we implemented a network of syphonic drain sumps beneath the landscape, providing efficient drainage and preventing any risk of flooding in the mall below.

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One year after completion, how has the TRX City Park’s ecosystem developed?

We are delighted to say that the park’s ecosystem is thriving. The initial plantings have established remarkably well during the first year. Tree canopies are expanding and understory vegetation are creating comprehensive ground coverage, with a diverse wildlife that has made the park home—from birds and butterflies to dragonflies and small reptiles. 

One of the great successes is how quickly the park has matured. In many areas, the space feels so natural it could be at ground level, which is a great testament to the design. As the TRX City Park continues to mature, we expect to see even greater biodiversity and the development of self-sustaining plant communities. 

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How has the community received the TRX City Park since its opening?

The public response has been overwhelmingly positive, as evidenced by our strong visitor numbers, particularly on weekends.

We’ve been pleasantly surprised by some unexpected successes, particularly the popularity of the multipurpose lawn space at the Sunlight Plaza. Whilst there were initial concerns about the area’s limited planting due to the shallow soil depth preventing tree growth, it has become a favourite hangout area. The openness of the lawn space offers stunning views of the city lights in the evening, creating an attractive urban oasis.

Granted, the park’s popularity has presented some challenges—certain areas have experienced higher foot traffic than anticipated, particularly the lawn areas during wet seasons, and we’ve implemented temporary access controls during off-peak hours to allow for recovery. This flexible approach helps us maintain the park’s quality while accommodating its enthusiastic reception by the community.

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Reflecting on the TRX City Park project, what lessons can be applied to future urban planning designs?

The integration of functional service structures within urban park settings should become standard practice, particularly in challenging urban spaces. Multiple layers of consideration such as safety, accessibility, and environmental benefits are essential and carefully balanced for this to work out. Connectivity, in particular, is crucial–spaces should be easily accessible and naturally supervised through their design, ensuring they remain welcoming and secure for all users.

Furthermore, rooftop greening can serve multiple purposes: managing rainfall, providing building insulation, and creating wildlife habitats. These green spaces also offer visual relief from urban hardscapes while providing shade and supporting biodiversity through native plantings.

Not to mention, water sustainability represents a critical global challenge in landscape design, even in a rain-abundant city like Kuala Lumpur. Thoughtful approaches to manage water resources effectively is essential, with rainwater management, water retention, and water reuse factored within site designs.

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How do you see the role of landscape architecture evolving in creating more sustainable and inclusive urban environments?

Over the past three decades, the industry has seen a major shift towards the integration of sustainable concepts in all designs. This evolution begins at the planning stage, where we prioritise preserving natural resources and maximising connections with existing urban fabric.

While landscape architecture is at the forefront of providing the green interface between urban development and adjacent spaces, sustainability must be comprehensive. We’re not just addressing environmental concerns—we’re creating spaces that are self-sustaining and can engage meaningfully with people over time.

Environmental sensitivity and modern sensibilities can coexist; by thoughtfully integrating sustainable elements around active spaces, we can create areas that are both environmentally conscious and luxurious. The success of a space often depends on achieving both objectives simultaneously.

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What advice would you offer to emerging landscape architects who aspire to create meaningful, contextually rich urban spaces such as the TRX City Park?

Developing a personal artistic ethos is key for creating memorable urban spaces across our cities. There needs to be a strong design intent to drive every project, creating environments that evoke responses and provide enjoyment for users. While environmental criteria are important, focusing solely on maximising these metrics could result in sterile spaces that fail to engage users emotionally.

Conduct thorough background research and ensure your spaces reflect their local context, such as incorporating indigenous plants and design elements that resonate with the location’s character–the most successful spaces often balance technical excellence with cultural relevance and human engagement.

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