Katie Ambler
Architecture/Architecture (International) (RIBA Part 1) BA(Hons)
Tourism and Culture Centre, Melaka, Malaysia
Although Melaka is a town with a rich cultural heritage and a popular tourist destination, there is currently no place that draws together the two. This Tourism and Cultural Centre will display the best of the town.
Featuring a tourist-information centre, souvenir shop, exhibition, performing arts space and restaurant, the buildings connect some of the main cultural aspects of the town and provide a place for tourists and locals alike to learn and immerse themselves in the local heritage.
The building creates a connection between the various parts of the town, and the materials and geometry used complement the local architecture. The architectural rhythm of the riverside is followed and the colour-palette used speaks the ‘terracotta language’ of the town.
Influenced by the wind on the site, which comes from four directions, the crux of external corridors in the design and the bi-folding windows and doors allow for efficient cross ventilation. When this is not enough, an underfloor cooling system, cooled in the adjacent river, is also used. Both systems are enhanced by ceiling fans that circulate the air.
For more information and projects please visit https://katieambler23.wixsite.com/kamblerarchitecture or email katieambler23@gmail.com.
Katie Ambler