We're excited that BETA's project was featured in Main spread of Star Lifestyle on 27 Aug 2022. Thank you to Li Za of TheStar for the well-written article.
Transformed from an existing two-storey Anglo-Indian bungalow known as the Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman building, the KDL is nestled amidst rain trees. Occupying a 2.18-acre (0.88ha) site located next to Alor Setar’s largest urban park, Taman Jubli Perak, it thus embodies a “library in a park” concept.
In addition to refurbishing the main bungalow, the project also involved the addition of a new Annex Building. Completed February this year, the library is due to be officially launched next month.
Designed by BEu Tan Architect (Beta), KDL won a gold medal in this year’s PAM (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia) Awards under the Adaptive Reuse category. It was the third PAM gold award in four years for the firm.
The firm won a gold medal for the Penang Digital Library 2 project under the Alteration and Addition category at the 2019 PAM Awards. The project was the first standalone “Library Without Books” initiative by the Penang state government that opened to the public in January 2019. In 2020, Beta also won the gold medal (Adaptive Reuse) at the PAM Awards, for the Penang Harmony Centre.
Kedah Digital Library’s design concept revolves around being heritage-sensitive, celebrating nature and paying homage to Alor Setar’s historical urban fabric. The main aim was to infuse the interior spaces with much natural lighting. The KDL is divided into the main Mansion Library and the new Annex Building, which houses the Amphitheatre, Community Hall and the Putra Gallery. “The old bungalow (Mansion Library) was designed mostly with reading spaces which act as the core of the library.
Check out full article written by Wong Li Za
https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/living/2022/08/28/malaysian-colonial-building-transformed-into-award-winning-library-in-a-park