Title

Author(s)

Yi Xing Chow

Affiliation

Polytechnic University of Milan

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/AEKL9744

Keywords

Postcolonialism, Heritage Conservation, Ethnopolitics

PP

220-226

How to Cite

Chow, Yi Xing. “Adaptive Reuse of Penang Shophouses in George Town, Malaysia: an Overview.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 220-226. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

his study examines the adaptive reuse of Penang Straits Shophouses in George Town, Malaysia as a critical lens for understanding the intersections of heritage, identity, and postcolonial urban (re)development in Malaysia. It positions the practice of adaptive reuse in a broad overview encompassing the historical and socio-political context of British colonial governance, post-independence multicultural nation-building, as well as the ongoing ethnopolitical (r)evolutions changing Malaysia’s heritage discourse.
Drawing on existing literature and site observations, the study outlines how colonial policies of ethnic segregation and inherited legislative frameworks have shaped the fragmented perceptions of built heritage and delayed the emergence of a societal-wide consensus on the relationship between national heritage and identities. While the present 2005 National Heritage Act and the 2016 George Town Special Area Plan provide formal conservation structures in the historical center, heritage management remains largely top-down, limiting community participation and public agency. Furthermore, architectural education and professional practice in Malaysia continue to prioritize modernization narratives over cultural continuity, resulting in adaptive reuse projects often motivated only by tourism and gentrification.
The study concludes that meaningful adaptive reuse must transcend mere architectural restoration to engage built heritage as a collective, societal and cultural construct. Integrating postcolonial and decolonial frameworks, such as Bhabha’s spatial practices and Fritz and Krasny’s critical care into local practices can help reframe adaptive reuse as a contemporary design policy and tool for heritage conservation. Through this approach, George Town’s shophouses can evolve beyond the preconceived notion of colonial artifacts into instruments for reconstructing shared memory and fostering an integral, multicultural urban identity in postcolonial Malaysia.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.