Malaysia has observed a fast growth after independence and regarding its architecture, Petronas Towers is the best example which has been declared amongst the tallest buildings of the world. Like any other country, Malaysian architecture emerged out of requirement and in the earlier times, factors such as Mother Nature, topography, climate, economy, lifestyle, material availability and religion preferences influenced the structural design in Malaysia.
The conventional edifices like lodgings, castles of the Malay Sultans,
mosques and halls (built in wooden materials) create the inimitable
architectural picture here. The style & design of these buildings
did justice to both, the purposes of people and the various other
constructional aspects. However, such buildings used to be build by
means of restricted variety of tools. It closely formed the distinctive
Malaysian architecture, visible in different parts of the country.
Formerly, when Malaysia was very prone to natural disasters, economy was
also not very good and even food generation was a concern, the houses or
other structures were erected with the available materials, keeping all
the factors in mind. Nobody could have ever imagined that architecture
of Malaysia that started with simplicity and least resources would
become so famous in the world. With changing times, Malaysian
architecture evolved to suit the lifestyle of people.
In fact, invention of new tools gave rise to the construction of more
stable, bigger and much better dwellings. Like this, innumerable new
styles and shape of the architecture took birth, which is discernible in
various regions. The colonial impact is evident in the country's
architecture. Buildings, featuring the British architecture, are
commonly found in Penang. Influence of India, China and Islam is
apparent in the architecture of religious buildings in Malaysia.
On the whole, architecture of Malaysia is not just about lofty buildings
but also about traditional Malay houses, pre-war houses and colonial