Amidst the lush tropical rainforest lies a creative learning infinity; Azman Hashim Gallery sits on a 6.8-acre lot and is a platform for nurturing Sabah’s next-generation artists. Set on a cliff amidst the natural green foliage, Gallery Azman Hashim overlooks the Teluk Sepanggar sea. The strategic placement of the gallery highlights its prominence within this natural enclave making the gallery unique and one of a kind.
This infinite circular geometry offers a continuous journey of artwork and boasts event facilities and a public viewing deck facing the sea accessible via structures inspired by surrounding nature. The design itself expresses the unity of all things, which never disappear, with the addition of green elements surrounding it, encapsulating a colourful creative programme from within. The design also centres around a continuous journey united in harmony leading from the beginning entry point and ending with a spectacular view towards the sea.
The creative journey is the main driving factor in designing the internal spaces and circulation of the gallery. In ensuring a smooth experience from within, the space takes the building user from one place to the other, in an infinite loop, where the circle meets function.
The facade is an element of art: vertical louvres shade the interior from the sun whilst creating an interplay of shadows reflected onto the floors and walls of the building. This way the gallery will always be animated, not only by the physical artwork but also by the ingenious architecture. The design speaks about creativity especially when it is centred towards creating a creative community for the youth.
Raw-finished concrete is chosen symbolically as blank canvas inspiring artists’ creativity and through time blends in with the surrounding nature. Internal spaces are left raw leaving room for creativity, and allowing maximum flexibility to end users and artists alike. When it is furnished, creative colours are introduced to emphasise the eclectic minds and set the creativity of the students from within.
Natural earthy material such as timber is used in between raw concrete to soften the edges and create focus towards important entrances into space. Not only does it bring a sense of uniqueness to the place, but it also shows how the material selection can also be sustainable. Choosing sustainable materials is essential due to the alarming effects of global warming, hence sustainable materials that are locally sourced and raw to nature are carefully selected in building a better building for a better future.
The interplay of motives inspired by the local culture of Sabah is the main driving concept for the highest pinnacle of the Azman Hashim Gallery. Layers of patterns are imprinted into the facade inspired by Sabah’s traditional textile ‘dastar’ and craft ‘bubu’ giving this gallery a sense of identity and belonging which is essential in a learning environment.
Instead of building a gallery that is out of the world and alienated in terms of identity, our approach considers all aspects of our daily lives including economy, sociology and culture. Looking at the gallery in a bigger picture, we have interspersed all design elements with Sabah’s local culture. The gallery is selfless, a local and international home for arts in a prime location of Sabah.
