WAD 2025 proudly celebrates Penang’s own Ar. KL Wong and Datin Ar. Teng, two remarkable yet deeply humble architects who, for the first time, opened their work to the public, generously sharing not only their projects but the challenges, convictions, and quiet resilience that shaped them, an embodiment of this year’s theme, Design for Strength. This spirit of openness set the tone for World Architecture Day in Penang, which introduced a Mini Series leading up to the main event, beginning with an exclusive site visit to the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) and the Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery on 1 August 2025, followed by a sharing session at the Penang Digital Library the next day.
Ar. Wong Kah Loon of KL Wong Architect Sdn. Bhd., the Project Architect, guided participants through the newly completed PWCC. The development began in 2012, the masterplan extends Penang’s waterfront from George Town and integrates a convention centre, retail mall, office tower, business hotel, residences, and a public promenade.
Upon completion, visitors now enjoy expansive views of the sea and Penang’s cityscape from both ends of the convention centre, while the retail mall opens toward the waterfront with a striking sense of openness. The promenade is poised to become a lively public space for leisure and recreation.
The level of detail invested in the project’s 13-year journey is nothing short of meticulous. Ar. Wong concluded by demonstrating how ordinary construction scenes can be transformed into expressive compositions through contrast, framing, and shadow, a glimpse into his perceptive, artistic lens.
Datin Ar. Teng Chiu Chew Ying of Arkitek Permata Sdn Bhd began her presentation by introducing the client, presentation by introducing the client, Professor Lin Xiang Xiong, an internationally renowned artist born in China and deeply nurtured by Eastern civilisation. The design of the gallery was inspired by the sacred turtle journeying from China to the Straits of Malacca. Professor Lin also chose Penang as the destination location to anchor his life’s work, as the island itself resembles the shape of a turtle.
Building an art gallery entirely over the sea became one of the most unique projects of Datin Ar. Teng’s career. The architecture follows a “form follows function” philosophy, integrating blue-toned aluminium panels along the curved steel lower roof to symbolise seawater, while the upper roof exposes bold steel frames highlighting structural strength. Touring the gallery’s behind-the-scenes details was truly rare. The session concluded with a sharing by Datin Ar. Teng and Ar. Andrew Goh Kheng Oon on Alila 2 and the MarriottHotel & Residences.
