Views Reviews Interviews is an accessible summary of the Merdeka Jubilee Architecture Symposium, not “too dry and long for many”, but extending beyond the formal confines of a programme booklet of the event. It attempts to document some of the most significant buildings of the past 60 years. It also attempts to capture the spirit of the various eras through views reviews and interviews of some of the participants. It is supplemented by images, cuttings and extracts from newsletters, magazines and the like in archives. This publication is loose and multi-layered. It is intentionally so, as a structured compilation or a complete history of the 60 years of architecture in Malaysia is a massive undertaking and beyond the scope of this publication. The idea for this publication is that of a ‘snack book’. The book is not a complete meal of starter, main course and desert but snacks to be picked and savoured randomly without having to go from start to finish. It attempts to respond to our electronic age where images, posts and articles are fast and momentary, but one can like an image or a post and may be enticed to return later for more about the topic and even to look for the source document to complete the reading. Through these samplings and assortments, one may have a flavour, if not the spirit of the period.
There are many themes and stories in this publication. The underlining theme and story is that of a community of architects, a dedicated and tenacious community of architects who respond to the circumstances and opportunities of their times and pour their energies in the development of their profession and their architecture; taking Malaysia from 1957 to 2017 and Beyond.
This book includes a CD A Conversation with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the Occasion of the Merdeka Jubilee Architecture Symposium.
