Key Public Buildings commissioned by the Government should set the prime example of quality built environment because of their high level of visibility. They are icons to represent the country's aspirations, achievements and unity. As such, they serve as paragon for other clients.

Such buildings include: general public buildings (e.g. State Secretariats, District Offices, etc.), special public buildings (e.g. airport buildings, museums, libraries, etc.). major public housing, signature public buildings (e.g. Headquarter Buildings of governmental corporations, convention centers, sports stadiums, telecommunication towers, etc.).

For this purpose, high standards and quality are to be expected of public buildings. They are to be commensurated by simitar standards of maintenance and operation.

8 Incorporating Culture in Architecture

A quality built environment must be a reflection of the place and time and people of Malaysia. This is of course simple to do but dMifficult to do well. For to reduce culture to simple shapes and symbols can become a gross simplification of culture and can on occasions, have an adverse impact on the culture itself.

This is especially so where architecture is highly visible and can be interpreted as our culture and arts.

Incorporating culture in architecture essentially means engendering a sense of place in the design. For to reflect culture and sense of place in architecture, the architecture must nurture the following in the user:

• a sense of where he is (e.g. if the building is in Kedah, then the architecture must indicate its locality)
• a sense of who he is (i.e. the building must help the user be aware of who he is and not some other nationality),
• a sense of when he is (i.e. the building must inform user that he is in the 21st century and not in any other century).

The above is intentionally general to permit investigatively-focused creativity but still gives an essential guide to the creation of a quality built environment appropriate to the place and time in Malaysia.

We might adopt a varied but appropriate approach to using our architectural heritage for contemporary architecture purposes through:

• Replication
• Re-interpretation
• Abstraction
• Spirit of the place

We should use any of the above strategies where appropriate for the locality. For example, 'Replication' means replication of the existing architecture of the locality. This is appropriate for historical sensitive areas where the existing architectural style and construction need to be preserved.

'Re-interpretation' is for new buildings where we need to understand the underlying principles of our traditional architecture and culture and to re-interpret these in a contemporary and inventive way.

'Abstraction' means abstracting the symbolic aspects of the traditional culture (e.g. the 'tengelok') and utilising the symbolic aspects of this in the contemporary built environment where appropriate.

'Spirit of the Place' means employing the underlying spirit of the culture and traditional architecture in a new contemporary way (e.g. the 'spirit of the kampong community').