This adaptive reuse project involving three 200-year-old shophouses in the Unesco World Heritage City of Malacca scored Kaizen Architecture two awards. The firm was tasked with adapting three run down shophouses to blend seamlessly with an adjoining, existing hotel. The new extension would house a restaurant at the lower level and function rooms and a gym in the upper level, as well as cater to future expansion plans at the rear of the building.
In preserving the heritage of the shophouses and the location it stood in, Kaizen Architecture reinterpreted it as a traditional Malay home, which usually consisted of a main portion and a smaller secondary one that would house the kitchen and servant staff. This extension was visualised in the same manner as “rumah kechik”, which translates to “small house”, with a linear arrangement of spaces that led from the front door to the back of the building anchored by an open courtyard.
This allowed the architects to organise the seating of the restaurant across the length and breadth of the space and in various settings with furnishings that mirrored domestic settings. Other features such as louvred timber screens, carefully placed windows and portals add a contemporary touch while allowing for dramatic lighting and ventilation within.