A Walk In The Park

RT+Q Architects distils Modernist expressions into Sentul Pavilion, a glassand-steel event space in a park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

- Luo Jingmei

The Sentul area of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia used to be an important contributor to the city’s railway industry since the 1800s, filled with railway factories and workshops. After WWII, the area was left abandoned, with buildings becoming dilapidated. Surrounding buildings constructed in the colonial era became ruins.

Malaysian property developer YTL Land’s intervention in 2002 with the Sentul Master Plan brought about rejuvenation, filling the area with homes, amenities, transportation arteries, as well as commercial and social facilities. Singapore-based RT+Q Architects played a big part in the rejuvenation of Sentul. Its design of the d6 and d7 commercial blocks added creative office spaces while the twisting Fennel and Capers residential skyscrapers elevated the desirability of the market for dwellings in the area.

connecting with natural surroundings

For Sentul Pavilion, the multipurpose space can be used for public and private events, such as tradeshows and exhibitions, brand launches or weddings with the park as a backdrop. It is placed within a 35-acre private park in the Sentul Master Plan that aimed at improving the living standard of the growing residential community.

YTL Land came to us with the vision to create an event space that utilises the beauty of the park, which they operate. It was designed and constructed during the pandemic, completing in August 2022,” shares Jonathan Quek, the architecture firm’s director who worked on the project together with RT+Q Architects’ founders TK Quek and Rene Tan.