Situated at the center of the city, the twelve-sided tower is the tallest skyscraper in Penang. Named after the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak was envisaged as a comprehensive urban renewal project by the Penang Development Corporation, the monumental structure has had a tough history.
KOMTAR project was an ambitious attempt to revitalize George Town when it started to show signs of decline after the revocation of Penang's free port status. The tower was meant to be a heritage center, housing the administrative offices of the Penang state government, a transportation hub and even a shopping mall. At the top of the tower is a geodesic dome which architectural design is inspired by Buckminster Fuller is multipurpose function hall. KOMTAR aimed to be a symbol of modernization, an epitome of a business and recreation center. In 1974, Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak announced that the KOMTAR project was meant to change the face of the city, discarding the colonial heritage in favour of one which reflects the identity of Malaysia and its multi-ethnic culture.
After experiencing independence from the British colony and the establishment of the Malaysian federation within the last decade, Malaysia have since strive to form a modern and developed country. The KOMTAR project was Penang's effort in proclaiming and celebrating Malaysian's new identity as a modern country, displaying the progress and development in modern technology, moving away from the styles of colonial architectures. The monument was the second tallest building in Asia when it was first constructed in 1986, it maintained its status as Malaysia's tallest building for a few more years before being toppled by newer infrastructures in the capital. Whilst it was still under construction,
the upper floors of tower was consumed by fire, such unfortunate accident cost the budget to exceed the its original estimation, leading to the abandonment of the master plan after the first two out of the five phases of implementation.
While the architectural design of KOMTAR tower is less extravagant and avant-garde as compared to other more well known monuments of the country, it was built on a progressive concept, not only technologically but also in an attempt to form a united community. Creating a space that all Malaysians belong to regardless of their background is especially meaningful especially after the recent 13 May Incident of sectarian violence in Kuala Lumpur in 1969. However, in order to realize the monument, it required the demolishing older colonial shops and older neighbourhoods around the area. Such sacrifice in some ways contradict the idea of moving forward as it not only drove away business potentials but also contradicts the idea of being a center of culture and heritage by eliminating the history of the area.
Despite being criticized as "Malaysia's Monument to Failed Modernism", the building have become an icon of the city. The monument while evidently a large physical architecture that stands tall at the center of George Town, the tower should also be appreciated for its vision. After Penang was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2008, the government has taken effort to reinstate the glory of the tower as it was meant to for the city back in the 80s, such as reviving the stores in the building, working with local artist to create what may be the tallest mural on the local culture as well as creating a sky walk back in 2016. With such new interventions the tower is now one of the most prominent tourist attraction of the Penang.
Malaysians have always be striving towards the goal of becoming a developed country by 2020, the KOMTAR project can be a new positive monumental structure for the people with its popularity was reinstated. In addition to its initial vision of a heritage center, the tower itself can be considered a historical monument that witnessed the economic growth of the city, from the struggling town to one of the most significant city in Malaysia and hopefully will continue to be a part of the country's history.
References
Goh, D. P. S. (2014) 'Between History and Heritage: Post-Colonialism, Globalisation, and the Remaking of Malacca, Penang, and Singapore', TRaNS: Trans -Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia, 2, pp 79-101 doi:10.1017/trn.2013.17, January. Available at: https://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/soc
gohd/trans_2.1.pdf ( Accessed: 30 March 2019 )
Soon-Tzu (2016) 'Komtar: Malaysia’s Monument to Failed Modernism', Failed Architecture, June 6. Available at: https://failedarchitecture.com/komtar-malaysias-monument-to-failed-modernism/ ( Accessed: 30 March 2019 )
The Straits Times. (2017) 'Penang's Komtar tower to have world's tallest mural soon', March 10. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/penangs-komtar-to-have-worlds-tallest-mural-soon ( Accessed: 30 March 2019 )
The Sun Daily. (2015) 'Komtar 'fire' sets Penang ablaze', November 6. Available at: https://www.thesundaily.my/archive/1604884-ISARCH336953 ( Accessed: 30 March 2019 )
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