CSL Associates
Authors
Citation
Hinge, v.71, 2000, pp. 60-61
Abstract
CSL Associates was established in Kuala Lumpur in 1978 by Jimmy CS Lim. The company is one of the few local practices who manage to build in a Malaysian manner at a time when almost every developing country in South East Asia is besieged by western architectural fashions. Malaysia is by no means a simple nation. The multiple races, cultures and religions that populate the country endow it with a distinctive identity. CSL's architecture, in relation to its unique regional context, is one that seeks to embrace cultural, social and historical divergence while harmonising with the natural environment.
Most of CSL's work draws on the traditional Malay timber-framed houses that can be found throughout the peninsula. CSL's adherence to this tropical typology hints at several design tenets - the relevance to local construction technology and materials, the compatibility with regional climatic conditions, and the respect for cultural heritage. Yet, CSL is not content to simply lean on the past. The company believes that traditional Malaysian architecture should not necessarily be replicated in its original form, but reinterpreted in a contemporary way that keeps pace with modernity.
(1) Salinger House, Bangi, Malaysia
(2) Foo House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(3) Sometime Resort, Betong, Thailand
(4) Meridian House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Description
Architect: CSL Associates
Subject
Type
Article
Format
Date
2000
Language
en