Malaysia is classified as a newly industrialised country and has seen huge developments over the past few years. It has a reputation as one of the most multicultural societies with it colonial roots and position at a major trade cross road. However at the same time it is a predominately Islamic country with over 60% of its population prescribing to the Muslim faith. This means that a lot of the architecture is based on Islamic design principles but is also influenced by the other cultures and more modern ideas due to the recent development. I have found that most of Islamic design is based on a few principles which are derived from the key Islamic religious text the Quran. The principles extend far beyond the simple asthectics of a building and include: unity, respect, remembrance, balance, sincerity, modesty and knowledge. I will related each of these to specific design elements in case studies from around Kuala Lumpur in order to answer the question:
How do Islamic design principles influence contemporary architecture and design in Kuala Lumpur?
