Formzero Architecture

Red Hill Gallery

RED HILL GALLERY

MOA Architects + Formzero

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

ARCHITECTS
MOA Architects + Formzero

LEAD ARCHITECT
Cherng Yih Lee

M&E ENGINEER
YF Perunding

STRUCTURE ENGINEER
Perunding LNL

INTERIOR DESIGN
Luna Solutions

PHOTOGRAPHS
Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

AREA
1160.0 m2

YEAR
2018

LOCATION
Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

CATEGORY
Offices

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

Text description provided by architect.

The journey to site began in an arduous adventure on foot at the edge of a small tropical town. In a bewildered quest to locate the site boundary within a hinterland.

The lead architect Cherng Yih Lee trekked through acres of abandoned oil palm plantations and on what seemed to be one of the few remaining grasslands for a dairy farm in the locality. The exact location of site remained unidentified on the first day as the crew felt disoriented amidst large.

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

Undulating hills within an agricultural landscape that will soon disappear as development plans for urban housing in the area has been set in motion.

Whilst studying the site, an unusual landscape pattern emerged. The prevailing palm oil trees had formed a border around an area of what was later known to be a cluster of rubber trees preserved during the land-clearing works.

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

This incident inspired the ensuing design process.The design of a human experience preceded designing the actual building.

This is a journey in which one discovers a forgotten place.

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

The path to the gallery is found at one end of the preserved rubber forest as visitors are encouraged to find their way through the trees on a winding and elevated metal platform.

Due to the building’s striking red facade, one can always vaguely see it behind the forest.

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

However, its image is never certain nor fully revealed. Entering the forest path is akin to a entering a dark cave.

Conversely, one sees a huge white cave when walking into the building’s gallery.

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography

Across different functional areas, the scale of space changes dramatically from one end of the building to the other as ceilings rise and fall above the head, and as walls fold in and out at various places, framing fragmented views of the outside at angles.

A zig-zag corridor leading to an internal courtyard garden that serves as a central point to the office space is all part of a designed journey that mimics the experience of searching for a destination in a forest.

As one leaves the site southward, the building is fully revealed with the forest behind it. Its form is a reminiscence of compressed, undulating hills that slope towards the ground, disregarding any sense of scale.

Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography


Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography


Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography


Red Hill Gallery
Site Plan
Red Hill Gallery
© Ronson Lee from Twins Photography
Red Hill Gallery
Ground Floor Plan


Red Hill Gallery
Section


Red Hill Gallery
Elevations

Formzero Architecture
T +60 3 79711045 F +60 3 79801145
Formzero Architecture
14-1,&nbsp, Jalan 3/109c, Taman Abadi Indah, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia