Building & Investment (Jan - Feb 2016) (Jan - Feb 2016) | Page 16
Project Highlight
New convention centre provides a
meeting place under the ‘rainforest trees’
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in East Malaysia is designed with the theme “let’s meet
under the trees” – a concept that most locals can relate to.
AS THE first dedicated convention centre
on the East Malaysian’s island of Borneo, the
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)
was designed to blend with it’s natural
surroundings. A key element of this design
strategy is it’s free flowing roof structure. The
roof is shaped in the form of a “ririg” leaf,
which in Iban language refers to the species
phacelophrynium maximum. Ririg grows in
abundance in Sarawak and due to its large
leaves, is used by many indigenous tribes for
wrapping rice and food.
The roof canopy is supported by a series
of exposed structural elements resembling
the trunks and branches of rainforest trees.
12 Building & Investment | www.b-i.biz
At the tip of the roof canopy there is a
stone collection pond, reminiscent of water
drops falling off a ririg leaf after a torrential
monsoon rain. The combination of function
and design come together seamlessly in a
form that is truly representative of Borneo
island and it’s people.
BCCK is located in Kuching, Sarawak,
East Malaysia. Located eight kilometres
from the city centre, the centre aims to
organise and attract local and international
concerts, events, exhibitions and conventions
to Sarawak. Sited on a six hectare riverfront
site, BCCK forms part of a new marina and
tourism development on the ‘Isthmus Island’.
Construction began in June 2006 and was
completed in October 2009. The actual cost
of construction is about RM200 million.
BCCK is designed on an east-west access
to mitigate the effects of solar heat gain. It is
also oriented to face Mecca and incorporates
a Muslim prayer room. The building has a
gross floor area of 36,500 square metres and
the internal design offers complete flexibility
with functional spaces able to be sub-divided
into a variety of sizes and configurations for
plenary sessions, exhibitions and banquets.
The capacities in BCCK include 5,000
delegates in plenary, a 2,000 capacity banquet
hall and 14 breakout meetings rooms. The