PUTRAJAYA, located south of Kuala Lumpur, is known for its late-20th-century architecture.
One of the more fascinating buildings is Putra Mosque.
The mosque, located next to Perdana Putra which houses the Prime Minister’s Office and the man-made Putrajaya Lake, was constructed in 1999.
The building was constructed with rose-tinted granite and the highlight is the pink dome. The 116m-tall minaret was influenced by the design of the Sheikh Omar Mosque in Baghdad. The basement wall of the mosque resembles Morocco’s King Hassan Mosque.
Fronting the mosque is a large square with flagpoles flying Malaysian state flags.
There is a three-tiered bridge nearby (Putra Bridge) which is inspired by Iranian architecture. In fact, Putrajaya Lake has almost a dozen bridges with great architecture, including Seri Perdana Bridge, Seri Wawasan Bridge, Seri Saujana Bridge and Seri Gemilang Bridge.
Perdana Putra, meanwhile, has an interesting mixture of modern Western, modern Islamic and British colonial designs. The building is topped by a glazed mosaic main dome, which is accompanied by smaller domes on either side. The green of the dome matches the roof and the windows, and contrasts with the brown stone facade.
The other buildings in the administrative capital have Malay-Arab-Islamic, Moorish or Mogul design concept and influences.
For example, the prime minister’s residence, Seri Perdana, has a mixture of Malay-Moorish and Islamic architecture of the Mogul era.
The Palace of Justice (which houses the judicial department in a five-storey administration building and the courts in a two-storey annexed building) has a palatial Islamic architecture.
The design incorporates influences of classical Islamic culture like Taj Mahal of India’s Moorish culture and the Sultan Abdul Samad building in Kuala Lumpur, along with Western classical influence, like Palladian architecture.
Another interesting building is Istana Melawati, with architecture that seems to cascade gently down the slope of a hill. The square-based pyramidal roof arranged on tiered levels and open-sided verandas forms a very distinctive and prominent style.
The Diamond Building (named because of its unique shape), located at Presint 2, is the headquarters of the Energy Commission. The sustainable building is among the newest structures in Putrajaya.
According to the Energy Commission website, the diamond design was selected for its philosophical and practical values. During the design stage, extensive computer simulation of the diamond form was conducted to ensure that the expected daylight and energy performance was met.
OCHRE@ALAMANDA
The Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (Yapeim)
will be fully operational in Putrajaya early next year.
This follows the foundation’s acquisition of 90 business suites at Ochre@Alamanda for RM89.33 million, said Yapeim director-general Datuk Abdullah Samsuddin.
He said the new headquarters will replace its office at Grand Season Avenue in Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur.
“This will make it easier for the foundation to conduct business with government agencies, considering that Putrajaya is the Federal Government’s administrative centre,” he said at the signing of the sales and purchase agreement between Putrajaya Resources Sdn Bhd, Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd and Yapeim two months ago.
Ochre@Alamanda, located in the vicinity of Alamanda shopping centre and Everly Hotel in Presint 1, is a development by Putrajaya Holdings, the master developer of Putrajaya.
The 12-storey building comprises 155 business suites with built-up areas ranging from 592 to 1,442 square feet and commercial space.
Putrajaya Holdings chief executive officer Datuk Azlan Abdul Karim said 80 per cent of Ochre Business Suites have been sold.
He said construction is expected to be completed at the end of this year.