Penang Heritage Trust president Lim Gaik Siang said the area was worthy of international acclaim as it was the most extensive collection of well-kept “Art Deco” design homes in the region.
She warned that a Penang government company’s plan to build a 40-storey building and other development projects would ruin the precious collection of buildings there.
“People from all over the world have come here to inspect the homes in the area. So many, including those from Europe, have felt it is the finest Art Deco enclave in Asia.
“It is one of a kind as most homes here are still intact and have not been changed since the 1920s. The last known collection of Art Deco homes is in Shanghai, but ours is much bigger in scale and still in mint condition,” she said.
Art Deco refers to the architectural style popular from the 1930s to 1950s, Lim said, pointing out that among notable buildings in this style included Kuala Lumpur’s Pasar Seni and the Wesley Methodist Church in Penang.
While the government insisted that heritage values would be kept, Lim said the development would drastically alter the makeup of those staying there — currently primarily owner-occupiers — to yet another business district.
“When they see an office or a tall building come up next to their homes, it is an annoyance, and then these occupants will move out.
“The area is then turned into a full-fledged mall-like area. The soul of the enclave, its people and the quality architecture would soon be lost,” she said.
Lim said, ideally, the entire area straddling Burmah Road should be listed as a heritage enclave, from the Victoria Green to the Arratoon area.
She added that the Penang Island City Council and state heritage commissioner should consider carrying out a new inventory of homes there and guide owners to keep to the original specifications as much as possible.
She said having development curbs would help keep the finest examples built by Penang architectural great Chew Eng Eam and other European greats such as Charles Boutcher, and BM Iversen.
One of Chew’s designs is Louise Goss-Custard and Thomas Schmidt’s bungalow on Chow Thye Road. The couple had filed a suit against the Penang government recently.
The English-German couple, who previously resided in China, moved to Penang in 2008 and decided to settle down here for good after falling in love with their current home, which was in a sad state.
Goss-Custard said she was shocked when news about the pending development came in the mail from the city council, as it would have a disastrous effect on surrounding buildings and the already heavy traffic in the area.
“While our unit is not directly affected, our immediate cause of concern was that our bungalow was built without any foundation and was prone to subsidence. So, can you imagine if something heavy comes up nearby? It will cause massive damage,” she said.
Based on a presentation by the developer to 12 private owners in the area in January, she said residents were told that the front lawns and porches of the affected units would be demolished up to the doorstep to make way for a road expansion.
“Almost everyone objected to the idea. How can you widen the road which narrows down to an already congested Burmah Road at one end?
“We have asked for feasibility documents related to the project, but were only shown an animation of traffic coming in and out of Chow Thye, and no factual data.
“I then asked some 30 owner-occupiers in the area if they wanted to be part of the suit we were filing. Most were reluctant, while some have said if the government wants to build it, they can do so. Hence, we are doing this alone,” she said.