From Balik Pulau to Jalan Parlimen: The Life and Architecture of Ivor Shipley in Malaya
Speaker: Dr. Ar. Lai Chee Kien
Moderator: Clement Liang, President of Penang Heritage Trust
Date: Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Time: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Venue: Conference Hall, Penang Institute
Note: Registration is free but required for in-person attendees only. The event will be livestreamed on Penang Institute’s Facebook and YouTube.
Organised by: Penang Institute
In collaboration with: Penang Heritage Trust and the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM)
Event Abstract
The architecture practice scene in Malaya before Merdeka was divided into the private and public sectors, much like today. The public sector was primarily staffed by architects and engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD), many of whom were trained abroad and appointed by the Colonial Service in London. Though based in Kuala Lumpur, the PWD assigned a State Architect to each state, responsible for designing, supervising, and maintaining government buildings.
Between 1945 and 1965, post-war reconstruction and modernist architectural adaptation flourished. During this time, William Ivor Shipley (1929–2008), trained at the Architectural Association in London, arrived in Malaya in 1953 after earlier visiting during his military service. Appointed State Architect of Penang and Province Wellesley, he designed several notable buildings, including the Penang Council Chamber, the Balik Pulau Police Station, and extensions to the old Bayan Lepas Airport.
Later transferred to PWD headquarters in KL, Shipley further developed his interest in modular design—shaped by his Penang experience and interactions with Bauhaus-affiliated figures Konrad Wachsmann and Julius Posener. His portfolio included the Standard Office Building (with over 200 units built nationwide) and culminated in the Parliament House, combining standardisation and tropical design principles. He was knighted in 1960 for his architectural contributions.
This talk explores Shipley’s contributions in Malaya from 1953 to 1964 before his return to London.
About the Speaker
Dr. Ar. Lai Chee Kien is a Singapore-based lecturer and registered architect whose research focuses on the histories of art, architecture, settlements, urbanism, and landscapes in Southeast Asia. He holds a Master of Architecture by Research from the National University of Singapore and a PhD in History of Architecture & Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley.
He serves as Vice-President of the Society of Architectural and Urban Historians of Asia and sits on the Advisory Committee of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments. His published works include Building Merdeka: Independence Architecture in Kuala Lumpur (2007), Building Memories: People, Architecture, Independence (2016), The Merdeka Interviews (2018), and Cords to Histories: Architecture and Life in Southeast Asia (2021), the latter also released in Chinese and named one of Asia Magazine’s Best Ten Non-Fiction Books of 2021.