Giants by the Coast
The buildings embrace the strong presence of lines - the rigid skeletal grid and architectural skin following its stead
The project is located a 20-minute drive from Bintulu and includes a new Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) building and an administration building within the Tanjung Kidurong Combined Cycle Power Plant. The new 275 kV GIS building is the cool kid on the block – a high-functioning safety node within the power grid that promises reliable and efficient transmission.
The success of this particular project lies in how we managed to capture the essence of place and inject beauty into the functional
The success of this project lies in how we managed to capture the essence of the place and inject beauty into the functional – delight is found among bus bars and crane clearances.
The buildings fit in with their counterparts in the power plant, although they are unmistakably younger without the defining heavy blue metal roof and eaves
Both the GIS and the admin building have solid envelopes to protect people and equipment from the immediate physical risks of the site. Function was at the helm. In order to weave in some elemental qualities, the simple rectangular footprint is creased to create small folds in the enclosure, which let in light and air.
Rain on the metal roof shows how energy flows and reminds us to use it wisely
The GIS building has a large machine assembly at its core. An external access corridor loops around the building, connecting control and equipment rooms. In contrast, the admin building, on a much smaller scale, features an atrium in the centre with internal corridors linking all its rooms.
Box gutters, concrete overflow spouts, fine louvre screens and copper coloured metal cladding further sets them apart
Both buildings belong with their counterparts in the power plant, composed of rectangles and largely blank white walls. However, they are unmistakably younger without the heavy blue metal roof and eaves. The concealed roofs, fine louvre screens and copper coloured metal cladding further set them apart.
Time will age them. The salty wind would colour the metals differently, the roads would be a little more worn, life might find its way through fissures.
Text by Janani Premchandh
Janani is currently practicing architecture in Sydney, Australia. Originally from Chennai, India, she got to spend a few years being blissfully ‘Lost In Translation’ in the Jungles of Borneo.
PROJECT GALLERY