The crowds are back at Klang Valley shopping malls, which had been hit by the global financial crisis not too long ago.In anticipation of better times ahead, the managements of the more popular malls are raising rental rates.Rates levied on retailers ­— which are confidential going by industry practice — vary significantly, depending on factors such as the location and size of a store.Ultimatel

Malls in Kuala Lumpur city have recovered from a year ago with business picking up, especially in the last three months, for the likes of Suria KLCC, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Berjaya Time Square, says CB Richard Ellis (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd  (CBRE) managing director Allan Soo.Equally bullish about the retail outlook this year is managing director of Henry Butcher Retail Tan Hai Hsin who predicts t

Convinced that green building practices and advanced technological developments are the way forward,  the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM),  organisers of the annual architecture and design event DATUM: KL 2010, have chosen the theme “Second Nature” to try to shift people’s perception towards nature and the way it interacts within an urban setting.PAM president Boon Che Wee tells City &a

Charles Renfro has been on the architectural scene since 1989. A former associate at Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects and Ralph Appelbaum Associates, he has moved on to become the founding partner of  Department of Design before finally joining Diller + Scofidio in 1997.The architecture firm was later renamed Diller Scofidio + Renfro after the architect was made a partner in 2004.

Alejandro Zaera-Polo is the founding partner of Foreign Office Architects (FOA), a London-based firm.

Daan Roosegaarde and his Studio Roosegaarde in Rotterdam, known as a techno artistic laboratory, are known for interactive art installations that react to sound and motion.  He created the internationally acclaimed interactive works 4D-Pixel, Dune 4.2 and Flow 5.0.  Roosegaarde’s work explores the dynamic relationship between architecture, people and e-culture.His designs, he says, are created

A short distance away from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and Pavilion KL shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) is the latest addition to the high-end condominium market ­— The Pearl.

Loh & Loh Corp Bhd’s brand name has been synonymous with the construction industry.

Mont’Kiara resident Jamie Lee loves living in the high-rise residential enclave in Kuala Lumpur, but these days leaving her home at the “wrong” time means spending “quality time” with her car and radio.

An upcoming development that is expected to be the litmus test for the resilience of Singapore’s luxury residential market in the face of a jittery global stock market is Twin Peaks by Overseas Union Enterprise (OUE).