Office

Utusan Melayu Corporate HQ

Kuala Lumpur

The Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad Corporate Headquarters project was initiated as a result of a competition held in May 2008. One of the main requirements of the design brief was to house all of the organisation’s 980 staff members and 3 subsidiary companies under one roof. This includes publication titles such as Utusan Malaysia, Mingguan Malaysia and Kosmo. Located at Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Sungai Besi, an area dominated by industrial and automobile businesses, the proposed scheme unifies the different entities by applying an ‘introvert’ concept. Surrounded by commercial buildings, the building was designed to look inwards, where focus is given to the spatial relationship of the firm’s daily activities. The compound is separated into 3 blocks(Block A – Offices, Block B – Main Lobby and Block C – Carpark and Retail).

The main block (Block A) consists of a seven – storey office building that provides spaces for all departments under the Utusan Melayu group. The ground floor is devoted to a main entrance lobby, a 400-pax function hall, a photography studio and a gallery. The first floor presents a dedicated public space comprised of the Main Library and Archive. The core businesses of publishing, printing, advertising and online services are centrally located on the floors above. Main functions such as the CEO and Chief Editor’s offices, are integrated within the same locality.

Block B consists of the lobby and connects the main entrance to the existing Utusan Melayu office at Jalan Lima. Measuring 8 meters in width and 80 meters in length, the building emerges from the ground to reveal a triple volume glazed lobby, gallery and offices, filling the space with natural daylight. Conceptually, the glass lobby was established as a dialogue between the greater volume of Block A and Block C, and the lightness of Block B. While these elements integrate the separate buildings and their diverse functions, they also represent the group as a part of the larger community – symbolising the organisations desire for transparency and accessibility to the public.

Client
Utusan Malaysia
Site Area
2.18 acres
Completion Year
2013
Awards
PAM Awards 2014
Low Rise Commercial (Silver)