GEORGE TOWN: Penang's Esplanade Seawall and Promenade project has gained international acclaim at the 2025 Unesco Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
The project received the New Design in Heritage Contexts award, along with Special Recognition for Sustainable Development.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai shared the announcement via Facebook today, citing the jury's commendation of the project as a national benchmark for conservation and modern design.
The seven-member international jury noted that the reimagining of the historic civic space incorporated an innovative hybrid of traditional and modern engineering to combat coastal degradation.
"The design maintains form and function to enhance community well-being, improve access to the waterfront, and support environmental stewardship in response to climate change", the jury said.
The new seawall features a wide promenade replicating its
19th-century typology, utilising traditional granite construction, a concealed
sheet-pile toe, and rock revetment for erosion resistance.
A unique feature is a lower terrace that submerges during spring tides, exposing the original seawall near the Cenotaph War Memorial.
"Under expert guidance, the enhancement of the Esplanade's
historicity highlights the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage
property Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca. Its
dual-structure, local materials, and stakeholder governance are studied as
models across Malaysia," the jury added.
-nst online.
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