Sekeping Kong Heng
SEKEPING KONG HENG
ARCHITECTS
Seksan Design
ARCHITECT
Seksan Design
PHOTOGRAPHS
Rupajiwa Studio
AREA
4000.0 ft2
YEAR
2012
LOCATION
Ipoh, Malaysia
CATEGORY
Adaptive Reuse
Text description provided by architect.
Sekeping Kong Heng, in the charming old town of Ipoh, is the latest addition to the Sekeping family of retreats.
It is located in a 3 storey neo-classical building which also houses a famous coffee shop of the same name on the ground floor that serves great coffee and the best local dishes in town.
All effort has been made to preserve as much of the character of the existing building as possible in contrast to the surrounding new architectural interventions.
In addition, an extension has been added at the back, tucked away to reveal an inner courtyard with a dramatic stairway to take guests up to their rooms.
Testimony to Ipoh’s decadent past, Kong Heng was used as a hostel to house theatre performers who performed in the adjacent theatre building that was burnt down in the 50s.
Now rejuvenated, it is hoped that Sekeping Kong Heng will be able to offer guests a slice of history within a real old town setting which is alive, working and real.
Wake up to the heady aroma of white coffee that perfumes the air in the mornings, listen to the cacophony of banter between hawkers, go on a culinary adventure and experience living in the heart and soul of Ipoh.
