Modern-style Buildings in George Town

The modern architecture style of shophouse design arrive in George Town, Penang, in the mid-20th century. Shophouses built between the 1950s and 60s exhibit early interpretation of the modern style, often with elements of the Art Deco style, which has been popular since the 1920s. The result is often called the Streamline Moderne or Art Moderne style. It borrows the smooth curves of machines and incorporate them into the design of shophouses.

The floral embellishments characteristic of the Straits Eclectic style has by now been entirely discarded, and in its place, we see buildings that appear rather plain to the eye, where the appreciation is more for the long horizontal lines. Though they probably look good at the time of construction, the Modern style buildings do not lend well to weathering, and appear rather drab once they age.

On this page I show various interpretations of the Modern style in the design of shophouses in George Town.

221 & 223 Beach Street are two shophouses built in the Modern style (15 September 2012)


Kedai Kopi International Hotel along Transfer Road (30 August 2012)


This coffee shop at the junction of Kimberley Street and Kuala Kangsar Road in the Art Moderne design style (20 May 2012)


This coffee shop at the junction of Kimberley Street with Kuala Kangsar Road is in the Art Moderne style (17 April 2011)


Modern style on building at junction of Bridge Street and Noordin Street Ghaut (30 July 2012)


Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the Art Moderne style (21 August 2011)


Kedai Kopi Baru Hari Hari Datang, in the Modern style (30 July 2012)


Embassy Hotel Building (26 December 2011)

Architectural Styles of Buildings in George Town

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About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.