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December 2025 Feature

Revisiting Challenges in Conserving George Town’s Heritage Buildings

by  Nicole Chang
Revisiting Challenges in Conserving George Town’s Heritage Buildings
A row of restored storage rooms inside Fort Cornwallis, a project by George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), partnered with Penang Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) and Think City, with technical support from Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).

IMPLEMENTING CONSERVATION standards and monitoring mechanisms to conserve George Town’s heritage buildings remain complex, even after 17 years since its UNESCO inscription in 2008.

The main documents guiding conservation in Penang are the 2016 Special Area Plan (SAP), the National Heritage Act 2005 and the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011, which provide federal and state protections. The City Council of Penang Island (MBPP) established the Technical Review Panel (TRP) to review development proposals for heritage sites, while George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) offers free technical advice on restoration, adaptive reuse and conservation techniques.

Traditional breathable materials typically used in heritage buildings include clay bricks, lime mortar, lime plaster, patterned clay-based ceramic tiles and terracotta tiles.

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