ARCHIDEX 2023 MADE A GREAT COMEBACK THIS YEAR WITH OVER 1,400 EXHIBITION BOOTHS, PAVILIONS, AND AN INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL FORUM. LET US HAVE A LOOK
TEXT & PHOTO: KITA THAPANAPHANNITIKUL
(For Thai, press here)
ARCHIDEX is the biggest trade event in Malaysia’s architectural industry. The event, now in its 22nd year, has been experiencing steady growth thanks to the continuing partnership between the main organizing teams, including C.I.S and Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM), also known as the Malaysian Institute of Architects. Held in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) for a duration of four days, ARCHIDEX 2023 successfully brought together over 1,400 exhibition booths, featuring both Malaysian and international exhibitors from 15 different countries. Over 38,000 visitors from 100 countries, where 84% consists of professionals and trade visitors. The event included a diverse range of activities, such as design competitions, student exhibitions, and forums that covered a variety of interesting topics.
This year, the event focuses on three keywords: sustainability, architecture of the future, and well-being. It welcomes 600 exhibitors, each with their own booth, filling up the spaces inside the 10 halls of Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). The booths are categorized based on the types of products being exhibited. Hall 1 and Hall 2 showcased doors, windows, glass panels, and sanitary ware. While Hall 3, 4, 5, and 6 were dedicated to demonstrating industrialized building systems (IBS). Hall 7 is the designated area where visitors can explore a wide selection of kitchen-related products and office supplies. In Hall 8, visitors had the opportunity to explore BIM technology and smart building solutions, while Hall 9 focused on exhibiting interior design solutions and lighting design products. Lastly, Hall 10 presented a wide range of floor and wall solutions as well as innovative products.
One of the most interesting booths at the event was the Taiwan Excellence booth in Hall 1, which featured a diverse range of top-notch products and innovations. Particularly noteworthy were a faucet with an ergonomic design that utilizes air-compression technology to reduce water usage by 40%, as well as an eco-friendly waterproof paint made from sticky rice, to name a few. In line with the exhibition of collaborations between architects and product brands, the Artistry Pavilion Zone, located in Hall 8, stood out with its unique design. One of my personal favorites this year was ‘The Mirage’ booth, a collaborative endeavor between four glass manufacturers: Topline, Innoglass, Kien Safety Glass, and GP Glass. The booth was designed with the intention of highlighting various intriguing applications of glass products, including translucent glass and stained glass. Additionally, the booth was designed to feature a wall that invited visitors to draw as a way to encourage people to interact with the space through an artistic activity. The PAM Pavilion, located on the same floor, was easily recognizable with its glass tunnel. Inside, the space housed the exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of PAM through Malaysia’s notable architectural creations, such as the Majestic Hotel (1932), with its distinctive Beaux Arts architecture, and the Merdeka 118 Building (2023), currently recognized as the world’s second tallest skyscraper.
PAM Pavilion, Hall 8
Recapping everything that took place at this year’s ARCHIDEX would be an impossible task, given the overwhelming number of exhibitors and booths present. However, there are a couple of things I can confirm after walking through all the halls: ARCHIDEX is a comprehensive showcase of all things architecture. I have also realized that there are countless building and material innovations that I didn’t know existed. It feels like the world is progressing at such a rapid pace, and sometimes it’s challenging for me to keep up. Nevertheless, attending ARCHIDEX provided me with some valuable insights. For example, I discovered some fascinating innovations such as low-relief, three-dimensional carpets or artificial tree walls that can effortlessly transform a living space into a lush jungle.
Another highlight of this year’s ARCHIDEX was the ‘Oasis,’ a small pavilion made of steel scaffoldings adorned with lush green trees and plants that brought a natural and refreshing ambiance to the space. The zone featured projects from a student design competition with the theme ‘Future City’, as well as the ‘ARCHIDEX Award Gallery’, displaying winning designs from this year’s ARCHIDEX Star Award. The pavilion was designed to create a relaxing atmosphere for visitors, with ample seating areas and a bunch of hammocks hung throughout the space. The pavilion also served as a venue for casual discussions on environmental topics and a space where design and construction books were available for purchase.
‘Future City’ Ideas Competition Gallery
Another noteworthy activity that we must mention is DATUM 2023. It took place as a part of KLAF (the Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival), which is a parallel event to ARCHIDEX. There were five categories in an international architectural forum called DATUM. These categories were: DATUM:KL, DATUM+PLUS, DATUM:M, DATUM:PRO, and DATUM:EDU. Each category included its own set of topics, all falling under the overarching theme of ‘We as 1.’ I recently attended the DATUM+PLUS forum, which focused on the theme of ‘Beyond Architecture Conventions.’ The forum covered various intriguing subjects related to architecture, including Creative Community, Art and structures, craftsmanship, and the particularly captivating topic of Satirical Space. At first, I couldn’t imagine what the talk was going to be about, but as I listened to Malaysian designer Mohd Affendi Mohd Salleh’s presentation, I gradually began to grasp the concept. He discussed his personal experience of overcoming burnout and shared his creative solution: a comic book whose story depicts his imaginary conversations with world-renowned architects. The Thai architects joining as speakers at this year’s DATUM+PLUS and DATUM:KL were Dr. Rachaporn Choochuey of all(zone) and Apichart Srirojanapinyo and Chanasit Cholasuek of Stu/D/O Architects, respectively.
This was just a small portion of ARCHIDEX 2023. If you think this is big, I suggest that you start getting ready for 2024, which will bring not just one but two ARCHIDEXes: ARCHIDEX 2024 (July 3rd–6th, 2024) and ARCHIDEX @ UIA 2024 (November 15th–17th, 2024), the latter of which will be held in collaboration with the International Union of Architects (UIA). Both events will also take place at the KL Convention Center, the same venue as this year. How spectacularly will things unfold at ARCHIDEX 2024? All we have to do is wait.
archidex.com.my
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