During the 2024 Summer, I had the opportunity to be part of the Center for Architectural Conservation (CAC) Internship in George Town, Penang, Malaysia in cooperation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, a major cultural agent in the Muslim world, and Think City, an urban regeneration agency supported by the Malaysian government. Over the 6-week internship, I worked at Fort Cornwallis, an 18thcentury military complex in the heart of the UNESCO-listed George Town Historic City. This imposing historic structure safeguarded the maritime trade along the Strait of Malacca in the 19th-century, fought against the Japanese Invasion during World War II, and is now a major cultural asset of the city. My first task, along with the CAC team, was to work on the documentation of the old Gunpowder Magazine, a military storage building. In spite of its great dimensions, the building had not been studied in detail before. This task required numerous activities: historical research, interior and exterior wall measurements, obtaining elevations using a water level, sketches of elevations and walls, photographic documentation, study of the old drainage patterns surrounding the structure and the analysis of the built environment. Despite its apparently simple design, the structure encompassed a vault ceiling supported by buttresses and a system of ventilation shafts which kept the gunpowder dry. A report was produced describing our findings for future restoration projects. My second task was to document the archeological findings of the old bridge supports and brick drainage system during the West Moat excavation activities with the CAC team. While discovering small artifacts, we obtained wall measurements and elevations that were plotted in AutoCAD to plan future interventions. The next task was to test different mortar mixes on site. After learning the different types of mortars used at the current project, the CAC team tried different compositions to observe its properties throughout the days.
After weeks of working at the Gunpowder Magazine and being fascinated by its unique architectural features, I decided to expand this research by studying the exterior architectural finishes for my Thesis Project. As the final task, many explorations windows were opened under the supervision of Giòvanni Santo, the main conservator at Fort Cornwallis. It was amazing to have this handson experience which allowed me to identify and document the numerous layers. Later, wall samples were extracted to be analyzed at the Penn Laboratories. I know this research will expand the knowledge about old European construction techniques applied on tropical contexts such as the Strait of Malacca. Working on an international project like Fort Cornwallis presented unique challenges such as languages barriers, bureaucratic limitations, as well as different perspectives of what preservation means, especially in a melting-pot city as George Town with its amazingly diverse culture. However, this multidisciplinary approach is what makes this place an urban laboratory for preservation where knowledge can be shared and transmitted from Malaysia to the world. The residents of George Town had numerous stories related to the Fort, not just as a legacy of a colonial past, but also as a symbol of resistance during war times. These experiences showed me that Historic Preservation can be a catalyst for urban regeneration in a community. I return to Penn with an enriched perspective of preservation, new skills and great lessons that I know I will apply in the future: If creativity and passion are encouraged, innovation will flourish from these old buildings.
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