Thesis: Daniel A. Saldaña Ayala

Of Brick and "Chuna": Technological Tradition and Innovation at the Fort Cornwallis Powder Magazine in Penang, Malaysia

This thesis investigates the adaptation of 19th-century British colonial fortification building technology, specifically powder magazines, to the tropical climate of Penang, Malaysia, through three multidisciplinary perspectives: social, architecture and materials. Focusing on Fort Cornwallis powder magazine, a military structure initially designed following European treatises, the research explores how the multicultural communities of colonial Penang interplayed to modify this utilitarian building in order to meet both environmental challenges and local/regional construction practices.

Socially, the thesis highlights the colonial labor scenario in Penang: British engineers, Chinese contractors, Indian and Malay workers, and a strategic reliance on low-wage and indentured labor. This diverse cultural and technical knowledge is interpreted through the lens of architectural hybridity, using the theoretical framework of the “colonial third culture.” The architectural analysis reveals that while the magazine closely followed classical European bomb-proof and damp-proof principles, it also featured localized modifications, including climate-specific solutions such as multiple render layers, optimized ventilation and a runoff water management system. Material studies on renders indicate the use of regionally sourced limestone, and potential presence of organic additives like jaggery water as well as lateritic clays and/or brick dust, evidencing a fusion of construction techniques. 

Ultimately, the powder magazine emerges as more than a simple military relic. It is a manifestation of colonial adaptation, multicultural exchange, and environmental response. The thesis recommends conserving the magazine as a rare example of tropical colonial military architecture and calls for further research into colonial construction practices in Southeast Asia.