Malaysia Airlines: Co-Living Space Design

Beyond Whirl

Co-living space design for Malaysia Airlines

THE BRIEF

This project is to design a co-living space for Malaysia Airlines at 2, Jalan Kasturi, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur. It is a place to synthesis all the community, work, living and experience. A place where all ideas collide and promote Malaysia culture and tradition to tourist and Malaysian.

THE CLIENT

Malaysia Airlines is a flag carrier of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld Airline Alliance.

"Going Beyond Expectation"

Malaysia Airlines offers the best connectivity with seamless journeys to more than 1000 destinations across 150 plus countries and access to over 650 airport lounges worldwide. With the slogan "Going Beyond Expectations", their mission is to provide air travel and transport service that rank among the best in terms of safety, comfort and punctuality.

THE ISSUE (Storyline)

The story begins with the historical building, Ruang by Think City. This building surrounded by a lot of Malaysia historical building and tourist attraction, such as Dataran Merdeka, Central Market, Petaling Street, Masjid Jamek Mosque and others. This is a place that attracts a lot of backpacker and tourist, but nowadays that place is losing of culture, as what we always see that there are a lot of foreign workers selling Malaysia souvenir there. The cause that Malaysian does not go and visit there anymore and this make Malaysia traditional culture have been forgotten by Malaysian. At the same time, the tourist will be misguided by those foreign workers who do not know Malaysia culture well.

But in recent years, those café and street art start to attract Malaysian Young Generation. This is a good chance for them to know more about Malaysia tradition and culture. As for Malaysia Airlines with a vision of "Malaysia Hospitality Begin with Us", they have close cooperation with the Malaysia Tourism Industry to promote Malaysia to the stage of the world and attract more tourist and traveller all around the world.

At the end of the year 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic affects airlines, hotel and Malaysia Tourism. That makes a lot of people can't travel to other countries, as there are 50% of Malaysia’s tourists are originate from Singapore and China. Even the covid-19 pandemic will be over in coming years, but people also afraid to travel to other countries. This will be a good chance to promote Malaysia tourism to Malaysian. The co-living space will also be an opportunity for Malaysia airlines to have different service for people.

To overcome all these challenges here comes out a place to synthesis all the community, work, living and experience:

For Malaysia Airlines: An opportunity to expand their career.

For Malaysian: To experience, rethink, know more about Malaysia culture

For Tourist: Get to know more about Malaysia from us and promote Malaysia to the world

THE IDEA

The concept is inspired by the momentum of “Wau" (Malaysia Traditional Kite) and Airplane. The way of the kite and airplane fly brings out different elements and principals. Therefore, the keywords extracted from there are ASCEND, PENETRATE and BALANCE. Ascend extract from the acceleration of the airplane takes off. Second, penetrate is inspired by the process of the flights break through the pressure in the air. Last, balance taken from the four forces of flight. Both of the kite and airplane need these four forces to balance it.

THE CONCEPT

​​​​​​​This concept represents the momentum of both modern airplane and traditional “wau’. The holes represent the eyes of “Wau” as people believe that the eyes will lead them. For airplane, it represents the curious of people when they looking out from the window in airplane. This concept reflects the slogan of Malaysia Airlines ”Going Beyond Expectation”. In the end, the concept will create an unexpected feeling and will create more mystery for you to explore.

(Ground Floor) Reception & Waiting Lounge - This floor will be mainly for public space. The reception counter will be just in front of you when you first step into the interior and follow by a waiting lounge just behind the reception counter for people to take a rest.

(Ground Floor) Café & Co-working Space - A nice café that provides different types of seats for people to chill and work there.

(Ground Floor) Multifunction Hall - This is a multifunction hall with retractable seating. When you pull the seats to the back, this hall can be switch into an event hall as well.

(Ground Floor) Gallery - This is a gallery with a LED screen hang on the ceiling and surrounded by a huge spiral staircase that leads you to the first floor. The moment when you look up from the gallery on the ground floor, you will see there is a circle void on different floors which different placement of circles. It is a kind of create a mystery feeling among all these floors. That is because you can't even guess what is hidden behind the hole.

First Floor & Second Floor - First floor and second floor are mainly for rooms, there are different room types such as Private Studio, Family Suites, Twin Room and each floor will have a small lounge for people to chill.

(Third Floor) Sky Garden & Sky Bar - When you step out to the exterior, you will see a nice sky garden with plenty of trees and plants. The garden has provided different types of seats for people to chill and relax, and also to absorb some fresh air. Besides that, there is a sky bar in between the sky garden to provide some fresh juice and soft drinks for residents.

(Third Floor) Dining Area & Co-Kitchen - The third floor is mainly for semi-private spaces. It is different from the ground floor, the ground floor is for anyone who wants to have a look or experience. On the contrary, this floor is mainly for the residents who live in this co-living space. There is a dining area with different types of seats and a co-kitchen provided for residents to cook and dine here.

(Fourth Floor) Communal Area - This floor is mainly for communal space. The communal space has been separated into two parts, one is the quiet zone and another is the interact zone. A quiet zone provides a space for people to work and read. An interact zone is for people to exchange idea, talk and communicate.