Timber Tell-all | How Kengo Kuma warmed up the Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown with his natural touch

Discover the story behind the legendary Japanese architect’s latest brainchild, enthralling our capital city’s hospitality scene with a hearty embrace of the organic and the cultured

Text Monisha Sivanesan
Images courtesy of Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown

In today’s more concrete, less jungle state of Kuala Lumpur, where cutting-edge technology seems to swiftly conquer almost every form of human interaction, intimate spaces and the lush wilderness are disappearing at an alarming rate—that’s why Kengo Kuma, the mastermind behind Kengo Kuma & Associates, wants to keep them alive and see them thrive through innovative yet conscientious designs, like his own work on the newly launched Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown.

The world-renowned architect expresses that the urban, artificial space can be extremely stress-inducing for people, adding that “It’s very unnatural for humanity, though unfortunately a common problem all over the world, which is why people need to experience more nature than before, especially within their own environment. This hotel can be a good example of doing just that.”

Hailed for his philosophy of lightness, transparency and sustainability, Kengo-san’s vision for the Regency can be succinctly summarised as embodying a harmonious fusion of natural materials, traditional craftsmanship, Japanese-meets-Malaysian heritage and contemporary sophistication.

What transpires is a vibrant and dynamic yet serene and cosy atmosphere that holds cultural depth while aligning with the standards of the luxury hospitality scene, thereby enriching the connection between architecture, the natural world and local communities. In an in-depth interview with the man himself, we unveiled the curtain behind the five-star urban retreat that’s become the latest talk of the town and found out what exactly makes its design so chatter-worthy.

From the irreplicable beauty of our tropical forests to the complex processes of our handicraft, Malaysia’s national heritage became a fountain of inspiration for the Regency, brought to life with the expertise of local craftsmen. The facade’s aluminium panels were patterned to resemble the texture of pewter while the columns, instead of being straight, shift and rotate slightly to represent forest diversity.

Textiles like batik and songket were also incorporated, but great difficulties arose during the translation of these intricate motifs into tangible structures. For example, the main lobby ceiling took inspiration from the woven technique used for these works of art; getting it just right was not easy, but research, determination and creativity ultimately got them through it. In short, the details of this hotel’s craftsmanship are everything.

In addition, a new colour palette inspired by Malaysian culture was tested for the first time. While Kengo-san’s fondness for light, earthy browns still takes over the interiors, this time around he complemented them with touches of deep reds and greens for a more energetic outcome. Fair to say, of all the different areas of the Regency (including the guestrooms which have been instilled with that open, spacious feeling by introducing flexibility into the layout through movable partitions and light screens), his favourite might just be the main lobby.

Unlike most modern hotel lobbies which exude a formal, almost impersonal tone through the predominant display of marble or granite, this one feels intimate and inviting due to the oppositional preference for natural materials—especially wood—that lend a warmer touch and bring the outdoors indoors.

The architect’s constant pull towards natural wood can be traced back to the 90s. Soon after the devastating burst of the economic bubble in his homeland, all projects in the city were cancelled. He was suddenly thrust into the countryside, where he worked on small-scale projects and learnt many things from carpenters that were never taught at his university, especially how to work with wood.

After the year 2000, he returned to the big city and brought with him this newfound wisdom and know-how that, suffice to say, resulted in the projects that we know and love today. Recollecting his experience there, which he claims to be the biggest turning point of his career, he said, “It was a tough time, but I enjoyed that decade; it turned out to be the most fruitful period for me.”

In wanting guests to feel like they’re living in the dense forest within the big city from the moment they step inside, he hopes that each space will remind them of the innocent memory of playing outside in the wild when they were kids—just like he did when he was a young boy growing up in the pre-Internet era of Japan.

Other than giving the impression of space in the forest when exercised in the form of wood, vertical lines—or more so, the voids between them—give a light, floating feeling to the building. This perspective directly ties back to Kengo-san’s strong proclivity for ma, which roughly translates to “negative space” but evokes a deeper sense of a gap or pause, implying that absence is just as important as presence.

Wood is obviously the primary signature Kuma element found here and throughout the hotel, but rice paper screens are another, albeit a more understated one. Sourced straight from Japan, the raw texture retained and warm colour injected come together to create an appealing tropical effect once sunlight permeates through them.

While special light fixtures emit a soft glow, louvres installed in certain areas—like the canopy at the entrance—pay homage to the transient beauty of light and shadow. It kind of evokes the concept of komorebi, meaning “sunlight leaking through trees”, which goes nicely with the whole forest idea. Another, and subtler, way to play with light and shadow comes from the yamato-bari wood-panelling technique applied to the walls, resulting in a pleasantly uneven surface.

If one were to type out “yamato-bari” in conjunction with “architect” in the search bar, there’s no doubt that the one responsible for also bringing the Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu to life will flood the search results page, as this is another aspect of his signature style. With great admiration and respect for his predecessors like Tadao Ando, Arata Isozaki and Kisho Kurokawa, Kengo-san was always more interested in finding his own method and style instead of replicating theirs in order to become a master of his craft. Believing that the younger generation of architects should do the same, he quips with a simple “Don’t follow me; don’t follow senpai (senior)” when asked if there’s any advice he has in store for those who look up to him.

Looking towards the future, Kengo-san would love to explore another aspect of our rich, varied culture for his next Malaysia-based hotel collaboration with Hyatt—like say, the colourful hybridity of the Peranakan world, which has already planted some seeds of inspiration in his sponge-like mind.

He has expressed a keen interest to visit and learn more about other regions in the nation, especially the countryside, as he’d like nothing more than to keep travelling in order to discover the uniqueness of each and every place and convey his appreciation for them in his own remarkable way.

Suppose that’s one of the wonderful things that keeps his desire for the craft itself going strong, that indomitable need to keep learning and exploring with an innocent sense of curiosity and adventure no matter how much success is attained—now that’s something we can all learn from.