Penang plans cargo container art district

GEORGE TOWN: If all goes well, Penang will have an art district mainly made with cargo containers.

Planning has started for the RM30mil Penang Arts District (PAD) with the planning permission application submitted last month.

PAD director Tony Pua, also Petaling Jaya Utara MP, called on stakeholders of the art community to provide input to the detailed building plans in dialogue sessions with the project’s lead designer, BYG Architects Sdn Bhd.

PAD is slated to be a contemporary arts hub on 3.7ha near the corner of Gat Lebuh Macallum and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.

The cargo container-themed district, inspired by Penang’s maritime heritage, will have a built-up area of 9,290 sq m.

Pua said PAD would not only be a tourist destination but also a place for the local art community to promote their work.

“The dialogue sessions are important to get participation from everyone and make the place a success,” he told reporters yesterday.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the planning permission was submitted two years after the project was announced in 2015, and the delay was unavoidable due to the proposed Komtar-Bayan Lepas Light Rail Transit alignment, which is nearby.

The dialogue sessions will be held next Wednesday (3pm), next Thursday (10.30am) and Nov 10 (2pm) at Penang House of Music, Level Four, Komtar.

A session will also be held in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 2 at Next Academy, AG-7, Glomac Damansara, at 2.30pm.

To register, login to www.penangartsdistrict.com, e-mail stephanie@pceb.my or call 04-261 6161.

Creative hub: An artist’s impression of the Penang Arts District. The project will have a built-up area of 9,290sq m.