Designer / Agency
VERITAS Architects Sdn Bhd
Categpory
Urban Planning / Master plan
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Saloma Link
Project Présentation
The Saloma Link is a pedestrian bridge that connects Kampong Bharu, the traditional Malay enclave dating back to late 19th century and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), the modern cosmopolitan Central Business District (CBD), formerly separated by the Sungai Klang and the six-lane AKLEH highway. It re-established historical connection between Jalan Ampang and Kampong Bharu, among the prominent landmarks that creates Kuala Lumpur.
It encompassed the redevelopment of Jalan Saloma, with a streetside plaza, wider shaded foot paths and a 370m elevated walkway culminated on a bridge that spans 69m across the Klang River and the AKLEH highway.
Inspired by the Sirih Junjung, a matrimonial gift hand-crafted from sireh leaves, traditionally offered in Malay weddings as a symbol of unity, the Saloma Link represents a ceremonial gesture that embodies the bond between two important enclaves in the city: the affluent Kuala Lumpur City Centre and the traditional village of Kampong Bharu. It is aimed to celebrate and encourage pedestrian mobility in the city as part of the sustainable urban design initiatives. Moving towards that objective, Saloma Link also connects the missing link towards a more complete city-wide pedestrian path network in the city.
Besides that, the Saloma Link also aims to stimulate both the conservation and the redevelopment of this historical part of the city, by making it more accessible and spreading the welfare of the prosperous CBD to this traditional enclave making the place resilient that can participate more equitably in Kuala Lumpur’s growth.
The prominent feature of the bridge is the curved steel roof canopy consists of 4,100 diamond facade modules, made of solid, perforated Aluminum and glass panels. Each of the façade panels are equipped with discreetly integrated with the structure, state-of-the-art lighting modules to illuminate the bridge during the night. During the day, the panel’s unique shapes reflect the sunlight to give the bridge a slight glimmer and distinctive character.
The permeability of the canopy promotes air flow inside the enclosure making the space underneath breezy and comfortable. This creates a pleasant respite from the hot tropical climate. In addition to that, the interior of the canopy is also naturally lit and the right balance of the sunlight creates a play of light and shadows that offers a unique experience as one walks through the bridge during the day.
At nights, the glimmering studs emit colorful lights that make the façade a medium for variety of programmable lighting display – a form of artistic expression using lights as medium. This contributes to the popularity of the bridge during weekends and festive periods. This feature also makes Saloma Link a unique public realm that complements other city attractions. The attraction also creates economic activities to the surroundings.
Beyond a pedestrian bridge, this project traces the history of the city, promotes sustainable urban design, creates public realm, re-interpret cultural reference into practical build form using modern construction techniques, becomes a medium of artistic expression using LED lights, flourishes economic activities in the adjacent areas as well as the hope and aspiration for future appropriate development of Kampong Bharu.
Designed by VERITAS Architects Sdn Bhd
The VERITAS Design Group was founded in 1987 on the principles of constant innovation and a commitment to the highest standards of professionalism.
Today, VERITAS is led by its Founder and Group President David Mizan Hashim and Vice President Lillian Tay, supported by a team of 18 Principals in Malaysia and across the world. These leaders are backed by a team of almost 300 qualified professionals and support staff establishing VERITAS as one of the top 100 multi-disciplinary design practices on earth.
VERITAS, began as an architectural practice, but now offers a full range of supporting design and related services for the built environment through subsidiary companies. These include Interior Design, Landscape Design, Planning, Environmental Consulting, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Project Management and Claim Consulting. VERITAS services also include the niche disciplines of traffic, social, and environmental impact assessments.
The VERITAS headquarters is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia while branch offices in Georgetown, Penang and Johor Bahru provide effective service delivery across the peninsular. And since 2021 our Kota Kinabalu branch office has extended the presence of VERITAS to East Malaysia.
VERITAS expanded its international presence by opening its first overseas office in Dubai in 2005, followed by offices in Ho Chi Minh City in 2008, Delhi in 2009, Melbourne in 2010, Portland (USA) in 2011, London in 2017, Singapore in 2019, and both Tokyo and Jakarta in 2021. As of 2023, the Melbourne and Dubai offices have closed, with the UK office following suit in 2024. The remaining six international offices continue to collaborate closely, providing integrated design services to clients worldwide.
DIFFERENTIATORS
The success of VERITAS can be attributed to many factors which set the practice apart from its peers. Firstly, its total and unwavering commitment to the highest ideals and standards of design has won the group and its Clients countless design and business awards, accolades and forms of recognition over the past 38 years.
VERITAS’ customized multi-disciplinary service structure, which is called VERITAS Integrated Professional Services or VIPs, provides its Clients with the option of a streamlined, trouble-free, efficient and cost-competitive “one-stop-shop” for engagement of consultants. As a result, for most projects VERITAS provides multiple, if not totally integrated, professional services.
VERITAS’ commitment to the principles of sustainability and resilience are evinced by the high number of its certified facilitators for various international green-building accreditations including GBI, GreenRe, LEED etc. VERITAS has also created a customized sustainability certification system called GreenCheck and an in-house carbon-tracking/reduction program called the CARE Scheme. The Group’s subsidiary VERITAS Environment Sdn. Bhd. which specializes in the technical field of energy cost reduction and waste management, reaffirms the Group’s leadership in this increasingly important aspect of the design profession. These initiatives have established the profile of VERITAS as the undisputed leader in environmentally sustainable design in the region.
Technologically, the complete digitization of all design, drafting and documentation processes at VERITAS and the continuous investment and training in the latest Building Information Modelling (BIM), Industrialized Building Systems (IBS) technologies has ensured a greater level of coordination and attention to detail. Its investment in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) mediums has advanced the Group’s creative presentation capabilities. And finally, its adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms to transform the design process, will ensure VERITAS remains at the cutting-edge of the design practice. This technical edge serves to provide VERITAS’ Clients with a strategic advantage in a competitive market.
Quality Assurance is a key part of VERITAS’ corporate culture. ISO certifications; 9001:2008, 14001:2004 and OHSAS18001:2007 ensure that its work procedures and systems meet the rigorous international standards of quality demanded by the building and construction industry today. VERITAS’ commitment to high construction quality standards is manifest in the creation of its own customized quality control certification program named VERITAS QCheck.
Lastly, VERITAS is a corporate member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), which is dedicated to the UN’s 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). VERITAS is also a member of Transparency International (TI), a global organization dedicated to ending corruption and graft. The Group’s corporate social responsibility program, called the VERITAS Fund for Excellence (VFE), is a hyper-active contributor to worthy causes in the fields of education, environment and design. In this respect, VERITAS is proud to represent a benchmark to its Clients on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) aspirations.