To house the digital library of Penang Free School, a new annex incorporates an existing two-storey colonial-style bungalow and separate servants’ quarters that were restored and adapted, along with a new two-storey library annex and a single-storey wing housing community halls. An extensive outdoor gallery and a children’s playground are linked by open-air roofs. The library has a capacity of 500 researchers and is entirely digital, with study booths but no bookshelves; the renovated bungalow serves as an entrance and provides quiet study areas, while the restored servants’ building now houses a bakery and café. The termite-damaged timber elements of the old buildings were repaired using new timber; the new annex is a steel-frame structure.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture