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Shin Chang’s studio MentahMatter has revived the historic Rex Cinema into RexKL, a creative community hub for city dwellers to enjoy music, art and F&B
Shin Chang is an architect known for breathing new life into old buildings. In 2017, he collaborated with fellow architect Shin Tseng of Urban Agenda to refurbish the former Rex Cinema, an iconic theatre in downtown Kuala Lumpur, into a hub for arts and culture.
Shin has a deep connection with Petaling Street, where the hub sits. As a youth, he would often grab a bite at a joint there before taking the bus home. And it is stories like his that he knows are tied to other historical sites and buildings—and are what drives him as an architect.
“I believe in preserving our heritage buildings because they are all part of an area’s history,” says Shin, who runs the architectural studio MentahMatter. “It’s so sad to see old buildings demolished and lost to time.”
With RexKL as with every other project he takes on, Shin makes sure to consider each architectural detail carefully to create a well-designed space. “I’m meticulous when it comes to details. I want people to feel that seamless connection between the outside and inside,” he says.
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Various restaurants and retail shops have opened in RexKL, including a wine bar, ice cream and tattoo parlour and bike shop. The space also serves as a social space for creative and cultural activities, catering to the city’s burgeoning art movement.
“I believe that if you respect a building, just like how you would respect a person, it will give something back to you,” says Shin.
His next project is to rejuvenate the rest of Petaling Street. “It will take some time, but I hope RexKL will be the catalyst point of the movement. In five years’ time, I hope we can build up the downtown area to something the people of KL can be proud of.”
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