2. •Name: Biodivercity, Penang
•Program: Commercial
•Status: In Progress
•Size in m2: 4500 acres
•Project type: Competition
•Client: Penang State Government, Malaysia
About Project
3. ABOUT THE PROJECT:
BIG, Hijjas and Ramboll are selected as winners of
Penang State Government’s international
competition to design a masterplan for Penang
South Islands, providing Penangites with
approximately 4.6km of public beaches, 600 acres
of parks and a 25km waterfront
BiodiverCity – supports the Penang 2030 vision with
a clear focus on livability, on stimulating a socially
and economically inclusive development, and on
environmental sustainability for future generations
The three islands bring together mixed-use districts
of 15,000 to 18,000 residents across 50 to 500 acres,
and a continuous 50 to 100m buffer around each
district, establishing habitat connectivity and
supporting edge ecologies in reserves, parks,
corridors and urban plazas.
4. BiodiverCity will be a new sustainable, global destination where
cultural, ecological and economic growth is secured and where people
and nature co-exist in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet
at the southern shore of Penang Island
BiodiverCity is conceived as an Urban Mosaic of three diverse islands, and a set of urban design
guidelines for mixing programs, addressing pedestrian and mobility networks, building sustainably
and harvesting resources
5. FEATURES:
The Channels, BiodiverCity’s first island, is constructed in three
complementary phases
PHASE 1: Active Destinations
include a wave pool and
technology park
PHASE 2: a Civic Heart
establishes governance and
research institutions in the area
PHASE 3:a Cultural Coast builds
upon the heritage and vibrant
creative energy of Penang’s
George Town to create a
regional and international draw
7. PHASE 2:
The Mangroves,
BiodiverCity’s second and
central island dedicated to
businesses, is organized
around a network of
sheltered urban wetlands,
creating suitable
environments for its
namesake Mangrove forests
8. PHASE 3:
The Laguna, BiodiverCity’s westernmost island, is an oasis
for ecological living, organized around a central marina.
Eight smaller islands form a miniature archipelago, where
floating, stilted and terraced housing takes advantage of
the natural setting of Tanjung Gertak Sanggul, and where
fisherman landing points can easily access the open waters
by navigating each of the island’s waterways.
9. Materials
● Green roofs, facades, public and private open
spaces
● Constructed by low-carbon materials-
-Bamboo
-Malaysian timber
- Green concrete
10. Environmental constraints
● Penang, a state in Malaysia, has a diverse range of
ecosystems that support a variety of species, including
forests, mangroves, beaches, and coral reefs.
● Constraints -
- Habitat loss and fragmentation
- Climate change
- Invasive species
- Overexploitation
