Was Penang the cradle of modern Malaysian architecture? Jon Lim takes the reader through over two centuries of architectural development in Penang to demonstrate that not only did it begin on the island, but it has influenced the direction of architecture throughout peninsula Malaysia to the present day. In this, his second volume, he details the rise of the local architects who broke away from their colonial mentors to develop their own distinctive designs. Profusely illustrated, it is equally a book for students of the architecture of the region and for general-interest readers alike.

"Lim elevates the architecture of the colonies, however experimental or hybrid, to a genre in its own right... His careful analysis...creates opportunities for making architectural histories meaningful to Asian students too often compelled to study decontextualised European styles." - Anoma Pieris, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne

"Members of the academic and architectural fraternity, as well as the general reader, will find this book useful in charting the rise of the Malaysian architect and architecture in Penang, with its wider connotations for Malaysia as a whole." - Datuk Ar. Ezumi Harzani Ismail - President, Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM, Malaysian Institute of Architects)