AFTER four years of transformation, the Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff is finally open!
From its outdoor terrace and balconies, the impressive art deco-styled bungalow offers an amazing 270-degree view of Penang island.
Its interior features various artefacts, exhibits and stories of the hill. The Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff is not just a gallery but an education centre that is surrounded by rich flora and fauna.
Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) senior manager Shahril Cheah said the gallery is divided into five sections – time tunnel, biodiversity, heritage, funicular, and culture.
“Each section allows us to embrace more than a century of Penang Hill’s history, as though we are travelling back in time.
“The journey starts from the time tunnel, followed by the biodiversity section for visitors to explore an ‘indoor forest’, and a sneak peak into the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve that was recently listed under the Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere Programme.
“The heritage section offers visitors to discover stories behind each bungalow on the hill and to admire the engineering marvel and the construction of the funicular.
“Lastly, the historic culture and transformation of the Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff are displayed at the culture section,” he read out the speech by PHC general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng, who was unable to be present, today.
Cheah said the corporation was proud to announce that Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff was the first project in the country that had achieved certification under the Green Building Index Non-Residential Existing Building (NREB) Historic Building Tool.
“The gallery is equipped with sustainable features such as solar panels, a rain harvesting system and a motion sensor lighting as part of our efforts to conserve enerygy, in line with our environmental sustainability goal.
“Our special thanks go to First Solar Malaysia for the contribution of solar panels, in support of the Penang government and PHC’s green initiatives,” he said.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow congratulated the PHC team, consultants, contractors, volunteers, and contributors for playing significant roles in restoring the heritage bungalow and repurposing it for educational and heritage use.
“The state government fully supports the effort of repurposing the Edgecliff premises for educational and cultural purposes.
“This heritage project involved the creation and reliving of the historic Edgecliff bungalow that was built by the architect J.C. Miller in 1937.
“And today, PHC has turned it into a gallery and education centre. This is definitely not an easy task that can be accomplished overnight.
“It requires relentless efforts, dedication and commitment to restore and revitalise this 85-year-old state-owned bungalow which is perched on a steep slope on Penang Hill and nestled within the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve.
“Since the start of the Edgecliff bungalow project in 2019, the continuous works to strengthen the hill slopes and conservation of this Category II heritage building were carried out systematically by PHC,” he said before opening the gallery.
Chow said the Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff would provide a great insight into rich diversity, history, traditions and funicular engineering of Penang Hill.
Also present were Air Putih assemblyman Lim Guan Eng, Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong, Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai, and Senator Lim Hui Ying.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Law Suun Ting
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis