Formal Refinement of a Modernist Commercial Landmark
Wisma Lee Rubber
The refurbishment of Wisma Lee Rubber, a 29-storey commercial tower in Kuala Lumpur’s historic business district, reinterprets a late-1980s International Style building through a process of formal clarification and contemporary rearticulation. Originally conceived as an extruded rectilinear volume defined by expressed vertical bracing and pronounced horizontal floor plates, the new design sought to simplify and refine the building’s architectural language.
ARCHITECTURE
The design subdued the horizontal projections by extending the façade envelope outward to align with the slab edge, forming a continuous curtain wall and reclaiming usable perimeter space. The four corner structural braces are reclad in stainless steel, sharpening the tower’s verticality and introducing a subtle play of reflected light that animates the elevation throughout the day. At the top, the five-story penthouse is unified into a single transparent glass volume as a lightweight lantern that glows softly at night, signaling presence without excess. At the street level, a steel-and-glass porte-cochere and canopy create a semi-outdoor urban veranda, activating the public realm.





















