在時間留下的空殼中，傾聽建築的記憶 — Wunderwall Design 將近百年圖書館轉化為當代餐飲場域：「Peninsula House」

在檳城喬治市的歷史核心區域，一棟近百年的建築靜靜佇立街角。這棟建於 1937 年的建築，名為「India House」，是當地少數仍保有裝飾藝術風格（Art Deco）特徵的歷史建築之一。立面構圖對稱，垂直線條強化了建築的高度感與莊重氣質，幾何形式的窗框與開口設計，搭配簡約的浮雕細節與轉角收邊，低調卻鮮明地訴說著一個時代的城市符碼。

過去，它曾是美國資訊服務中心（USIS）所設立的圖書館，也是殖民時期少數對外開放的文化場所。隨著城市的演變與功能遞移，這座建築也逐漸被時光遺忘，沉寂三十餘年，僅留下時間與記憶的痕跡斑駁其上。

In the historic center of George Town, Penang, a nearly century-old building stands at a quiet street corner. Completed in 1937, India House is one of the few remaining examples of Art Deco architecture in the city. Its symmetrical façade, defined by vertical lines, gives it a sense of height and formality. Geometric windows, subtle reliefs, and softened corners evoke the design language of a bygone era.
Once home to a public library run by the United States Information Service (USIS), the building served as a rare cultural venue during the colonial period. Over time, as the city evolved, its function faded. For more than thirty years, the building sat dormant, holding the slow traces of time and memory.

India House 的沉默與殘留氣息，成為某種召喚，最終被一群餐飲經營者重新接手。他們延續對飲食與場域的熱情，將此地打造成容納餐敘與生活感的場所，並重新命名為「Peninsula House」。一方面呼應檳城地理及歷史淵源，也象徵文化魅力與情感的聚合。

業者邀請吉隆坡的設計團隊 Wunderwall Design 參與這場轉化任務。當 Wunderwall Design 首次踏入這棟建築，映入眼簾的是強烈對比：外觀在街道上展現強烈的存在感，立面帶有一種莊重與歷史感，然而內部卻如空殼般寬敞、缺少親密的感受。這樣的空洞感，彷如一張泛黃的空白頁，等待被重新書寫。

Drawn by the building’s presence and lingering atmosphere, a group of restaurateurs eventually took over India House. With a deep appreciation for both food and place, they set out to reimagine the space as a destination for dining, connection, and everyday life. They named it Peninsula House — a nod to Penang’s geography, layered history, and the spirit of cultural convergence.
To bring this vision to life, they invited Kuala Lumpur-based studio Wunderwall Design to lead the transformation. On their first visit, the designers were struck by a stark contrast. “Our first impression of India House was its strong presence on the street contrasted with an interior that felt hollow, almost forgotten,” they recall. The façade held a sense of dignity, but the interior felt vast and detached, lacking the intimacy they hoped to create.
What stayed with them were the patina on the surfaces and the way natural light filtered through the space. “Those became cues for us,” they explain. The challenge — and the opportunity — was to shape that openness into a layered spatial experience, one that honored the building’s original character while inviting new ways of inhabiting it.

    
        " The main challenge, and also the opportunity, was to transform that openness into layered, intimate experiences while preserving the spirit of the building.  "
    

「歲月留下的痕跡，以及光線進入空間的方式，變成我們設計的線索。最大的挑戰，也是這次的契機，即是如何在保留建築精神的同時，將這樣的開放感，轉變為一種層次豐富且密切的空間體驗。」

在既熟悉又藏有驚喜的空間，營造一段探索旅程

在歷史建築中工作，意味著必須遵循某些無法改動的規範限制。Wunderwall 並不把這些看作束縛。他們將一些既有的結構和原始細節，視為設計的骨架，藉此營造一段探索旅程。「建築物的 Art Deco 時代背景，為我們提供明確穩固的架構。因此我們保留構成 India House 的識別性元素，譬如立面的律動感、原始的陽台開口，以及整體的比例關係，在維持立面與比例完整的同時，謹慎地植入那些看似低調卻具有變革性的介入。」

Working with a historical building often involves a set of constraints — from structural codes to heritage preservation guidelines. But for Wunderwall Design, these were not seen as limitations. Instead, they approached the existing structure and original details as a foundation for transformation, using them as reference points to guide their design decisions.
“The building’s Art Deco character gave us a strong architectural base,” the team explains. “We chose to retain the rhythm of the façade, the original balcony openings, and the building’s overall proportions, because these features defined the identity of India House.”
Rather than recreating the past, the designers focused on cultivating a dialogue between eras. Their interventions emphasized atmosphere: preserving what mattered, while gently layering in new gestures through material contrast, custom steel-framed doors, and subtle shifts in level and enclosure.

    
        " The aim was not to replicate the past, but to let the old and new coexist in a way that feels natural and respectful.  "
    

他們爬梳建築的過往，找到與時間平衡共處的頻率。裡頭沒有被過度設計的場景，也不倚賴戲劇性的敘事，而是著重於空間的鋪陳：觀察光線如何游移、腳步如何迴響、材料質地的搭配效應，從中找尋那些與當代生活產生情感連結的片段。

「我們的介入方式更偏向氛圍營造。目的並不是要複製過去，而是讓新舊元素以自然且相互尊重的模式共存。」Wunderwall 彷如將空間轉化成一場低調的邀請，讓舊有的建築結構與新的設計在其中交會，共同形塑出一種期待與私密感。

人們從安靜的街道，走入一條昏暗且蘊含紋理的長廊，入口沒有招牌、也沒有明顯標誌，僅以細微的光影提示內部的存在。接著，再由層層遞進的平台，逐步展開 Peninsula House 的探索體驗。

Wunderwall Design approached the building with attentiveness, looking into its past to understand how it might evolve. Instead of adding dramatic gestures or overdesigned elements, they focused on subtle spatial qualities: the way light shifts through the rooms, the sound of footsteps, and the contrast between materials. These sensory cues helped shape an experience that feels present and grounded in daily life.
Rather than recreating what once stood, the designers encouraged a meaningful exchange between past and present. Their interventions were guided by atmosphere rather than form, introducing warmth and a sense of presence while preserving the building’s original character. Peninsula House becomes a place where intimacy develops over time, revealed through layers of texture, light, and movement.
Visitors arrive through a narrow side street and enter a dim, textured corridor. There is no signage or overt threshold. Instead, soft glows of light suggest what lies ahead. Step by step, across gently raised platforms, the spatial narrative of Peninsula House slowly comes into view.

    
        " Rather than grand gestures, we focused on layering space, light, and texture to build anticipation and intimacy.   "
    

    
        " We wanted the space to feel like it had always been there, evolving slowly rather than appearing new.    "
    

回收木材、光影與舊傢俱，醞釀溫度與歸屬感的空間記憶

「對我們來說，設計是一種經驗的編織，既能被記住，也能觸及人心、貼近日常的人性化體驗。」

Wunderwall 強調，他們設計方式不太關乎固定的風格，更在於場域感受的形構。「我們重視內斂、材質觸感，以及真實性，創造那些會緩緩展現自身特質，深度扎根於場域脈絡的空間。」每一個案子的開始，都始於觀察基地既有的事物條件，再順應它的樣態自然發展。

這樣的設計觀點，體現於 Peninsula House 許多細節裡：從入口動線的引導，石灰洗塗料與斑駁的回收木材帶來的材質觸感變化，連同看似隨性、實則精心策劃的老件配置，皆傳遞一份「始終都在這裡緩慢地演變，並且被時間收集而來」的姿態。再加上光線的層次控制，空間的立體感，彷彿記憶浮現般被逐步揭示；既沉穩，也優柔環繞。

“For us, design is about crafting experiences that are memorable but also quietly human.” says Wunderwall. Their approach doesn’t follow a fixed style but grows from atmosphere and place. They value restraint, tactility, and authenticity, shaping spaces that emerge slowly and feel rooted in their context. Each project begins with observing what’s already there, followed by layering materials, light, and objects in ways that feel intuitive rather than forced.
This perspective is evident in the details of Peninsula House. Movement is choreographed with care, while contrasts like limewashed walls and reclaimed wood bring subtle shifts in texture and time. Vintage pieces are arranged with precision but appear effortlessly placed, as if they had always been part of the space. Light and volume unfold gradually, shaping an experience that feels grounded, intimate, and alive.

    
        " Patina, wear, and traces of past use give furniture a quiet authenticity that new objects can’t replicate. 
 "

「我們並不追求完美無瑕的物件。事實上，正是那些不完美之處吸引了我們。」舊物家具身上的磨損痕跡，帶來全新物件無法複製的沉靜真實，它們儼然是隨時間自然聚集於此，使場域的情緒更加濃厚，也讓歷史的存在不流於敘述，是你我觸碰得到的日常風景。

These pieces feel as if they have always belonged here. Their surfaces carry time, anchoring the space with a subtle presence. They don’t illustrate history; they hold it, becoming part of how the place is seen, moved through, and remembered.

根源的內化與在地實踐

一地的文化滋養，往往潛移默化地影響設計者的觀點視角。 Wunderwall 分享，「在馬來西亞長大，我們自然而然習慣於不同文化、語言與歷史並存。這使我們對單一的陳述較不感興趣，更強調能包容對比、讓差異和諧共處的型態。」

他們在處理空間策劃和材料時，傾向讓新舊元素自由交會，使用能隨歲月顯現痕跡的材質，使空間如同歷史沈澱後的當代回聲。為了讓 Peninsula House 真正扎根於地方脈絡，他們避開明確的文化符號，轉而從工藝與建築肌理入手 —— 包括入口處使用回收的 Kaya 木材、與當地工匠合作的金屬與燈具、帶時間質地的石材與塗料等，皆呼應檳城舊建築的質感與色澤。

透過真實的材料和工藝製作，空間與所在土地產生深層連結，漸次揭開其蘊含的文化深度與人情厚度。

Culture shapes a designer’s perspective in ways that are often overlooked. “Growing up in Malaysia, we naturally became attuned to difference,” says Wunderwall. “Multiple cultures, languages, and histories coexist here, and that’s shaped how we think. We’re less interested in singular statements, and more drawn to spaces where contrast can sit together in balance.”
This outlook guides their approach to materials and the way space is composed. They let old and new overlap freely, choosing finishes that reveal age over time and suggest a place that feels long inhabited. In Peninsula House, they avoided overt cultural symbols, working instead with local craftspeople to embed texture and memory through method. Reclaimed kaya wood forms the entryway, paired with handmade lighting, aged stone, and limewash coatings that echo the tones of Penang’s older buildings.
Built with honest materials and care, the space connects deeply to its surroundings, revealing layers of culture and a sense of lived presence.

    
        " Working with heritage buildings has taught us patience and humility — you can’t impose too much, you have to listen to what the building already holds. 
 "

傾聽建築的記憶

「與歷史建築共事，教會我們耐心與謙虛。你無法過度施加自己的想法，而是必須傾聽建築本身所承載的故事。這般節制與尊重的心態一直伴隨著我們，即便面對全新的專案也不例外。」

Peninsula House 並非一場華麗的建築復興計畫。新與舊不急於競逐，而是在並置中彼此相容，讓時間的層次被看見、被感受。「這個專案讓我們有機會使用那些蘊含時間痕跡的材料，也證明了空間的餘韻，往往不是來自於添加了多少，而是那些刻意留下的空白與含蓄。」Wunderwall 說道。

他們選擇以更內斂的方式回應過去，在此細膩地編織出足夠的餘裕，承接人情與歷史流動的畫面。這份共存意識，也許正是這棟老建築重新甦醒後，最值得被珍視的光景。

Peninsula House was never intended as a grand architectural revival. Old and new do not compete here; instead, they sit together in calm balance, allowing the presence of time to be seen and felt.
Wunderwall chose to respond to the past with restraint, weaving in moments of openness that hold space for memory and human presence to unfold. Perhaps this sense of coexistence is what makes the building’s renewed life most worth holding onto.

    
        " Design is less about control and more about allowing layers of history, material, and atmosphere to coexist meaningfully. "
    

Peninsula House ADD：India House (historical building, 1st Floor, India House, 25, Beach St, George Town, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, George Town, Malaysia
TEL：+60 16-439 1335
WEB：Book a Table

Photo credit/ TWJPTO、 Hey!Cheese

Interview、Text/ ChichiL

SPEAKOUTChichiLSeptember 10, 2025Voice, travel, archi

在時間留下的空殼中，傾聽建築的記憶 — Wunderwall Design 將近百年圖書館轉化為當代餐飲場域：「Peninsula House」

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