Istana Budaya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Istana Budaya or Cultural Palace in English is a national theatre located in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This theatre is formerly known as Panggung Negara officially opened by former Prime Minister, YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
The building is the first theatre in Asia to be equipped with state-of-the-art stage equipment. This makes it one of the ten most sophisticated theatres in the world, and on par with the Royal Albert Hall in London. Built at a cost of RM210 million, the theatre has a floor area of 21,000 m², and is part of a cultural complex covering 54,400 m².
The inspiration for the design (by Malaysian architect Muhammad Kamar Ya'akub) is a traditional moon kite in flight. The main building takes the form of the sirih junjung (a traditional arrangement of betel leaves used during Malay weddings and welcoming ceremonies).
The building is divided by function as in a traditional Malay house with its three sections: the serambi (lobby and foyer), rumah ibu (mother house) as the auditorium, and the rumah dapur (kitchen) as the stage and rehearsal hall.
The interior makes extensive use of Langkawi marble, while high-quality tropical wood is used for the doors, which feature hand-carved flower and leaf motifs. The lush carpets in the foyer and lobby feature motifs based on the cempaka flower and the beringin tree (reminiscent of a traditional Mak Yong performance).
