Peranakan culture is amongst one of the richest and most intriguing, mostly found in Singapore, Malaysia and part of Indonesia. In Australia, it hasn’t been explored as much within the design and architecture industry compared to other design styles such as Chinese, Japanese, etc. Peranakan architecture or also known as Chinese Baroque, Tropical Renaissance architecture amongst many other names, consists of rich and wide range of architectural vocabulary derived from the hybrid of western and eastern styles and traditions
This eclectic architecture is rich, robust and baroque with an abundance of decoration such as use of colourful glazed ceramic tiles with decorative pattern. Other details commonly seen in this architecture style including the free use of the Classical inspired elements, such as the Composite pilasters on sturdy plinths embellished with tiles, and the decorative plasterwork, as well as Malay inspired timber fascia boards and the Chinese inspired bas relief depicting animals under the second-storey side windows.
There has been some modern interpretation of this early 20th century style from residential project to retail fitout. The subtle integration of peranakan influence within a modern minimalist setting translated into a unique style that suits current lifestyle and beyond. This hopefully will keep the rich culture well alive and celebrated many more years to come.