说建筑 A Glimpse of Architecture
建筑设计是像设下圈套一样的场景布置， 让你一脚踏入， 用你自己的故 事来替你设计生活。 因为个人对建筑的诠释可以是迥然不同，而喜恶可 以是极度极端， 建筑设计就有一个未知数的变化， 而这一个未知数就是 人。 这两位年轻的设计家一再重复着一个空间叙述的概念， 要让空间带动故 事性。 什么是空间的故事性 -这听来有点玄的东西？ 故事人人有嘛， 就是个人生活的不同， 延伸出来的空间体验。 窝工房这一间办公室原来是黄伟斌的窝， 设计的时候，就由第一人叙说 来开始 - 有菜市场在后的这一座双层排屋的早晨是女主人打开吱嘠的后 门， 提着菜篮子踏着小碎步走向菜市场， 心里盘算着家里人的健康， 饮食避忌， 和那天在食谱上读到的好菜， 想着该如何配搭； 而后带着 沉甸甸的菜篮子， 跨过后门， 随手就可以把那脆香的油炸鬼放在后院的 云石桌子上， 再一踏步， 把生肉青菜摆入开放的厨房， 哗一下转开水 喉装上水壶， 把热水煮开了， 泡起一壶茶，早晨坐在自家花园和一棵树 一起， 偷听后巷走过的人说的零碎话， 和自己的亲人温煦的谈话。 这样的故事性或者说白了， 就是营造一个可以推动想象的视觉空间。 如 果我们把建筑的历史往前推， 不难发现建筑和艺术在无数次不同的时间 点上交汇。 宗教场所， 行政中心的设计，尤其在很大程度上存在着宣 传的隐藏动机， 通过空间的铺陈， 光线的控制和材料的选择， 都在设 计者的考量中布局。 这个设计概念应该可以说是和原研哉的无设计相应和的， 如何做了一个 毫不起眼的小沟在入门的矮墙边， 却在雨天时让入门前的客人很自然的 把雨伞靠上了。这样的小心眼是每一个设计师都有的， 让生活里的自觉 性取代繁复的说明指示。
Architecture at times is a stage presentation, to lure you into reacting. As space being given a meaning with individual experience, every space tells a different story to individual. Tetawowe home base now was Wei Ping’s home originally, the design started with the idea of how the lady of the house would start a day with the crackling opened back door, and the short journey to the wet market. upon arriving back to the house, the courtyard served as the breakfast space, under a tree, where one can eavesdropping the conversation of the passer-by without anyone noticing.
我说故事你来听 - A story to Tell
The idea of “No Design” by Muji is just about this, being simply simple for the users. Let one’s instinct take the lead. Designer here is like a conspirator, to secretly plotting the best way for your daily routine without you realizing it.
我们在日常生活中碰触到的任何物体，都在刺激着我们的感官留下无形的 记忆痕迹。 当我们享受情报（information） 时， 记忆会来填补一切的 留白， 为我们引出各种纤细的情绪。建筑师可说是一位阴谋家，有意识 地组合各种情报， 来建构所要传达的讯息给收讯者是我们最大的成就。 而一座建筑就不只是包覆空间的硬体。 窝工房的建筑空间里有趣味， 不依靠平面图的策划， 反而从大方向里寻 找一些不同的布置手法， 在横梁上有书房，可以想象一个爱书的孩子爬 上阁楼一样可以探险的小平台， 挑一本书， 吊着两只小脚丫，想是童年 树上的闲适来访； 楼上楼下相通的一个空洞， 好像以前马六甲旧屋的 窥视孔， 虽然不是本意， 但是一下打空了， 楼下的热气就可以循着这 里往天井散去； 在门的两边来一个耳墙，打个耳洞， 一条横木穿墙而 过， 就是原始的门栓了。 这些历史记忆里童年和老房子的符号贯穿全 屋， 或者和两位设计师曾经着迷于新村老屋的经验有关。 窝工房的设计工程里极强的手工性，在今日机械生产如火如荼展开的着一 个年代分外难得。 工业化的大同和生产线上要求的规格化使得手作的美 感的不可复制变得尤为珍贵。 触手的圆润与材料的温度润滑着生活的重 复冷冽， 特别温暖人心。 他们感动于新村屋子的实用性和独特的拼凑性， 那样的随意却饱含生命 的性格 ， 或者也是一种追求。在工地附近寻找在地的材料供循环再用和 设计的元素， 已经是他们的必修的功课。 让思想放空，让环境和人文来 填满， 成品就带着时间的痕迹和在地人的情感追怀， 暖暖的温一杯茶，
Everything we encountered leaving a mark on us; while we are absorbing information from our environment, we are filling up the gap with own experience, space is not just an empty void, it is the vessel of sentiment. Space created by Tetawowe is the combination of little surprises here and there waiting to be explore - the little bridge hanging above the roof beams is reminiscent of that of a tree house, transporting us immediately back to our childhood day; or perhaps the open floor slab in the middle of the living area on the upper floor, which lure us to peep below as those in the olden day Nyonya House, and how can we hold back the instinct to call out to those downstairs with a grin? And many more for us to ponder. The handcrafted quality of their work, the seemed random combination recorded a lively design process which could had been generated from their experience with the New Village’s houses, the architecture that fascinated them and now
they shared with us.
武霞（武侠）工作室， 就带着一点玩味， 生活里的理说当然都要在这里 经过一点提炼， 于是这对Mr。& Mrs. Ang 对设计并不设定框框， 对他 们来说每一个设计的开始都是一个有待解决的难题， 越是艰难越是激发 创意。 最初的感动大约是文霞在马大读书时贴近原住民进行调查的时候， 跟着 小孩子上学回家的脚步跋涉于山水之间， 记录他们的生活， 让小孩给城 市来的大姐姐上一堂自然课， 上一堂野生生存课。 在武霞工作室看着原 住民小孩用画细腻的表现着生活里各种耕种，打猎， 煮食的器具， 才察 觉我们的小孩对遥远或虚拟国度知道得太多， 对身边的一切知道的其实 太少， 这些孩子的生命韧性是我们不曾关怀的一面。 十年过去， 文霞陆陆续续的回到原住民村落， 而在某一个生命的点上， 武霞工作室参与了原住民村落的一个小小提升计划 – 卫浴设备。 在短 短几个星期内， 从策划，设计到购买材料一直到招揽人才和安排运输， 都得急速完成， 所有的一切都是一个个大大的问号（？？？）武侠小说 里的四两拨千斤就派上用场了- 以鹰架骨干为单位的卫浴间， 简单的帆布 车上沙龙独一无二， 让在地人用传统的编制法把棕榈叶编成篇幅墙， 还 有漂亮的木雕鸟为建筑安家。 在解决了硬体设计问题上， 也容纳了原住 民文化和手艺的传承， 人本设计或者是他们设计的最原始初衷。（原住 民个案链接：http://vimeo.com/93571802） WHBC is led by Mr. & Mrs.Ang, and very much as Mr.& Mrs. Smith in the movie, they take challenges on a daily basic. Creativity often motivated with the higher level of difficulty, and they are having a lot of fun in them. While Wen Xia was studying in University Malaya, she researched on indigenous group, following their footstep to go home from their **transfer house on the weekends, recording their life. Most often, the lesson was given by the kids to this seemed naive big sister from the urban. They would sketch for her the equipment that they used for hunting, cooking and all the chores they had to worked throughout the days, and carefully spell it out for the big sister to write it down as accurate as to the sound. While we pride with our unlimited access to the data around the world on the internet, I wonder how much we know about everything we encountered on daily basic.
设计江湖里的双剑合璧 - Design Kung Fu
10 years passed since those days, Wen Xia went back again to the indigenous village, with the skills and knowledge she accumulated, she worked with minimum resources to design and build the toilet and bath unit using the ever trustworthy scaffolding. Not forgetting the little crafted wooden bird that would guard the premises and the beautiful sarong to be incorporated into the design. Culture is and should always be a part of architecture is what a conscious architecture is about.
从原住民村落来到榴莲园里， “榴莲落， 沙龙脱” 倒不是建筑的难题， 问题是建得靠近了榴莲树， 难免在榴莲季节里遭受轰顶之苦。 这一个了 得倒是让我开了眼界。在治水的道理中或者得到启发， 让榴莲如雨落也 好， 就让它滚不溜丢的都去到那加深的雨槽里， 加固的钢筋混凝土屋顶 平常设计里并不常倾斜， 这里倒是很轻盈的由铁柱撑高， 四面开阔。这 颠覆想象的天马行空和一点幽默想必是让设计不发闷的最佳调味。 飞到浮罗交宜， 有一间家用的是各处收来的旧电线柱， 原因只有一个， 在拜访奔波的途上， 发现到许多木制的电线柱不明所以的被混凝土灯柱 取代了， 而这些漂亮的挺拔的木头或者出身不明， 都撑过了数十寒暑， 也证明了不畏白蚁， 潮湿， 曝晒的各种酷刑， 绝对修成正果的 品质。 于是这两人带着未来的主人家和识途的老马， 风尘仆仆的北上南下， 到 处寻来这旧电线柱， 硬是凑齐了所需的材料， 建起了这一座电线柱之 家。 这介于理性与非理性间的狂热或者是他们不自觉的本能。 有时或者可以编得轰轰烈烈的伟伦， 有人可以娓娓道来的轻描淡写，就 像他们说的： 没有一个个案可能相同， 也没有一套功夫可以玩转。 时间 地点转换了，乾坤都到转了 ， 再来个人有着不同的特性，天时地利人和 里自有它要带领的方向。 武霞工作室链接：http://whbca.com/index.html
The instinct of responsive design is evident in their durian shed. While we were all worried of durian falling on us, the shed was design with a light reinforced concrete roof, directing the delicacies to the gutter for an easy pick up. What a wonderful and fruitful experience it should be! Sometimes they are just outrageously over the top, to have travelled around Malaysia collecting timber electric cable post that had been replaced with reinforced concrete post with no obvious reasons. Well-seasoned and tested, these had proven to be the best timber you could find. They were given the second life with well-deserved respect and supporting the main structure of the Post House in Langkawi. Call it passion or design instinct, they see every design project as an opportunity to create. A strong believer that no design can be repeated.
** an accommodation that was built near the school to ease the daily travelling of school going indigenous children.
读书的时候， 最着迷的是数学， 不为什么， 只是因为数学在大自然里 为美丽定了位。 从黄金比例一直到叶子为了获得最佳光合作用而旋转着 生长的规律和角度， 都让我看到科学艺术的结合。 记得Buckminster Fuller 说过： ”当我尝试解决问题时， 我并不把美感考虑其中， 只是 当结果不见美丽时， 我知道我一定是在哪里犯了错。“ 设计的最初也离 不开这样的本质 – 是科学和艺术的结合体， 这位设计师阿梓敏。塔孜 岚， 或者最明白这一个道理。 我一开始想和他谈的是他的许多设计发明， 他却坚持要和我从艺术说 起。 是的， 他最大的热情是艺术， 从一开始就没停止过的“路” 系 列， 挖土机一直是他的个人符号。 这一个系列充满了各种议题， 从或 者最早的对社会的不平；到后来比较明确的苏丹街保留；和后来爱之深， 责之切的爱国情意结， 他都在用艺术说话。
Mathematics fascinated me when it is read together with the nature. The Golden Section found in shell; the perfect angle of rotating growth of new leaves in plant to ensure the most exposure to sun for photosynthesis, is the evident of beauty born with the combination of arts and science. So is Architecture. Buckminster Fuller once said: “When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty, but when I have finished, it the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.”.
设计的温暖 - The Warmth in Design
Azimin Tazilan who should know it best, his profession is interior architecture, but his passion is in his arts. He is continuously working on his “Jalan” (Road) series, where you could always notice the bulldozer as his signature. The series aims in expressing his criticism in view of social imbalance, including the protest to Jalan Sultan MRT project. An artist soul believed that the arts play an role to be the throat of people, and this shall be the voice.
当我们来到古老的歌德式教堂里， 昏暗的内室， 透过彩绘玻璃的微光， 引导信徒匍匐下跪， 教义于是借着艺术传颂，达到沟通的效果。 阿梓 敏相信的就是这一份力量 – 把一幅画， 放在不同的人面前， 因为个人 的经验， 或者感触深浅不一，却因为画者的伏笔， 让看画的人心里的那 条弦响起了共鸣 - 艺术家并不在乎你是否所见略同， 却只是希望我们不 要麻木了生命。 凭着这样的信仰， 阿梓敏在马六甲的鸡肠街向老街主 人租下一件小店面， 开始了艺术档 – Warung Seni ， 想法也非常简 单， 不过想在这一个古老的城市里， 尝试用马来西亚的天气酝酿一片本 地艺术的氛围。 画廊并不只是为了画， 却是让许多独立艺术工作者提供 另一个落脚点。 朗诵诗歌， 演小剧场， 谈画， 说书， 都在这里热热 闹闹起来。 这里咖啡或者不够香浓， 却浓郁着热情。 阿梓敏的学生也常来这里收集着口述历史片段， 记录没落夕阳行业的人 物手艺。 阿梓敏坚持在马六甲这一方土地上经营本土艺术， 让历史文 化有了一个被记录的机会，让现代艺术可以在这里喊话。 这一撑就过 了两年。 言谈间，他惋惜着后街打铁匠的结业， 记挂着雕门匾师傅的 难以维续， 马来西亚文化于他早在历史里就是大同， 他说：“你看那 几百年的寺庙， 回教堂和印度庙， 三家鼎立， 比邻而据，就是一个铁 证， 何须大事周章的宣传鼓吹。” 心平路宽， 他总是这样带着一颗平 常心走路， 过日子，生活。
When we enter a Gothic church, in the dimly lit interior, light diffused by the coloured stained glass, leading the disciple creeping down kneeling. Religious teaching is conversed through arts when words are redundant. Azimin believe in this power of art, where a painting being examined by different personnel, the individual experience and the personal emotion states would trigger a different coherent chord within your soul. Artist is not looking for a view in sync, but to stimulate us from time to time so we would not be numb to life. With this faith, he started Warung Seni in Malacca Jonker Street, to create an environment where artist of various fields could come together for sharing. The coffee might not be the greatest here, but passion is. He always bring his students here to Malacca to collect the verbal history of community, recording old trades that are diminishing with time. One Malaysia for him is nothing but facts egraved in history, where the Muslim Mosque, Hindu and Chinese temple sitting next to each others stands as testimonial. With a broad mind and a sense of compassion, that is all you need to go further and to live fuller.
“设计是好玩的吧！ 爱玩的总是搞设计。” 大家都这么说。 到底鸡和鸡蛋谁先来到这世界这个问题难答。 许多人也在想到底爱玩是设计人 的先决条件， 还是读设计久了就要变得爱玩了呢？ 可是有一点倒是我很肯定的， 读建筑的很多时候就是因为爱画画， 才走上这 一条不归路。虽然听来有点儿戏， 可是这确实是我们读建筑的基本功。 我们 总是无时无刻的画画， 也因为这样常让普罗大众觉得我们似乎是靠涂鸦过日 子， 有点混饭吃的感觉， 也就常常要我们做免费服务， 或者和我们讨价还价 的让我们伤感. 可是这一些画着看来轻松的速写， 其实背后每一笔都有我们过去受训的基础， 也有我们脑海里千丝万缕的思绪考量， 比如用草图记录场地的环境， 器材的 配对安置。 看来是抽象画的那幅对你毫无意义的一张图， 是观察环境和自己交谈后， 对 建筑项目的理解和美学表现， 这一张代表了建筑人许汉基对于一所旅馆的印 象， 并借着草图观察和记录这相关的设计符号， 希望从这里找到灵感.
“Design must be fun! The one who loves the fun always ended up doing design.” That’s why everyone said. I am not too sure if fun loving a pre-requisite to become a designer, or is it the environment we are in turns us into such interesting characters? It is almost as difficult to answer this question as to trying to figure out if egg or chicken comes first. However, we all started because we are so much in love of sketching and doodling, as childish as it sounds, it had been our essential skill and our habit to doodle whenever we can. Thus public assumed our profession as a casual easy job, and often asked for free service, or trying to bargain on our fees. (Our friend would pay for bread from a baker’s friend but expecting us to design their home for free.) May we protest, yes we should. These sketches or childish doodles we have, seemingly careless, is filled with all the thoughts we have around the project with our professional training in the field. We sketch to document the site physical environment, site context, fitting and fixtures layout and appropriateness. The abstract drawings you read, is our blueprint of our mind mapping, recording the impression of a hotel to the architect David Khoo, and his attempt to interpret the design symbols into inspiration and eventually develop them into building.
后来到底会怎么样， 就需要更多的细节安排， 我们要考虑建筑结构，人流路 径的铺陈， 空间的设定， 家具的摆放， 阳光空气的流动。 这一切都要通过 画画来完成， 所以看来简单好玩的这些小动作， 都是我们建筑人用来思考沟 通的工具，并不是我们天马行空的随手两笔。 建筑人许汉基和我两人坐在他76号的房子里， 聊着的就是我们的郁闷和不被了 解的慨叹。 我选择了教育这一条路， 想快乐一点的继续我的画画思考的日 子。 建筑人许汉基呢， 决定为8位女生打造这一座女生宿舍， 彻底实现设 计的梦想。 他从一贯最爱的草图开始， 唤来了一批年轻才毕业不知天高地厚的毕业生， 在工地上贴上了白纸， 一批人满腔热情地讨论着设计， 到处去寻找别人丢 弃的材料， 用货盘 (palette)做起桌子、椅子、床板， 到宜家买下组合式衣 橱， 却要磨去表板， 让它返朴归真。 最好商量的或者也是最严格的客户就是自己，建筑人许汉基最想完成的是一个 让画画开始， 让年轻人参与， 点燃热情也发挥想象的设计工坊， 这里像是一 个大伙一块学习做脑激荡的地方， 等待混沌天开。 这么爱画画的建筑人， 保留着赤子之心， 一再的告诉我：”要让大家知道， 建筑人不是混饭吃的， 我们看来轻松的表面背后是数之不尽的再思量。“
“As we progress, we looked into details; we consider the building structures, traffic flow, spatial planning, the sun, air and water. We visualize and communicate them with sketches. David Khoo and I were sitting in his little house of number 76, we were sharing our frustration of misunderstanding of our profession. I choose to continue my dream and satisfaction of sketching and design in the academic field, David Khoo choose to realize his statement in a lady hostel for 8 UCSI students. It always started as a sketch, this time with an addition of fresh graduates. With paper on the wall, they were discussing about design, collecting materials from someone’s garbage, using palette to construct the table, chairs, bed carcase. With modular cabinet purchased from Ikea, they sand it down to its original surface, and bring it back to its basic. The best and the stingiest client as you are to yourself, architect David Khoo would like to provide a platform for design to develop from scratch and sketch, to involve the young blood, to lit up their passion and to allow us to dream big. This is a place where chaos leading to clarity. An architect who loves to sketch, who still holds his very dream of designing, told me: “We must let them know, we are professionals, the seemingly casual impression we gave to this world with our sketches and doodles, is the fruit of thoughts, consideration and all sorts of complex processes we went through.” Chaos Lab as he called his design team, is his interpretation of his idea of design. “As chaos theory suggest of the phenomena of uncertainty in result, due to the sensitivity of every variable to the outside factors. it is the best state of design.” We love design because we just don’t know where it would bring us and we are just too excited and not want to miss it.
槟城无处不是历史， 在乔治市里大有来头的建筑比目皆是。 打铜仔街 120号这一间小小的街屋可就来头不小。最早的屋主谢裕生（1875-1900） 没有参与盛会， 林文耀 (1900 – 1926)却在1909年1月31号开始，把这 所房子让给了孙中山的槟城阅读书报社， 当时吴世荣是主席， 黄金庆是 副主席。 之前提到的金联益金铺的许生理先生也是其中佼佼者。 这一个因缘聚会要从1905年， 孙中山先生第一次踏足槟城说起。 当时 满心希望得到商贾的支持资助的孙中山， 吃了一个软钉子。 徘徊于小 兰亭俱乐部时，碰到了吴世荣与黄金庆， 这两位先生和孙中山一见如 故， 召集了小兰亭社友飨宴给孙中山送行， 借着酒意， 孙中山乘机灌 输三民主义， 提倡改革， 这一开口， 吓跑了许多人， 更有人讥讽孙中 山无父无君。 类似的事件于1906年平章会馆的演说大会上再度发生， 孙中山有感于当时侨胞民族意识的低落， 于是要求吴世荣与黄金庆设立 书报社， 负起教育民众的重任，同时也可以掩护同盟会的活动。 最早 的组织序文和章程都由汪精卫一挥而就， 就这样在柑仔园94号，黄金庆 的洋楼里开始了孙中山的海外同盟会基地组织， 过后才迁到打铜仔街120 号。
Penang Island is known for abundance of historical building bearing the trace of Malaysia social and economic development. 120 Lebuh Armenian is just one of them. Since the earliest homeowner Xie Yu Sheng (Ownership 1875-1900) sold it to Lin Wen Yao (Ownership 1900-1926), it started its legendary role on 31st January, 1909 as the base for Sut Yat Sen in Penang. It all started when Sut Yat Sen came to Penang in 1905, and was rejected the help he had hoped for. While lingering at the Xiao Lan Ting Club, he met two gentlemen Wu ShiYong and Huang JinQin, who immediately take him in and started the following discussion of establishing a reading club to communicate the ‘Three Principles of the People” to public, and as a cover up to the TungMeng-Hui activities in Nanyang.
建筑是人类和社会的器皿 Architecture as the vessel to memory
The earliest organization preamble and memorandum was drafted by the infamous Wang JingWei, set up in 1906 and move to 120 Lebuh Armenian 3 years after that.
为了进一步的推广革命思想， 也正因为当时原在仰光出版的《光华日 报》被当地政府禁刊， 负责人庄银安来到槟城寻求合作， 希望在槟城继 续出版， 1910年12月2日， 第一份槟城的《光华日报》在打铜仔街120号 创刊出版， 开始了更为广泛的革命教育。于是槟城三大革命团体 – 同 盟会摈榔屿分会， 槟城阅读书报社， 光华日报社， 一暗两明的相互配 合， 1910年11月15日， 这里（有又说是在当时孙中山槟城的住所柑仔園 門牌400号）召开了紧急秘密会议， 决定在广州发动一次破釜成舟， 在 此一举的起义。 这里就又见证了黄花岗起义的最开始。 广为民传的庇 能会议里的庇能就是“Pinang” 的谐音。 可以说没有庇能会议就没有后 来的武昌首义， 中国的命运也将改写。 在这段历史中举足轻重的两位槟城同盟会先驱，吳世榮說服妻子將市區五 層洋樓變賣資助革命活動，晚年一貧如洗；黃金慶千金散盡，客死他鄉都 为孙中山的革命事业付出了一切。 一切已成定局后， 这一所同盟会基地， 见证历史的街屋， 又回归人间 烟火。 1926年转手卖给了当时的商贾庄长水， 成为他经商的“庄荣裕” 宝号。 这所房子深藏的秘密要到1993年才让莊長水的外孫女邱思妮（東 南亞著名的維護 古跡學者）给挖掘出来， 从家族手上买下了这一座摇摇 欲坠的建筑， 修复成孫中山檳城基地紀念館。那么多年来积极的展开了 和孙中山有关的遗跡研究， 丰富了馆藏。 一路走来， 却是缓慢而踏实 的耕耘。
2nd December 1910, due to the need in seek of support for the continuation of newspaper publication due to the closure of <Guang Hua Daily> in Yangoon, Penang take over the role and the first edition of Penang <Guang Hua Daily> was born here at this very building. A building that played the role as a reading club, a secret base for both Tong-Meng-Hui and daily newspaper, becoming the eyewitness of a revolution that took place thousands of miles away in China. Huang Huakang uprising in Guangzhou to the later Wuchang uprising was all started with a meeting here. The pioneers Wu and Huang scarified everything they had in support of the revolution and through this building we had this piece of history revealed. Architecturally this building is nothing but a typical straits house, it gone through its glory and returned as a commercial building under the ownership of Zhuang ChangShui. Aging away as any other building in Georgetown, it was not until 1933, Khoo Salma (the renowned social historian, heritage advocate) had discovered this and bought it from the family to convert this building into the Sut Yat Sen Museum.
建筑上说不上与众不同， 到底是道地的槟城店屋， 同样的分前厅，中 庭， 后院， 有雅致的天井小花园， 和漂亮的实木楼梯。 像这样的建筑 在槟城比比皆是， 然而当你站在这里， 想象当年在这里或者激昂的演 讲， 或者面红耳赤的辩论， 还是声泪俱下的动情感慨， 和当时中国遥 在千里外的革命事业牵一发而动全身， 就要为这意念感动。 建筑在这 里已经退隐到一个背景的距离， 可是如果没有这一个背景， 这样的一个 记忆又那里有一个”器皿“可以装， 可以引发人们对于历史的研究， 考 释， 思想和追古思今的情怀。 守着旧建筑， 就守住了一段历史， 一段过程， 一个社会， 一群人， 一个家， 墙砖之间有的不只是那一点灰泥， 还有人和历史的温度，厚度 和深度。
Architecture might not had been anything but structural elements and space it enclosed, however when you had come to know the story it encompassed, imagining the debates or argument happening within the closed walls, which had indeed related to a nation revolution that change the life of millions people, you would had been touched. Architecture is nothing but a vessel, to keep the piece of history; recording the events that involving those who had inhabited the space; carrying within its cold materials the passion and warmth that could still be felt through the memory.
英国人莱特1786年开辟了乔治市， 带进了华人移民，南来华人在开荒过 程中饱受瘴气之害， 也容易水土不服， 是药店被引进来的客观条件。最 早的仁爱堂1796年由中国梅县的客家人古石泉创立于椰脚街, 据说不过一 间茅草棚。 在这一个当时不过万人的华人社区里， 一钱两分的积攒着蝇 头小利。 根据老报人邝国祥的《槟城散记续集》， 1845年的仁爱堂还 并不专于中药， 而是一间什么都卖的杂货店， 就像今天欧美国家里唐人 街上的小百货市场， 是每一个乡愁的治疗所。 一晃90年， 小小的杂货店已经略有规模，凑够了资金，古家后代把仁爱 堂搬到现称唐人街的广东街与大街的交界处。 盘踞着三家店面， 成为 当时东南亚药材业里的头盘商，批发药材到全马各地的大小药材铺， 这 些记载都可以从还保留着的账本里一窥全貌。 这一家仁爱堂在东南亚的 药材业里举足轻重， 其他字号都还得等仁爱堂定下药材市价， 才能决定 行情。 当时的建筑一楼是仁爱堂店铺登记诊病服务所，原来二三楼是中 药材的储藏和加工空间， 其中包括贯穿三层楼的五处天井， 各自串联楼 层间的药材运送， 还有数个楼梯， 夹层及门道共同形成丰富弹性的工作 空间。 这样的一种深思熟虑要不是历经几百年的经验和考量， 想来也是 无法形成的。 在当时， 这样一座3间楼面3层楼的建筑可谓是槟城市里最体面堂皇的建 筑， 而让人津津乐道的还有仁爱堂借助生意横跨中国、东南亚， 是马来 西亚第一家使用邮局信箱的商行， 所拥有的邮箱号称槟城第一号信箱。 当时靠着这一个信箱， 仁爱堂是东南亚华侨和故乡的桥梁， 对于不识洋 文， 而对银行却步的乡亲们来说， 请药行代办汇款和送信是最亲切而自 然的事。 仁爱堂对于当时的华侨就是家乡。 1786, Sir Francis Light known as the founder of Penang, bringing in Chinese migrants. Many fell sick as they are not acclimated to the climate, thus bringing in the establishment of Chinese Medicine Hall, such as Ren Ai Tang by Gu Shi Quan from Guandong. 90 year down the road, Gu family with the new found capital moved to the current location at Lebuh China, stretching over 3 shop lots, establishing itself as the main distributor within the South East Asia region. The other medicine hall would not dare to set the price till Ren Ai Tang had their price published. The ground floor was the shop front and clinic, 1st and 2nd floor would be the workplace to process the raw material and storage for the herbs and other medicinal materials. There were 5 connecting air well at third floor where mechanical fitting being used to transport the cargo across the building and having them delivered to various location within the building. Trap door, service lane, ladder and mezzanine floor make up a flexible working space, and is unimaginable at today technology conveniences.
仁爱堂- Ren Ai Tang
As the first P.O. Box in Penang, Ren Ai Tang is where communication between China and Malaysia. Ren Ai Tang is “home” to migrants at the time.
这一座药行横跨两百多年，经历过第二次世界大战， 在槟城沦陷入日军 掌握下，还持续营业。 有说由于仁爱堂在清朝末年已经把生意做到日本 殖民统治下的台湾， 因此才得到特别通融。随后即便几经家族和大环境 的几番不如意，也还都苦尽甘来的一再攀上高峰。 暨南大学客座教授王 琛发先生认为仁爱堂能在上世纪50年代如此辉煌， 一方面是凭借着战时 的延续经营及香港联店转口的优势， 另一方面也是古家家族在金宝、怡 保、新加坡等地各树分支的相互呼应，形成了很完整的购销网络。 可惜的是当古氏家族众多人口开始在世界各地开枝散叶后， 愿意继续药 材祖业的意愿反而日渐低落。 1981年， 古氏最后一个家族掌柜古国旋把 仁爱堂让给店里的伙计张日良先生，在这一个已经变成小印度的社区里， 仁爱堂又服务了28年一直到2009年， 因为业主提高租金， 而仁爱堂建筑 结构也已岌岌可危，张日良先生终于搬离小印度老店， 迁往垄尾。仁爱 堂旧址一度荒芜。 如今仁爱堂已经翻新成为精品酒店， 难得的是其中间店面楼下还被保留 下来成为一个仁爱堂纪念馆， 处理药品时实用的刨刀， 蒸炉，瓮以及 木制层架和木储藏柜还有许多不同时代的印章， 大大小小的和当年的账 本都是一个家族企业的见证。 虽说张先生曾经一度于2013年搬回旧址营 业， 我到达的时候却没有见到， 反而成了一间艺术手工的小店， 其中 转折可就不得而知了。 这一回只来得及在咖啡馆里喝杯咖啡， 没有机会探访楼上的精品酒店， 在楼下闲晃时看到原来的天井和运输药材的滑轮都被保留下来， 只是如 今运载的已经不是当年的犀角、玉竹、黄芪， 而是旅客的行李。楼上那 些充满机关的空间，据说用老木和原来百年的药柜子都转变成17间客房。 来这里听一听故事， 看一看建筑， 想一想过去， 再从这一座百年建筑 出走， 漫步到仁爱堂最初的定点 – 椰脚街， 离观音亭不远处， 坐在 那里回头看看这一段传奇的家族历史， 也是上了一堂课。
200 years of operation, going through the 2nd world war, despite all the hardship, Gu family managed to bring the family business to high peak with the established networking. Unfortunately, as Gu family started to move away from Malaysia and the lack of interest in running the medicine business, it was transferred to Ren Ai Tang worker Zhang RiLiang in 1981. However the ownership of the shop does not come with the business. 2009, Zhang had to move the business out of now Little India, and leave the building, seeing it being converted into boutique hotel. In order to pay tribute to the original trade operating at the address, a museum is set up at the ground floor. A family history spanned a few generation within here, and it is just mesmerizing to ponder while taking a sip of coffee within this charming building.