Behold the Atria reborn!
Rising from the ashes of a dead mall, this fiery phoenix has been rekindled and reshaped, perched tall and mighty in the heart of Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya.
With over 20 floors and a great array of retail outlets below, this fortified icon may not attract international crowds, but it certainly services the local populace.
Farewell, dear Sun.
Farewell, dear Atria.
As we advance and swell as a nation, we begin to look to the skies. Our dreams and our homes advance upwards, ever upwards, until we become surrounded on all sides, trapped in our sky high bubbles.
Here’s a dreamy montage of the daylight denizens of Penang’s high rise
Did you know there is a new sports complex nestled deep in the heart of Penang Island? Welcome to the Relau Sports Complex!
With Olympic size swimming pool and dedicated diving pool with multiple diving platforms, this complex is a swimmer’s paradise!
Quite striking design, wouldn’t you say?
The diving boards from a unique angle.
There is also a large badminton complex, with ten brand new badminton courts!
And there’s plenty of parking within the complex itself, but if you need there is abundant street parking just down the road.
Introducing the brand new Spiral Bridge of Hope – right in time to usher in a new era of Malaysian history!
This circular landmark can be found a few klicks south from the popular Queensbay Mall on the south-east side of Penang Island.
And it’s purposefully made with pedestrians, runners and cyclists in mind!
Although I’m sure motorcyclists will find their way up it, as they do.
With a height of 11 metres, a length of over 250 metres, and a gradual 5 degree slope (compared to some of the more ridiculous slopes we have here in Penang), this bridge was designed to not only be accessible by the physically robust or those with motorised assistance; even the most inexperienced cyclist and pedestrian can easily make their way up this tower bridge.
The new spiral bridge will act as both a safe passageway across the highway as well as a magical lookout point to this side of Penang Island. Although not immediately apparent from below, at its peak there is a large circular platform that provides quite the view!
To the west you can see all the way into Penang’s heart and suburban central, and to the east you gaze upon both of Penang’s massive bridges as well as Pulau Jerejak just 800m across the channel.
Maybe not so sightly at the moment with all the reclamation going on.
It was a clever idea to incorporate a viewing platform into this bridge; in doing so its value has been multiplied tremendously. The bridge is now more than just another overhead bridge – it is a potent tourist hotspot, a gathering point for landscape photographers, a place to relax and look up at the open sky.
So where does it go?
The spiral bridge starts from the south of Queensbay Mall in Bayan Lepas and stretches west across Penang’s busiest highway – the Lim Chong Eu north-south expressway. It bends around the tennis courts of Intel and along Penang’s Free Trade/Industrial Zone.
This bridge will serve to connect the coastal Bayan Bay area with the Sungai Nibong and the Bayan Baru area where Penang’s largest roundabout and Krystal Point are. All in all the project cost a decent 8.9 million, which is perhaps a little more than I would pay, but what do I know about building bridges?
The reason it is unofficially known as the Spiral Bridge of Hope is because the party that overthrew the previous government stronghold is named the Hope Party (Pakatan Harapan).
So here’s to hoping this bridge remains a beacon of our dreams and wishes for Malaysia for many years to come.
And here’s a video of it – now with music!
Ever wanted to see the world in a different way? Perhaps in a strangely surreal state, akin to the dreamscapes in the movie Inception?
Well, here you go!
Is this what Karpal Singh Drive looks like in your dreams?
In life, it’s always nice to get a new perspective on things. So why not see what Penang looks like from the skies?
That latest development project obscured by pesky corrugated fencing?
No problem!
It actually appears very aesthetically pleasing considering how much ravaging they’re doing to the earth.
Ah yes, the magical Maritime towers along Persiaran Karpal Singh!
And a trip around Penang wouldn’t be complete without an aerial shot of George Town, with Penang’s very iconic Komtar tower!
