Under the eaves of architecture in George Town, Malaysia

The restoration of Fort Cornwallis in Malaysia’s George Town shows how historic conservation can strengthen public space, support economic development and build climate resilience.

When archaeological excavations began on the moat surrounding George Town’s Fort Cornwallis, there was limited certainty that any of its original structure might remain, and in what condition. It had been entombed; filled in just over a century ago, when in 1921 officials were concerned that the water would exacerbate an outbreak of malaria – and, in addition, they wished to prepare the space for the Fort’s eventual demolition. Years later, having survived destruction, the Fort’s concretised moat served as a car park.

Francesco Siravo, Senior Planner with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and a specialist in historic preservation and town planning, says that instead of what many believed they would, or rather would not, find, archaeologists uncovered “extensive remains of the original masonry, allowing construction methods to be studied in remarkable detail and the original configuration of the moat to be reinstated”.

The restoration of George Town’s Fort Cornwallis moat on the island of Penang, Malaysia, forms part of a broader regeneration programme led by the Penang State Government and Penang Island City Council, implemented in partnership with Think City and supported by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) through its technical advice and conservation expertise. Over 13 years, this collaborative effort has helped preserve and revitalise the fort and its surrounding historic waterfront.

Originally constructed in 1786 – the same year George Town was founded by Captain Francis Light on behalf of the British East India Company – Fort Cornwallis evolved from a simple defensive stockade into the colony's principal fortification during a period of growing imperial competition in the region, including fears of French expansion in the years that followed. Penang, and specifically its northeast cape, was located strategically at the northern entrance of the Strait of Malacca – which quickly transformed the settlement into one of Asia’s most important trading ports.

The Fort was never required to fulfil its defensive capabilities, but George Town, unlike many other colonial cities, developed as a truly multicultural settlement. “Malays, Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Armenians, Europeans and many other communities lived and traded alongside one another, each contributing their architecture, customs, religions, languages and food traditions,” says Siravo.

“Today this diversity remains one of George Town’s defining characteristics,” he continues, and “Fort Cornwallis occupies the place where modern Penang began.”

In the context of the proposed restoration of Fort Cornwallis and the waterfront, architecture was understood as both the preservation of historic fabric and a means of creating the conditions for civic exchange, bringing together questions of heritage, public space, identity, environmental sustainability, economic opportunity and community life. It is a perspective that reflects a longstanding principle of AKTC’s work – that heritage conservation and socio-economic development are mutually reinforcing.

A waterfront for the people

AKTC's involvement in Malaysia was shaped by longstanding relationships with local partners and a shared commitment to pluralism and inclusive development. When discussions began about George Town's future, recalls Shiraz Allibhai, Deputy Director of AKTC, the attraction was not simply the conservation of individual monuments, but the opportunity to think more holistically about the historic city. "If we take the totality of George Town, and look at conservation as a catalyst for human interaction and economic development, what would that look like holistically?"

Working with Think City and other stakeholders, AKTC subsequently undertook a series of studies and consultations that culminated in a strategic masterplan in 2014. The plan became the blueprint for the revitalisation of Fort Cornwallis and the surrounding waterfront, placing particular emphasis on the regeneration of public spaces along the North Seafront, George Town's historic civic frontage.

Rather than pursuing a series of isolated projects, the partners developed an integrated programme of interventions that included the reconstruction of the Esplanade seawall, the creation of the Linear Garden, the restoration of the Fountain Garden, improvements to Lebuh Light, the conservation of Fort Cornwallis itself, the reinstatement of its moat, and the adaptive reuse of former storage buildings within the fort. Together, these projects were intended to reconnect George Town with its waterfront while creating a continuous and accessible public landscape.

“Just look at images from the day the Esplanade opened,” says Allibhai. “It’s become a picnic spot, a spot for people-watching – there are all walks of life, and it’s not class-driven. That’s the power of these spaces.”

Siravo agrees. “The Esplanade opened right after the Covid lockdowns – and people were so enthusiastic over how they could use this space.”

Hear from the esplanade users.

Lessons from the past, for the future

These benefits have spilled over into the local economy. Over the past decade, the AKTC-Think City partnership helped mobilise almost $30 million in conservation and commons improvements, with the wider economic impact estimated at close to $100 million. Restored public spaces have also helped attract investment, increase pedestrian activity and support new commercial and cultural enterprises, while creating opportunities for traditional crafts and conservation-related employment. More than 1,300 jobs have been added.

This work built on lessons developed through AKTC's longstanding partnership in Stone Town, Zanzibar, another UNESCO-listed port city whose character was shaped by centuries of maritime trade and cultural exchange. In Zanzibar, the restoration of historic buildings was accompanied by wider conservation planning for the old town and its seafront precinct, recognising that public spaces are as important to urban life as individual monuments.

George Town's North Seafront programme followed a similar logic, treating the waterfront as a connected civic landscape. In both cases, conservation became a tool for protecting heritage, enhancing public life and guiding future urban development.

The environmental dimension of the project in George Town was equally important. Across the North Seafront, interventions ranging from extensive tree planting and sustainable drainage systems to permeable surfaces and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings were designed to improve resilience to a changing climate.

The reinstated moat itself, holding about 3,500 cubic meters of water, contributes by cooling the surrounding area, supporting biodiversity – where, Siravo notes, they’ve seen “insects, reptiles, water tortoises and seabirds happy in the centre of the city” – and filtering water through planted bio-retention channels.

The measures introduced across the North Seafront demonstrate how heritage conservation and climate resilience, like conservation and development, can reinforce one another. More broadly, the project draws on qualities that historic cities often possess inherently: the ability to moderate urban microclimates through compact urban blocks, shaded public spaces and carefully proportioned streets; to respond passively to climatic conditions through thermal mass, breathable materials and natural ventilation; to reduce carbon emissions through the conservation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings; and to promote walkable neighbourhoods that lessen dependence on private vehicles.

The revival of Fort Cornwallis and the surrounding area represents an affirmation of the site's continuing significance in the multicultural and pluralistic life of George Town. No longer viewed simply as an isolated historic monument, the fort is emerging as the cultural heart of the North Seafront and one of the city's most important public spaces – where, in reconnecting the monument to the waterfront, to local communities and to the wider civic life of the city, the project demonstrates how conservation can honour the past while creating new opportunities for the future.


By Ellen Agnew