Wang Yi Fang

YOUTHBEAT HUB : Klang Youth Cultural Empowerment Center.

“YouthBeat Hub" is designed to capture the essence of a vibrant and dynamic space in Klang that resonates with the energy and pulse of Klang’s youth. The concept began as a unique response to the urban environment that surrounded the site. The challenge was to create a node that captured the energy of the busy urban area and connected the tranquil area to the recreational area.

The first step was the creation of a void that opened out towards the Royal Gallery and the Stadium Sultan Sulaiman. The void created by this gesture forms the atrium, embracing the outside environment as if with ‘outstretched arms’. The tropical almond tree is the genius loci and the heart of the site, symbolizing vitality and life. This becomes a focal point for the youth community to gather, collaborate, and engage in various activities related to music, empowerment, and cultural expression. The atrium acts as the main circulation zone of the building, connecting to different levels of functional spaces. The airy atmosphere of the atrium invites the youth and visitors into the inner space using natural lighting, finding its way through the up, down, back, and forth movements of the building masses. Internally it is light and airy, while the external fabric (wavy double vertical timber facade) texturally enriches the urban and sophisticatedly responds to the surrounding environment. The spaces created allow interaction and collaboration among youth and communities to be achieved.