Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios Building, Malaysia Architecture Images, Architects

Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios

Contemporary Malaysian Film Complex Development by Web Structures

8 Dec 2010

Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios Complex

International engineer appointed to Pinewood Shepperton’s $150m studio project

The film studio that helped create the Harry Potter and James Bond blockbusters has appointed international design engineers to a US $150million state-of-the-art film and television production facility project in Malaysia.

The 32-hectare Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios complex is being built in Iskandar, a fast-growing economic development region in the south of the country.

images : Web Structures

Cinema giant Pinewood Shepperton has partnered with Khazanah Nasional Bhd, the investment holding arm of the Malaysian government to appoint Web Structures to the project.

The integrated film and television studio complex is set to be opened by early 2013, creating 3,000 jobs as Pinewood Shepperton grows its global brand.

The Web Structures team is working to create the giant studio buildings, with their 50 metre column-free spans.

Web Structures international expertise is also being sought to ensure the buildings are free of ground vibrations that could affect filming for the big screen or television by causing camera shake.

The original iconic Pinewood studio, west of London, houses film stages, post production theatres, large digital television studios, an underwater filming stage, and location filming as well as a studio village with a wealth of specialist media and production support companies.

Dr Hossein Rezai-Jorabi, Web Structures group director, said: “This is a high-profile project which promises to deliver so much for the economy of Malaysia.

“We are currently involved in detailed design work, meeting the challenges of creating buildings designed to be the best possible for cinema and television filming.

“That means creating large, column free spaces and also ensuring that the buildings are not affected by ground movement, which could cause camera shake.”

The project highlights the versatility of Web Structures’ team of design engineers, who have a growing reputation for their work on some of the biggest and most challenging construction projects in all parts of the world.

The civil, structural and geotechnical engineering consultancy, which has offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London and Shanghai, is the pioneer of “Fusion Engineering” – using cost efficiencies to redefine engineering excellence through true innovation and design – enabling groundbreaking architecture to become building reality.

Web Structures is a leading engineer for cutting edge buildings in the world’s earthquake zones, such as Indonesia, especially skyscrapers.

It has engineered more than 52 residential and mixed-use skyscrapers around the world in the past 15 years, including the 50-storey high Troika in Kuala Lumpur.

The firm is also currently involved in the creation of a 50-storey development in Victory Valley in Gurgaon for Indian real-estate giant Ireo. It will be the tallest tower in Northern India.

Dr Rezai-Jorabi said: “Our knowledge helps us provide solutions which stretch the boundaries of existing work practices, it is why architects come to us with challenges like those we are now working on in Malaysia.

“Structural engineering offers dynamic and varied solutions to the challenges faced by architects and engineers.

“The design processes we have developed over the years leads to unique structural systems that are tailor-made for each and every project and are totally cost-efficient. That is the approach we are taking with the Pinewood Shepperton project.”

Web Structures works in partnership with leading international architects including Foster and Partners, UN Studio, Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF) and Conran & Partners to create iconic buildings across the world. Its team has also played a role in the Freedom Towers project in New York.

Other current projects also include a new Hilton Hotel in Mongolia; the Headquarters of Tokio Marine in Singapore and the highly-acclaimed Four Seasons resort in the Seychelles.

For more information about Web Structures and its projects across the globe log onto www.webstruc.net

Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios images / information from Web Structures

Location: Iskandar Malaysia, Malaysia, Southeast Asia