PUTERI HARBOUR

Puteri Harbour is a 278-hectare Port city in the Iskandar Puteri district of Johor, Malaysia. It is composed of high-end hotels, residential, institutional and commercial developments, all lined up along the marina, which is renowned for its "Five-gold anchor" classification. Puteri Harbour Boulevard is the city’s main axis that connects the residential and commercial developments to the rest of this dynamic city.

In 2020, the city's development had completed almost 70% of its Master Plan program, resulting in a significant increase of its inhabitants and of the users of its public spaces. In response to this situation, a program has been implemented to create pedestrian-friendly environments, and as part of this program, Puteri Harbour Boulevard was transformed to include pedestrian zones 4 to 8 meters wide on both sides of the roadway, as well as plazas and shelters.

The general design of Puteri Harbour Boulevard was inspired by the interlaced threads of a weaving pattern. Thus, three conceptual threads are interwoven to form the complete network of the boulevard’s pedestrian zones. These interlacing threads create a subtle interface throughout the entire city. The first thread is vegetated and is comprised of trees selected for their generous canopy. Local species such as Peltophorum pterocarpum have been chosen over exotic species. This green thread brings nature to the city and offers an ever changing outlook on the cityscape. It furthermore takes part in building the city’s green network. On the other hand, the second thread is strongly connected to the boulevard as it is a circulation path. This walkway is not covered and is alongside the vegetated thread. It has been designed to host a variety of activities such as community bazaars and festivals as it is wide and spacious. Finally, the third or arcade thread is a covered passageway running before shops and buildings. This thread is the link between the street and the waterfront buildings. It is designed to provide shade and shelter from the tropical heat.

The weaving pattern concept of the project was conceived after the “Kelarai Jari Kedidi”, a motif of the local seafaring tribe and the Tringa bird footprints. Tringa birds are common in the area. Their tracks can be seen along the shores of Puteri Harbour where they form intricate interlaced patterns.