North Seafront Programme - OUR WORK

Fort Cornwallis Reopens to the Public – Discover the Fort on 26 July 2026!

Fort Cornwallis reopens to the public on 26 July 2026, after a long hiatus of conservation work under the North Seafront Programme. Visitors are invited to a day of activities at the Fort, offering a firsthand look at the heritage site and the work that went into bringing it back to life.

Fort Cornwallis Guided Tours

Join a guided tour led by the people behind the conservation and gallery development of Fort Cornwallis. Slots are limited, click here to secure a spot.

Time slots: 9.30am and 11am

Exhibitions

Visitors can learn the history behind the walls at the new Fort Cornwallis galleries, housed in the conserved storerooms.

9am to 1pm

Walk in (open to public)

Build with Bricks

Visitors can learn about the various brick patterns found on site at the Fort, then use mini bricks to recreate these patterns themselves and take home the structure they build.

9am to 1pm

Walk in (open to public)

Young Archaeologist Programme

In collaboration with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) this programme engages children and teenagers in heritage and conservation through hands-on sessions in archaeological methods, supervised by professional archaeologists.

9am to 1pm

Walk in (open to public)

Ceritalah AR Experience

Visitors can experience an interactive AR journey around George Town via the Ceritalah app.

9am to 1pm

Walk in (open to public)

OUR WORK

ongoing

North Seafront

Programme

George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 recognised for its exceptional multicultural trading heritage, is one of Southeast Asia's most significant historic cities.

Located on the island of Penang in northern Malaysia, it is shaped by layered history and vibrant multicultural life, where past and present meet in intricate ways. The city has since sought to balance heritage conservation with the demands of modern urban life and environmental change.

In 2014, Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), Think City and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) established a partnership to enhance the quality of the city's historic assets. The George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC) was formed to formalise the collaboration, spearheading the conservation of heritage monuments and landscapes in partnership with the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and other relevant agencies.

GTCDC's first undertaking was the George Town Strategic Master Plan, guiding long-term conservation, community renewal and city-building. It recognises that heritage is not just about preserving buildings or monuments, but about revitalising the spaces that shape civic identity and daily life. The plan rests on four principles:

A new regulatory framework aligned to World Heritage Site requirements, integrating conservation with development rather than treating these as opposing forces

Integrated planning proposals for key urban areas, encouraging public-private partnerships and a vision of heritage as opportunity

Institutional reform to improve governance, coordination and technical capacity

Active community involvement, ensuring local voices shape regeneration and heritage is understood as a shared civic resource

Alongside the Master Plan, a series of Focus Area Plans identified four zones requiring detailed planning where they were incorporated into the Special Area Plan gazetted in 2016. The North Seafront, stretching from Dewan Sri Pinang to Swettenham Pier was one of the early intervention zones planned and designed by the GTCDC. The programme aimed to reconnect Fort Cornwallis, Padang Kota Lama, Town Hall, City Hall and Dewan Sri Pinang into George Town's historic civic centre, where governance, culture, trade and everyday life have converged for more than two centuries.

Once a site of fortification, colonial governance and sea-based trade, the North Seafront had changed considerably by the early 21st century, with roads bisecting its spaces and the Fort standing apart from the city around it. The first inception master plan, approved in 2017, set a new direction, funding early work on the improvement of Padang Esplanade, restoration of historic garden and streetscape, and development of Fort Cornwallis, the Dewan Sri Pinang Conservation Management Plan, and the Esplanade seawall.

The projects that followed restored connections between land and sea and reimagined the waterfront as a place for gathering and reflection:

Improved Padang subsoil and drainage
Reconstructed seawall and public promenade
The new Linear Garden
Reinstated moat at Fort Cornwallis
New museum installations at the Fort
Restored Fountain Garden
Enhanced Lebuh Light Promenade

Project Implementations

Conservation of Fort Cornwallis

The ten vaulted storerooms along the southern interior wall of the Fort was among the earliest surviving structures within the compound, where it has been carefully conserved and repurposed as museological galleries. Guided by the Conservation Management Plan developed in 2016, the storerooms’ architectural features, including the reconstructed arched openings and traces of the 1945 Allied bombing and Japanese occupation, remain exposed and legible. Similar to the Seawall project, workers were trained on site by a master builder to ensure each intervention is reversible and adhere to conservation principles.

The gallery brings Fort Cornwallis’ history to life through archaeological discoveries, revealing the fort’s role in the founding and early development of George Town. Additionally, Open days, guided tours and hands-on archaeological excavations invited the public to experience conservation firsthand, fostering a deeper appreciation of Fort Cornwallis and its history.

Reinstatement Moat of Fort Cornwallis

The most powerful symbol of George Town’s recovery is the wet moat surrounding Fort Cornwallis which functions not only as a heritage reinstatement but as a form of climate resilient infrastructure, capturing rainwater, improving site drainage, and supporting urban biodiversity in the heart of the city. The original moat that was constructed between 1804 and 1810 was intended to protect against a possible French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1921-1922, the moat was filled following a malaria outbreak. However, this caused the Padang to experience periodic flooding that suggests a catchment and drainage buffer.

To ensure its authenticity and integrity, the moat’s reinstatement in 2023 and 2025 followed its original shape and dimensions recorded in the Kelly Maps of George Town. Only materials consistent with the original stone, brick, and hydraulic lime mortar were used, reflecting the Fort’s 19th-century construction techniques.

The moat’s return is more than historical accuracy. It restores the visual logic, symbolic form, and spatial dignity of Fort Cornwallis.

Rebuilt of Astaka Kota Selera

Astaka Kota Selera was reconstructed beside the reinstated western moat of Fort Cornwallis, allowing all 26 hawker stalls to remain while supporting Penang's living food heritage.

Designed with a porous clay-brick exterior that echoes the Fort's material character, the building's green roof also helps cool the surrounding site. In 2026, it was named Building of the Year by the Malaysian Institute of Architects.

Strengthening Seawall and Promenade

The Seawall has been transformed into a place of encounter and renewal. By the early 2000s, both the seawall and the spirit of the waterfront were deteriorating. The seawall was entirely reconstructed using marine-grade concrete reinforced with steel, designed to resist tidal forces and projected sea-level rise, while also retains the form and alignment of the original wall, preserving George Town’s historic shoreline and its visual connection to the sea. Features include terraced steps near the Cenotaph Memorial allowing visitors to descend to the sea at low tide.

The Esplanade Seawall and Promenade won local awards as well as the 2025 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for new design in heritage contexts category, a testament to the monumental effort behind it.

Meanwhile, the Linear Garden strengthens the connection between Fort Cornwallis, the Padang, and the new seafront while offering a contemplative public space that supports biodiversity and commemorative use.

Improvement of Padang Esplanade

The Padang or the Esplanade, one of the city’s most iconic and intensively used public open spaces, had long suffered from chronic waterlogging, especially after heavy rain as well as damaged turf.

Four interventions took place which consist of removing of the permanent stage, installation of subsoil drainage, redesign of vehicular access and utilities and improved maintenance and regulation. It served not just to solve a localised problem, but to establish a broader model for resilient, low-impact interventions in public spaces within the heritage zone.

Restoration of Koh Seang Tat Fountain Garden

Adjacent to the Penang Town Hall, the Koh Seang Tat Fountain Garden was restored which marked Malaysia’s first formal historic garden restoration, carried out in accordance with the Florence Charter of 1981, a key conservation document developed by ICOMOS and adopted by UNESCO.

The restoration was guided by 1880s maps and photographs, including the Kelly Maps, which revealed the Garden’s original symmetrical layout inspired by Renaissance principles. The garden serves as a key node between Dewan Sri Pinang, Fort Cornwallis, and the seafront promenade.

Improvement of Lebuh Light Streetscape

George Town’s oldest road, the Lebuh Light Promenade has been linking key civic landmarks such as the Penang Town Hall, City Hall, and the High Court since 1786.

The reinstatement of this civic corridor includes wide, accessible pedestrian paths and green buffers between the roadway and the Padang, while respecting the integrity of the historic setting.

Reinstated Moat of Fort Cornwallis

Before

After

Conservation of Fort Cornwallis

Before

After

Rebuilt of Astaka Kota Selera

Before

After

Improvement of Padang Subsoil and Drainage System

Before

After

Strengthening of Seawall and Promenade Improvement

Before

After

Restoration of Fountain (Historic) Garden

Before

After

Lebuh Light Sidewalk Improvement

Before

After

Featured Publication

Reclaiming George Town’s Civic Centre

This report contains the survey results for Think City’s first Business Community Pulse Check. It was conducted in August 2020 in the downtown areas of Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and George Town.

download pdf

Implementing Partners

OTHER projects

George Town Transformation Programme

The George Town Transformation Programme’s key objective was to create a collective vision for a sustainable and ‘liveable’ George Town within the Northern Corridor.

CBED;#ccf2e8|Urban Solutions;#ccf2e8

K2K

Levelling Up Seberang Perai

This Programme consists of 3 components aimed at levelling up and unlocking new opportunities for Seberang Perai to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.

CBED;#ccf2e8|Environment & Social;#ccf2e8|S & A;#ccf2e8|Urban Solutions;#ccf2e8

K2K

Laneway Improvement

The Laneways Improvement Programme transforms neglected urban spaces into vibrant hubs in Downtown KL, addressing safety, hygiene, and connectivity.

Urban Solutions;#ccf2e8

K2K

Urban Redevelopment Framework for Transit-Oriented Developments

Think City explores a potential transit facility site and its surroundings to recognise opportunities.

S & A;#ccf2e8|Urban Solutions;#ccf2e8

K2K

Penang Nature-based Climate Adaptation Programme

The PNBCAP incorporates a diverse set of components addressing both the environmental and social dimensions of climate change in Penang’s urban fabric.

Environment & Social;#ccf2e8

K2K

Jalan Segget Facade Programme

Jalan Segget is named after the adjacent Sungai Segget. The row of shophouses along the roadside was built in 1940.

Environment & Social;#ccf2e8|S & A;#ccf2e8|Urban Solutions;#ccf2e8

K2K

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