Front Facades and Uses of Traditional Shophouses in Malacca World Heritage Site

Conservation is the procedure of controlling the changes to a place in its traditional condition by using the ways that will best maintain its heritage values while understanding its potentials for current and future generations. In addition, historical buildings and their surrounding heritage sites are increasingly known as one of the strong urban aspects for many developed countries. Improving the preservation of historical buildings is not only important for conserving their historical characteristics but also for its livability and comprehensiveness. Malacca is chosen for the case study which is the conservation area listed as UNESCO world heritage site. It is also defined by historic Malacca City Council as the main conservation zone. General understanding of them and the most appropriate ways for their conservation. The relationship between activities in the shophouses and the changes on the façade is the underpinning factor of this study. The study is aimed at evoking the changes on façade of traditional shophouses in Malacca.