Datum KL | Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival 2011

For 25 days in July, the Datum: KL architecture and design festival 2011 will offer a variety of content ranging from installations and exhibitions to talks, workshops, and conferences. Initiated by Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM), the Malaysian Institute of Architects, this event is modeled around other festivals such as the Venice Architecture Biennale and the London Festival of Architecture. This festival will be a celebration of design and architecture in the city of Kuala Lumpur, the ASEAN sub-region, and beyond. It is conceived to appeal to industry professionals, stakeholders, the general public, and local citizens. This year, three major themes have been chosen to serve as a framework for the event: excellence, engagement, and relevance. A large number of speakers and exhibitors from countries as varied as China, Thailand, Germany, Japan, and Indonesia will take a part in the festivities. PAM President declared that the festival is "our opportunity to build a sustaining, energetic and positive engagement with Kuala Lumpur in the public domain, and showcase of our initiatives to excite a newer and wider audience; to reinforce the notion that architecture is an essential consideration in the cultural agenda of the city".