ASEF Culture360 | Connecting Asia and Europe through arts and culture


Resources > Palace of Culture

posted on

28 Jun 2011

Palace of Culture

The Istana Budaya or The Palace of Culture (1999) is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concert and opera from local and international performances.

Istana Budaya is aimed to raise the standard of the performing arts, to develop artistic excellence in theatre, to popularise high quality theatre productions, and to develop a higher sense of artistic appreciation. This prominent landmark is on the top ten list of most sophisticated theatres in the world, as it is built with state-of-the-art stage equipment and a theatre's floor area of 21,000 m² as part of the 54,400 m² cultural complex. The building represents the country and its culture in many ways. The traditional Malay house is reflected in the overall design of the building, whose roof resembles a traditional floral and leaf arrangement. Istana Budaya is also the residence of the National Theatre Company and the National Symphony Orchestra.