The European Villa with a Special Reference to the Historical Mansions in the City of Georgetown Penang, Malaysia

The study investigates the quintessential design characteristics of the European villa design and its influence on elite villas in the city of George Town, Penang. Analysis of the design elements in these case studies was meticulously undertaken to draw intertwining correlations between the basic elements of culture, constructional design practice and the local mansions erected. The outcome of the study underlines the profound influence of the European villa styles and the neoclassical elements in projecting the subtle portrayal of Western democracy and high-profile socioeconomic status of British colonial governance in a part of the Malay Peninsula. Each of the case studies selected from three colonial mansions in George Town comprises more than 70 percent of neoclassical architectural elements. Imported employment of that ramifiled style generated colonial hybrids springing from the mixture of architectural influences introduced by the British colonialists and the locals. Evidence of the embodiment of local climatic considerations impacting on the architectural elements of the local villas is evident and discussed.