As Malaysia is set to celebrate the nation’s 67th Independence Day — or Merdeka Day — on 31 August 2025, LUXUO spotlights the architects and designers who are shaping Malaysia’s design industry. From award-winning Malaysian architects who shape airports and cavernous residential bungalows to the creative spirit of product designers with their circular-economy-focused products, LUXUO celebrates these designers for their combined visionary skill of creating structures and products that are putting Malaysian design on the global map.
NRY Architects: Crafting Malaysia’s Architectural Identity
NRY Architects has influenced Malaysia’s built environment since its foundation in 1984. Under the direction of Dato’ Ezumi Harzani Ismail, the Kuala Lumpur-based architecture firm has established a solid reputation for creating iconic buildings that strike a balance between daring modern style and traditional Malaysian surroundings. NRY’s portfolio — which encompasses everything from opulent homes and civic areas to towering business towers — demonstrates a meticulous commitment to form, function and placemaking.
Industry peers regularly list NRY as one of Malaysia’s most significant companies. Their capacity to combine innovation with social purpose is demonstrated by their 4-storey Sekolah Agama Rakyat Taman Tasik, which won Malaysia’s top architectural honour, the PAM Gold Award. In the meantime, their proficiency in high-performance urban architecture is evident in commercial projects such as Menara Hap Seng 3. According to Architectural Digest Southeast Asia, “NRY’s work carries an assured clarity — whether in the thoughtful interplay of light and space in their cultural projects or the rhythmic façades of their towers.”
Projects like the GBI-certified Menara KEN demonstrate the firm’s strict environmental philosophy, which goes beyond aesthetics. After forty years, NRY’s design intelligence — rather than ephemeral trends — continues to dominate Malaysian architecture.
WHBC Architects: Malaysia’s Rising Design Force
WHBC Architects — a group that combines youthful vitality with technical precision — is emerging as a practice to watch in Malaysia’s architectural landscape. The Kuala Lumpur-based studio was established in 2016 and has rapidly established itself with a portfolio that includes innovative commercial buildings, well-considered residential projects and adaptive reuse initiatives.
Industry watchers have noticed. The six-storey mixed-use building in Damansara Heights — designed by WHBC — was selected for the 2023 Design Awards by the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), which praised its “clever spatial economy and contextual sensitivity.”
Directors Wong, Heng, Boon and Chin individually oversee projects, making sure every scheme represents their high standards. This hands-on approach is what distinguishes WHBC. An ambitious future is suggested by ongoing projects, such as a tech startup’s low-carbon headquarters. As recently said by Architecture Malaysia: “This is a firm that understands scale, materiality and — crucially — how buildings live in their surroundings.” WHBC is subtly redefining what it means to be a next-generation Malaysian practice with a pipeline of culturally complex projects.
Big Hand Creation
Big Hand Creation is an innovative giving and product design company founded by Eric Tiau, a Malaysian industrial designer. To provide emotionally impactful giving solutions that combine narrative, beauty and intentional branding, it has collaborated with over 100 Malaysian and international firms.
For Emerge @ FIND 2025 in Singapore, Tiau has devised the “Bēori” lamps designed for modern homes. The luminaire allows for easy personalisation with its modular snap-fit components. It is made with environmentally friendly PLA plastic and patented Beyon Rubber, which is made from recycled nitrile gloves. It is a prime example of circular design. The Bēori lamp promotes attentive living and is an item that is focused on the user.
Evelyn Kwong
Malaysian designer and researcher Evelyn Kwong — based in Berlin — explores craft-based technologies by linking them to the history of material knowledge, the environment and associated narratives. International exhibitions of her work have included Dutch Design Week, the Museum of European Cultures, Schloss Hollenegg for Design and the Museum of Decorative Arts Dresden.
Kwong’s eye-catching tray is a combination of handicraft and machine accuracy. It reimagines the triaxial weaving that is common throughout Southeast Asia. Traditionally, the pattern is made of stiff materials — such as bamboo — but Ebb and Flow uses fabric paper. Scalloped stitches, machine-sewn, contribute to the structure’s establishment and provide decorative accents. Her product makes its debut at EMERGE @ FIND 2025 in Singapore.
Tan Wei Ming
Tan Wei Ming — a designer from Kuala Lumpur — founded Aureole Design, which emphasises craftsmanship, particularly in terms of materiality and production methods. Tan also utilises her background as a graphic designer to produce works that are based on geometry and simplicity, bringing new ideas for form, proportion and balance to life. Malaysia is one of the world’s largest producers of rubber gloves.
The Fold pendant light is made from flawed gloves taken from rubber factories. Image: Tan Wei Ming. (left)
The unique Fold light offers a bendable, sinuous aesthetic. Image: Tan Wei Ming. (right)
The country has easy access to an ample supply of such faulty goods derived from the manufacturing process. For her debut at EMERGE @ FIND 2025 in Singapore, Aureole Design reimagines these flawed gloves into new uses, shapes and design expressions with the “Fold” lighting series. These alluring, illuminating objects are simultaneously sculptural and graphic, all thanks to simple folds of flat rubber sheets in various colour combinations.
Studio Kanta
With a discerning eye for contemporary elegance, Adrien Kent of Studio Kanta has firmly established himself as a leading voice in Malaysia’s interior design scene. His work — celebrated in international design publications — demonstrates a profound expertise that extends beyond mere aesthetics to encompass a deep understanding of spatial harmony and architectural integrity.
Adrien Kent designed the spaces within this sleek and modern 9,900-sq-ft Sunway Palazzio penthouse for the homeowner’s urban living. Image: Studio Kanta. (left)
Plenty of light floods the spacious apartment. Image: Studio Kanta. (right)
This knowledge — honed over years of practice within the Malaysian market — allows him to navigate the unique challenges and opportunities of creating luxury residences in the region, from sourcing exceptional local artisans to composing with the lush tropical light. Kent’s approach is deeply client-centric, treating each brief not as a set of instructions but as a creative dialogue. He is renowned for his ability to interpret a client’s vision and elevate it, crafting environments that are both profoundly personal and effortlessly sophisticated.
This skill is perfectly illustrated in his work on a remarkable three-storey penthouse in Kuala Lumpur. There, he masterfully balanced a minimalist, neutral palette with rich textural layers and curated artisanal pieces — all while framing breathtaking city views as the home’s centrepiece. The resulting space is a testament to his philosophy: that true luxury lies in a serene, uncluttered atmosphere tailored for modern living, proving his exceptional talent for translating a client’s aspiration into a tangible — and utterly timeless — reality.
Raymond Lee
With over three decades at the pinnacle of Malaysia’s interior design industry, Raymond Lee of Design Network Architects brings a masterful confidence to his projects. His expert hand in crafting this luxurious four-storey penthouse for The St. Regis Residence in Kuala Lumpur is a testament to his profound understanding of both his craft and his clientele. Lee’s seniority affords him an unrivalled knowledge of the market, enabling him to source exceptional materials and push the envelope with a bold, contemporary vision.
The brief called for a “modern luxe” aesthetic, a concept Lee interprets with impeccable sophistication. He understands that true luxury lies in the details: the rich veining of the statuario marble, the warm glow of custom bronze metalwork and the disciplined restraint of a monochromatic palette. Rather than following trends, his designs are informed by a deep-seated expertise that knows how to balance grandeur with liveability. Each space — from the double-volume living area to the serene master suite — is meticulously curated to reflect a lifestyle of refined elegance. Lee’s work demonstrates that he has an intuitive ability to translate a client’s aspiration into a tangible and utterly breathtaking reality.
Blaine Robert
With a distinguished career that has shaped Malaysia’s luxury interior design landscape for over two decades, Canadian-born Blaine Robert’s work is synonymous with sophisticated, lived-in elegance. His seniority within the industry is not merely a measure of time, but a depth of acquired knowledge that grants him an insider’s mastery of artisans, materials and architectural nuances unique to the region. This expertise is the bedrock of his practice, allowing him to navigate complex projects — from expansive bungalows to refined urban apartments — with assured precision.
Robert’s philosophy centres on a profoundly collaborative approach, believing the most successful interiors are a seamless extension of the client themselves. He possesses a rare talent for interpreting a brief, not just executing it — weaving a narrative that balances his signature aesthetic of relaxed luxury with his clients’ personal stories and practical needs. His portfolios reveal an artful command of texture, light and scale, employing a palette of natural stone, rich timber and curated objets d’art to create environments that feel both timeless and intimately personal. For a clientele that seeks a truly bespoke creation, Blaine Robert’s seasoned hand delivers spaces that are not just designed but deeply understood.
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