JANUARY 18 — As 2026 begins, Malaysia readies itself for a grand arrival. In conjunction with Visit Malaysia 2026 (Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2026), millions of visitors will get their first impressions of the country at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), where architecture, culture and nature set the tone for the journey ahead. 

More than a transport hub, KLIA is Malaysia’s opening statement to the world.

Opened in 1998, the airport was envisioned during a period of national transformation under then-Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad. 

It was designed by the late Japanese architect Dr Kisho Kurokawa, one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. 

Guided by his philosophy of symbiosis – the co-existence of nature, culture and technology – Kurokawa envisioned KLIA as an “airport in the tropics,” one that embraces Malaysia’s climate and cultural identity rather than resisting them.

This philosophy is most evident in KLIA’s distinctive concept of an airport-in-the-forest, a forest-in-the-airport. 

The symbiosis between forest and airport extends well beyond the man-made forest surrounding the site. While a miniature tropical rainforest was recreated on the airport grounds – between the main terminal building and the contact pier – a central garden flourishes within the satellite building. 

For many visitors, this is their first encounter with Malaysia’s breathtaking natural heritage -- from the world’s oldest rainforests to its richest marine ecosystems. 

Here, architecture becomes an introduction to the nation’s abundant ecological wealth.

Looking upward, the building keeps whispering its stories. The modular roof structure, engineered as elegant hyperbolic shells, subtly echoes the geometry of Islamic domes. 

Cultural references here are expressed through abstraction rather than ornamentation, blending modern engineering with Islamic symbolism. 

Elements of traditional Malaysian housing and kampung-style rooflines throughout the building further anchor the airport in local identity, creating an architecture that is contemporary, dignified and distinctly Malaysian.

Equally significant is how the airport functions. Movement through the terminal is intuitive. 

Long sightlines guide passengers seamlessly from arrival to immigration, to baggage claim, and finally to the waiting city beyond. 

In contrast to the often-overwhelming atmosphere of major international airports, KLIA offers calm and clarity – an architectural expression of Malaysian hospitality.

Nearly three decades on, KLIA stands as a rare piece of infrastructure, one that resists the tyranny of speed and invites the traveller to pause. 

Kurokawa’s theory of co-existence feels ever more prophetic as questions of sustainability and cultural identity moved to the forefront of global debate. 

Within its light-filled halls and forested interiors, architecture turns reflective, becoming a vessel for meanings. 

Here, architecture tells the story of a nation that lives in symbiosis with nature, carries its traditions forward, embraces modernity, and is open to the world it welcomes.

As Visit Malaysia 2026 approaches, KLIA is not merely a gateway. It takes on a role beyond that of a transport hub. 

It becomes a cultural ambassador, shaping first impressions before visitors explore Malaysia’s food, languages, heritage towns and coastlines. It is where the journey truly begins. 

For countless travellers, KLIA will offer Malaysia’s first moment – softly whispering: You are here.

* Zuraini Md Ali is an associate professor at the Department of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya and may be reached at zuraini_mdali@um.edu.my while Michael Patrice Sebastien Gibert is an assistant professor at the School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering, Technology & Built Environment, UCSI University and may be reached at MichaelPatrice@ucsiuniversity.edu.my.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.