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Kraftangan Garden

Tropical Garden in Kuala Lumpur

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StraitsIndie
Apr 26, 2026
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The garden at the The National Craft Center in Kuala Lumpur or Kompleks Budaya Kraf on 63 Conlay Street is a lush tropical setting for small studios for artisans who work there and sell their goods. The complex also houses the main craft museum and two large gift stores.

The garden with its ochre painted walls and border edge trim, mossy teracotta and river stone hardscapes accented with wooden timbers, many still with bark detail, works beautifully with planting of lush green ferns, palms and other large tropical shrubs offering a variety of leaf shapes.

Gnarly tree roots, stands of different shaped bamboos, carved wood trim on the buildings, patterned terracotta planters and some well placed water features all add up to a sophisticated mix of visual textures to the design.

The colour palette choices of warm ochres and terracottas, with natural old wood, river stones and fresh leaf and mossy greens make for a very pleasing design. The mustard yellows of bamboo culms and ripened coconuts add even more resonance to the palette.

There had been some news of the centre potentially being moved so I wanted to document the gardens as a great example of a well designed tropical public garden space with an interesting colour vibe for future reference.

For paid subscribers, below the paywall: you can download these extra resources, which you can use for your own projects.

  • Photo Album of all images in pdf form

  • Colour Palette based on the images with colour #

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