This is how the Malaysian embassy looks like from country to country!

Dotted across the world, our foreign ministry has set up over 60 embassies so far for diplomatic missions and relations.

Some would assume that if you were to put little, pop-up nuclei on other lands, it should be distinctly Malaysian if only to accurately as possible flash our rich culture to the rest of the world. Maybe have it boast elements of the vernacular Malay house, or even the elegance of the eighteenth century shophouse?

In reality however, these buildings are one-of-a-kind structures and no two are the same!

Malaysian embassies outside the country exhibit architectural diplomacy — their designs are largely contextual, taking into account their location as well as the history and culture of their host countries.

For example, the High Commission of Malaysia in New Zealand comes in a shade of dark oak, complete with gabble roofs — an homage to the community structures established by the nation’s indigenous folk.

Elsewhere, brutalist architecture dominates in the North Korean edition, while French colonial charm is abundant over in Vietnam.

Some of these embassies attain architectural diplomacy by fusing both country’s cultures.

Take the Embassy of Malaysia in Washington DC for example, in which both local and Western influences shine through its Anglo-Straits look.

The roof — built according to the traditional bumbung limas structure — is in contrast with its neoclassical facade, which defines Washington’s iconic buildings such as the White House and the US Capitol Building.

If you ever get lost or find yourself in serious trouble in almost any city in the world, know that these buildings are your safe havens. And if you have trouble spotting them, take note: the Jalur Gemilang and our national emblem should be on proud display.

Lastly, if you’ve ever been to any of these, make sure to drop a comment and share us your experience! We’ll leave you with some pictures in the meantime.

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Information and pictures sourced from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website!