KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — George Town’s 122-year-old landmark, Chowrasta Market, will finally be given a multi-million ringgit facelift under the watchful eyes of award-winning architect Laurence Loh.

The architect has won numerous awards for his conservation and preservation of built heritage, most famously the restoration of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and the Khoo Kongsi in the city that was gazetted a World Heritage Site in 2008.

He has also worked on restoring independence icon, Stadium Merdeka here.

Chowrasta, which means “Four Cross Roads” in Urdu, got its name from its strategic location at the meeting of George Town’s four main thoroughfares — Jalan Penang, Lebuh Tamil, Jalan Kuala Kangsar and Jalan Chowrasta.

Built in 1890, the market is still a shopping hub for many Penang residents and tourists despite being overrun by rats and housing the city’s homeless.

Locals frequent the three-storey building and its surrounding streets daily for fresh produce, snacks and goods as far north as Thailand, and second-hand books, many of which are rare, out-of-copy prints.

The state government will be calling an open tender for the project, which is estimated to cost between RM10 million and RM12 million, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today.

He said, “Because Chowrasta Market is a part of the state’s heritage buildings, the upgrading works will be implemented under the heritage project to be handled by international heritage architect, Laurence Loh.”

Lim also said the overhaul was aimed at preserving and promoting the state’s built heritage while ensuring the traders could do business in a clean, green, safe and healthy environment.

Its present structure was reportedly constructed in 1961, the last time the building was given an overhaul. Prior to that, the front portion of the bazaar facing Penang Road was rebuilt in 1920.