Sentul Depot: From trainyard to arts showcase

The Sun Daily, September 14, 2018

By Azizul Rahman Ismail

THIS weekend, Riuh, in partnership with Grab, will reveal the results of its efforts to transform two warehouses of the 113-year-old Sentul Depot into a gathering space for Malaysian entrepreneurs, artisans, and creatives.

The special Riuh x Grab Malaysia Day Weekend, which will take place on Sep 15 to 16 in conjunction with Malaysia day promises a spread of genuinely local talents and products.

Setul Depot is located in Sentul West, near the iconic Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac).

Now, the picturesque depot is owned by YTL Land & Development Bhd, who agreed with the idea to turn the trainyard into an art platform.

Although YTL Land provided the space, Riuh was entirely responsible for transforming Sentul Depot for this event.

Two areas, the main train warehouse and the smaller secondary warehouse, will be opened to the public during the Riuh x Grab Malaysia Day Weekend.

Riuh has been hosting Malaysian talents at its monthly event at APW Bangsar since August 2017. Within one year, it has held 14 events with over 25 creative entrepreneurs, conducted over 28 creative workshops, and showcased over 50 musicians, visual artists, and performing artists.

According to Riuh's Chief Operating Officer, Melissa Low, visitors to the event this weekend can rest assured that everything showcased is of Malaysian origin, and is Malaysian-made. This stance is in line with Malaysia Day celebrations, and the theme of the event.

The location helps Riuh to grow and solve one of its major issues, parking. Nevertheless, it is still uncertain if Riuh will make the trainyard its new home.

According to Riuh representatives, there are three parking locations in Sentul West. However, visitors will have to walk to the depot if they have parked further away.

For Grab, which is co-hosting the event, it is an opportunity to push and promote GrabPay.

Visitors can not only make purchases at a discount if they pay using GrabPay, but they can also get RM8 off of two Grab rides to and from Sentul Depot, using the promotion code RIUHXGRAB. This code only works if they use GrabPay Credits.