In the 1500s Islam was introduced to the region and this created the building of mosques and other religious buildings. During this same time though trade continued to dominate the region from the city of Malacca so the Indian, Chinese, Arab, and other outside influences continued to dominate the region. The greatest impact the arrival of Islam had on the architecture came in what types of buildings were being constructed, such as mosques, not in style.
At about this same time numerous Europeans arrived to the region, bringing with them new architectural techniques, including nails, glass, and concrete. These Europeans used these materials to build numerous structures, including the A Famosa Fort in Malacca and the Dutch Stadthuys.
In the 1900s the Malaysians began to build more and more modern buildings with these new materials and today has become one of the world's leaders in modern architecture as the capital city of Kuala Lumpur is home to the Petronas Twin Towers, one of the world's most impressive modern buildings.