cultural heritage in malaysian architecture

Cultural Heritage in Malaysia

Zone D (JRL): Federal House, National Remembrance Museum/Textile Museum, Selangor Royal Club

FOUNDATION OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

AED 0644 INTRODUCTION TO BUILT ENVIRONMENTSECTION 201

LECTURER: MOHD. FARID BIN JAAFAR SIDEK

150195 ADRINA SOFEA BINTI MASRI150606 ALLIANA AQQILA AFFZAN BT NAZARUDDIN150550 AISYAH BINTI JAMALLUDIN15 NUR AMALIN RAYHAN BT AZMAN154294 NURUL BATRISYIA BINTI BAHRIM154504 PUTERI INTAN NURSABRINA BADRUL MAJIDI15 WAN NURIN AMEYRAH KHAYRIN

CONTENTS

NO. CONTENTS PAGE

1

FEDERAL HOUSE

1.1 Building History

1.2 Historical Essence

1.3 Architectural and Landscape Style

2

NATIONAL REMEMBRANCE HOUSE/TEXTILE MUSEUM




3

SELANGOR ROYAL CLUB




FEDERAL HOUSE

BUILDING HISTORY

HISTORICAL ESSENCE

ARCHITECTURAL AND LANDSCAPE STYLE

NATIONAL REMEMBRANCE

HOUSE/TEXTILE MUSEUM

BUILDING HISTORY

This building was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback in an indo-Saracenic Revival

Architecture, the construction of the building began in 1904 and was originally completed

in May 1905 into house the headquarters for the Federated Malay States Railways planned

by C.E Spooner, the Director of PWD and also General Manager of F.M Railway from 1901-

1909 with the help of Ang Sing, a local contractor with the cost of RM 16,122.00 . in January

2010, the National Textiles Museum has changed it function to house a unique collection of

clothing, accessories, and textiles. It showcases a collection of rare and exquisite textiles of

the multi-ethnic communities of Malaysia. The museum has four main galleries: Pohon

Budi Gallery, Teluk Berantai Gallery, Pelangi Gallery, and the Ratna Sari Gallery.

HISTORICAL ESSENCE

Its name and functions has changed several times since its establishment. After the

Federated Malay States Railways was moved to Railway Administration Building in 1917,

the building was handed to the Selangor Public Works department and has subsequently

housed various government and commercial occupants including the Selangor Water

Department, the Malaysian Central Bank , Agricultural Bank of Malaysia, Malaysian Craft

and the High Court, before being use as the National Textile Museum and opened to the

public on 9 January 2010. It was reported that this land was a brick kilns owned by the

Captain China, Towkey Yap Ah Loy before year 1886 where they used to make excellent

blue bricks but in 1886, this land the Selangor Government Railway also was used as a

warehouse and the first roofed railway station ever built in Selangor which was known as

Good Yard Station. It was gazette as the historical building in 1983.


The museum building is a 2.5-floor building, occupying an area of 3,145.3m2.National

Textile Museum is located beside of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building that looks equally

majestic because both of the building was designed by the same person. This beautiful

building was refurbished in 2007 and was gazette as one of the 50 National Heritages by

the National Heritage Department, under the National Heritage Act 2005.

This heritage building wears the distinctive red and white banding resulting from the

alternating fair-faced bricks with plastered ones, the style also seen in other buildings that

was designed by A.B Hubback.

The façade featuring ogee arches and horse-shoe arches continues the Islamic and Moghul

style of the adjacent government buildings such as Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the

old General Post Office.

The main entrance of the textile museum comprises two pilasters topped by chartis (the

raised onion-shaped domes imitate from Moghul architecture of India that can also be

found on Taj Mahal Building.

On each corner of the building are octagonal towers topped by the concrete dome

surrounded by the smaller ones. The artistic, aesthetic value, beauty for this purpose and

influenced skyline of this building create the sense of harmony, elegant and greatness

which came from the monumental effect of each detail of façade treatment.

There is not much softscape can be found at the building’s surrounding and the hardscape

is the road beside the building.

In our opinion, heritage building should have more hardscape and softscape to attract

people’s interest to visit this heritage building so that this building can be a sustainable

building that has the acknowledgement of the whole nation. This should be conserved for

the future generation because this building is a part of history of this country and history

should not be forgotten and should be pass to the next generation. The future generation

should know the reason how Malaysia have been a great country which is to know the

history of this country. So, if this building has not been conserved, some part of this nation’s

history will be gone and empty that can demoralize the people of Malaysia of the future

generation that can lead to destruction of Malaysia and the history of British colonization

will be repeated.

SELANGOR ROYAL CLUB

BUILDING HISTORY

The Royal Selangor Club (Malay: Kelab Di-Raja Selangor) is a social club in Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia, founded in 1884 by the British who ruled Malaya. The club is situated next to the

Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square, padang (field), and is accessible from Jalan Raja

(Raja Road). Royal Selangor Club, founded in 1884, started out as a tiny wooden building

with an "attap" roof. It was later redesigned in the Tudor style. The Main Club house, fondly

known as "The Spotted Dog", was located at the "Padang", now known as Dataran Merdeka

in Kuala Lumpur, where cricket matches and other sports events were once held.

HISTORICAL ESSENCE

While the club is more than 100 years old, much of its early records were lost during the

three-year Japanese occupation of Malaya from 1942 to 1945, and the 1970 fire that

damaged the club. The club was founded as the Selangor Club in 1884 as a meeting point

for educated and high-ranking members of British colonial society. Nevertheless,

membership to the club is primarily determined by high educational and social standards,

rather than race or citizenship. The club was nicknamed "The Spotted Dog" as two

Dalmatians belonging to the wife of one of the club founders were left to guard the

entrance of the club whenever they visited the club. The club is also simply referred to as

"The Dog".

Over the years, the club's membership increased and had also begun to include high-

ranking Malaysian civil servants: judges, lawyers and important people in society. The

club's proximity to the old High Courts at the other side of Dataran Merdeka has also made

the club a suitable meeting place for the legal fraternity.

The Royal Selangor Club was not spared from frequent flooding in Kuala Lumpur. Between

the start of the 1910s and 1930s, the club was recorded to be hit by floods in 1911, 1917,

December 1925 and December 1926.

On 20 December, 1970, the main section of the club was razed in a fire which was believed

to have started from its kitchen at around 10.30 p.m. and was contained within an hour by

50 firefighters (including 20 who were off-duty). Property damage from the fire was

estimated to cost more than RM$1.5 million, but there were no casualties. Shortly after,

another flood struck Kuala Lumpur and the club premises three days after the start of

1971.

After the fire, plans were made by the club to rebuild what was damaged. Proposals were

made on a new wing and submitted to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall in 1972. However, City

Hall was suggesting the construction of a civic centre over the site of the club's field and

club. The initial response by the club was to search for a new site in the surrounding area

(including Jalan Duta, an area near the Houses of Parliament, an area near a polo club in

Ampang, and Damansara) with little success. Discussions were eventually made with City

Hall to agree on the club's rebuilding. As a result, plans for a civic centre in the area were

abandoned, and City Hall granted the reconstruction of the club's new building in July

1978. The new wing, which was built in a similar Mock Tudor style as the rest of the club

building, was constructed between 5 November 1978 to December 1980 at a cost of RM$6

million.


The organisation was initially based in a small wooden building with an attap roof at near

the north eastern corner of the padang, which was replaced by a two-storey structure in

1890 on the west side of the padang, the present site of the club, and designed by A.C.A.

Norman, a Government Architect. The building was later redesigned by architect Arthur

Benison Hubback (who was notably credited for the design of the Kuala Lumpur Railway

Station) and rebuilt in 1910, with two additional wings on either side of the main building

and a Mock Tudor styling.

An obvious feature of the Tudor style in this building is the steep gabled roof (see Picture

3.1).

Picture 3.1

This building also uses half-timbering for its roofs and walls. Half-timbering refers to a

structure with a frame of load-bearing timber, creating spaces between the timbers called

panels or in German Fächer, which are then filled-in with some kind of non-structural

material known as infill. The frame is often left exposed on the exterior of the building.

Since the building got caught in fire in 1970, the timber for the walls was then replaced by

concrete (see Picture 3.2).

Picture 3.2

In the north wing of the building, another characteristic of the Tudor Revival architectural

style is the position of windows. The windows are grouped in rows and placed

symmetrically in the main gable (see Picture 3.3).

Picture 3.3

Aside from that, coloured glasses are used in the central building to create contrast

between the main and other wings. Narrow slits are placed for air ventilation purpose (see

Picture 3.4)

Picture 3.4

Hardscape elements used at Selangor Royal Club are stone sculptures made from Plaster of

Paris, and flowery plants. Softscape elements like shrubs and trees can be found around the

building (see Pictures 3.5 & 3.6).

Picture 3.5 Picture 3.6

Effort has been made to accumulate support from various bodies to recognise the club as a

national heritage building and institution, due to its intertwined link with the country's

history.

The club is one of the oldest in the country, serving as a British institution, and is witness to

the first hoisting of the Malayan flag in place of the Union Jack on the night of 30 August,

1957 and declaration of independence by Tunku Abdul Rahman, signifying the country's

independence from the British. In 1984, the club was awarded a royal status under the

patronage of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, who has voiced his

support for the club's preservation during its 100th anniversary celebration, stating that

"This institution should remain forever."

It is clear that this building is an important part of the nation’s history and thus, efforts to

conserve it should remain constant. In our opinion, the club’s authority should have left

some parts of the building accessible to the public so that those who wish to learn more

about the country would have the chance to do so by visiting the said building.

cultural heritage in malaysian architecture

Documents

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heritage building

building history2

building history3

building history1

floor building

beautiful building

national textiles museum