Charles Edwin Spooner (C. E. Spooner) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 22 November 1853 Hafod Tan y Craig, North Wales |
| Died | 14 May 1909 (aged 55) [1] |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Spouse | Martha Brownrigg Chartres [2] |
| Children | One son, one daughter |
Charles Edwin Spooner (1853-1909) was a British engineer who worked in Malaya. He oversaw the construction of many important buildings in Kuala Lumpur, and he reorganised and expanded the railway system in the Federated Malay States.
C. E. Spooner was born on 22 November 1853 at Hafod Tan y Craig, North Wales, the youngest son of Charles Easton Spooner. He received his education in Engineering at Trinity College, Dublin, and became the resident engineer of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways from 1874 to 1876 at the time of its construction. [3]
Spooner joined the Survey Department of Ceylon in 1876, and in the following year moved to the Ceylon Public Works Department where he stayed for 14 years. He was involved in many irrigation schemes and the construction of many important roads and other works in Ceylon.
In 1891, he was appointed State Engineer of the Selangor Public Works Department (PWD). During his time at the Selangor PWD, he had a major impact on the architectural landscape of Kuala Lumpur, as he was responsible for directing and advising the architects who designed many of the best known buildings of the city. [4] He first proposed the construction of a building that would house the offices of the colonial government (later known as Sultan Abdul Samad Building), and was responsible for the construction of many other important colonial buildings of the period. He carried out a massive building programme; other buildings constructed under his direction included the Old Post Office, Town Hall, [5] the High Court, Pudu Prison, [6] and others. He was also responsible for many large public works, such as the construction of an 83-mile trunk road into Pahang, part of which traversed the mountains at a height of 2,700 feet. [3]
In 1901, Spooner became General Manager of the Federated Malay States Railways. Under his guidance the state railway system was amalgamated, and the F.M.S Central Railways Offices in Kuala Lumpur (currently National Textile Museum) was completed. He also initiated the construction of Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. The amalgamation of the state railways was completed on 5 August 1903 by the establishment of inter-State connections. He also started the construction of the Johore State Railway, which would form the final link in the West Coast Line that connects Singapore with Penang. [3] He was awarded the CMG in 1904. [3]
Spooner died in Kuala Lumpur on 14 May 1909. [7]
Apart from his work in engineering and railways, Spooner was responsible for the creation of many buildings in Malaysia in a style of architecture that has been variously described as Indo-Saracenic, Neo-Mughal or Moorish, but which Spooner himself described as "Mahometan" (Islamic). The first building created in such a style under his instruction is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. [5] This kind of Indian-style Islamic architecture, which Spooner might have become familiar with when he was working in Ceylon, was previously not found in Malaya. Spooner however thought the style appropriate for the country. His preference then became the style for many important buildings constructed during his tenure at the PWD and FMS Railways, many of them designed by Arthur Benison Hubback. These buildings have since become an important part of the architectural heritage of Malaysia. [8]
Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and colloquially referred to as KL, is a federal territory and the capital city of Malaysia. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Asia and the largest city in Malaysia, covering an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) with a census population of 2,163,000 as of 2022. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.564 million people as of 2018. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, both in population and economic development.
Indo-Saracenic architecture was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government buildings in the British Raj, and the palaces of rulers of the princely states. It drew stylistic and decorative elements from native Indo-Islamic architecture, especially Mughal architecture, which the British regarded as the classic Indian style, and, less often, from Hindu temple architecture. The basic layout and structure of the buildings tended to be close to that used in contemporary buildings in other revivalist styles, such as Gothic revival and Neo-Classical, with specific Indian features and decoration added.
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is a late-19th century building located along Jalan Raja in front of Dataran Merdeka and the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The building originally housed the offices of the British colonial administration, and was known simply as Government Offices in its early years. In 1974, it was renamed after Sultan Abdul Samad, the reigning sultan of Selangor at the time when construction began.
Independence Square is a square located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It was formerly known as the Selangor Club Padang or simply the Padang and was used as the cricket green of the Selangor Club. It was here that the Union Flag was lowered and the Malaysian flag hoisted for the first time at midnight on 31 August 1957. Since then, the Independence Square has been the usual venue for the annual Independence Day Parade.
The Kuala Lumpur railway station is a railway station located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Construction began in 1910 and was fully completed in 1917. It replaced an older station on the same site, the station was Kuala Lumpur's railway hub in the city for the Federated Malay States Railways and its successor Keretapi Tanah Melayu, before Kuala Lumpur Sentral assumed much of its role in 2001. The station is notable for its architecture, adopting a mixture of Eastern and Western designs.
The term "British Malaya" loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. Unlike the term "British India", which excludes the Indian princely states, British Malaya is often used to refer to the Federated and the Unfederated Malay States, which were British protectorates with their own local rulers, as well as the Straits Settlements, which were under the sovereignty and direct rule of the British Crown, after a period of control by the East India Company.
The Ubudiah Mosque is a small mosque located in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia.
Sultan of Selangor is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia who is the head of state and head of the Islamic religion in Selangor. The current monarch, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ascended the throne on the death of his father, on 22 November 2001.
Kuala Lumpur is the largest city in Malaysia; it is also the nation's capital. The history of Kuala Lumpur began in the middle of the 19th century with the rise of the tin mining industry, and boomed in the early 20th century with the development of rubber plantations in Selangor. It became the capital of Selangor, later the Federated Malay States, and then Malayan Union, and finally Malaya and Malaysia.
The Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex is a large courthouse complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, housing various courts of the country's judicial system. The complex is situated along Jalan Duta in Segambut, some 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) away from the earlier location of the judicial system at a collection of colonial buildings affront the Merdeka Square. The building was constructed beginning 1 March 2004 at a final cost of RM290 million, was opened for use on 18 April 2007, and was fully operational on 3 May 2007.
The architecture of Kuala Lumpur is a blend of old colonial influences, Asian traditions, Malay Islamic inspirations, modern and post modern mix. Being a relatively young city, most of Kuala Lumpur's colonial buildings were built toward the end of 19th and early 20th century. These buildings have Mughal, Tudor, Neo-Gothic or Grecian-Spanish style or architecture. Most of the styling have been modified to cater to use local resources and the acclimatized to the local climate, which is hot and humid all year around.
Arthur Benison Hubback was an English architect and soldier who designed several important buildings in British Malaya, in both Indo-Saracenic architecture and European "Wrenaissance" styles. Major works credited to him include Kuala Lumpur railway station, Ubudiah Mosque, Jamek Mosque, National Textile Museum, Panggung Bandaraya DBKL, Ipoh railway station, and Kowloon railway station.
Arthur Oakley Coltman was an English architect practising in Malaya for 32 years where he worked as manager of the architecture firm Booty Edwards & Partners. He arrived in Malaya in 1925 and retired in 1957.
Stanley Edward Jewkes (1913–2011) was an American architect as well as an engineer. He was a key figure in Southeast Asian post-independence architecture. His close relationship with Malaysia's then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman led to his getting several prominent architectural commission in Malaysia including for Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara. He practiced in Malaysia from 1941 until 1962. He then continued to work in the United States for a multi-national architectural and engineering practice.
Arthur Charles Alfred Norman (1858-1944), often referred to as A. C. Norman, was a British architect who was active in Malaya at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century. Some of the most important colonial era buildings of Kuala Lumpur built in that period were credited to him, although many of these also involved other architects of the period.
The National Textile Museum is a museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The museum is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm, with admission fees ranging from RM2 to RM5.
Regent Alfred John Bidwell, or R. A. J. Bidwell, was an English-born architect noted for his colonial era buildings in Singapore. His best-known works include the Raffles Hotel and the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall in Singapore, and Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur.
Jamek Mosque, officially Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River and may be accessed via Jalan Tun Perak. The mosque was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, and built in 1909.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to Selangor.