Railway Administration Building, Kuala Lumpur

Railway Administration Building
General information
Architectural style	Indo-Saracanic
Address	Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin
Town or city	Kuala Lumpur
Country	Malaysia
Current tenants	Keretapi Tanah Melayu
Completed	29 September 1917
Cost	$587,000
Owner	Railway Assets Corporation
Technical details
Floor count	3
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Arthur Benison Hubback
Main contractor	Towkay Chua Hua Tong

The Railway Administration Building is a historical building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Completed in 1917 to serve as the offices of Federated Malay States Railways, it currently houses the headquarters of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM) or Malayan Railway Limited, which operates rail services in Peninsula Malaysia.

History

In 1913, Arthur Benison Hubback, Government Architect, Federated Malay States was commissioned by Federated Malay States Railways to design a building to serve as its new headquarters. Construction was carried out by contractor Towkay Chua Hua Tong under the supervision of Public Works Department assistant architect W.S. Huxley and architect Thomas Steele, and was completed in 1917. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Description

Situated facing the old Kuala Lumpur railway station, completed seven years earlier to Hubback's design, the building's Indo-Saracenic design was similar to several other of Hubback's buildings in Kuala Lumpur including the former Municipal Office and Town Hall, Federated Malay States Survey Office and Jamek Mosque. The three storey building was the highest in the Federated Malay States on completion, and includes a central octagonal cantilever staircase described at the time as the only example east of Suez. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

The building suffered major damage on two occasions. During the Second World War its north wing was damaged due to bombing, and in 1968 the same wing was damaged in a fire. ^{[2] [3]}

References

1. "Untitled". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 27 September 1917. p. 198.
2. BERNAMA (2024-11-03). "Mot Tidak Pernah Paksa Ktmb Kosongkan Bangunan". BERNAMA (in Malay). Retrieved 2025-01-14.
3. "FMSR Central Offices 1917". theabhubbackproject. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
4. Trains, Malaysia (2018-08-26). "Railway Administration Building in Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia Trains" . Retrieved 2025-01-14.
5. "Malayan Railway Administration Building | Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
6. "Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and Administrative Headquarters". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
7. Jackson, Ashley (2013). Buildings of Empire. OUP Oxford. ISBN   978-0-19-958938-8.

3°08′26″N101°41′34″E / 3.14046°N 101.69291°E / 3.14046; 101.69291