Secretariat Building, Brunei

Secretariat Building
Bangunan Sekretariat
Secretariat Building in 2023
Former names	Brunei Government Offices
Alternative names	Government Secretariat Building RTB Headquarters
General information
Type	Office
Architectural style	Constructivist architecture
Address	Jalan Elizabeth II
Town or city	Bandar Seri Begawan
Country	Brunei
Coordinates	4°53′26″N114°56′30″E / 4.89064°N 114.94173°E / 4.89064; 114.94173
Current tenants	Radio Television Brunei
Construction started	19 November 1952 (1952-11-19)
Completed	August 1953 (1953-08)
Opened	1 July 1954 (1954-07-01)
Technical details
Material	concrete
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Rudolfo Nolli
Architecture firm	Booty and Edwards Architecture
Other information
Parking	On site (no charge)

The Secretariat Building (Malay : Bangunan Sekretariat) or formerly known as the Brunei Government Offices and Government Secretariat Building (Bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan) is the oldest government structure that serves the State Secretariat of Brunei or the seat of government. The building is located at Jalan Elizabeth II, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The building is currently under the protection of the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act of the Museums Department. ^[1]

History

Following the completion of the design and layout plans in the first part of the previous year. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III set the foundation stone on 19 November 1952, ^[2] and it was finished in August 1953, completely furnished in the style of classic concrete colonial architecture. The Brunei Government Offices was regarded as Brunei's most contemporary structure at the time it was constructed. ^[3] At the beginning of its establishment on 1 July 1954, the Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was located in the General Office of the building. ^{[4] [5]}

It served as Brunei government's administrative hub after the 1959 promulgation of the Brunei Constitution. Before being placed under the Prime Minister's Office's (PMO) control, the Public Works Department was in charge of all government buildings in the country. ^[3] After the Supreme Court's establishment in 1963, it has previously used portion of Secretariat Building as their main building. ^[6] Birthday of Queen Elizabeth on 8 June 1968, was honoured with a ceremonial procession in front of the building in Brunei Town. ^[7]

As soon as Brunei attained complete independence in 1984, the Ministry of Communications was founded in the Secretariat Building, before its relocation to the Brunei Telecom Department Building at the Old Airport, Berakas. ^[8] Radio Television Brunei's (RTB) have relocated to its new headquarters to the building on 15 June 2020. ^[9]

Design and construction

The Secretariat Building's façade hasn't altered much since it was first constructed. The building's original brick-red roofs, white body, and fair-faced external accent walls. The building appears to be shaped like the capital letter "E" from above. This is thought to be a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, representing both the colonial architectural style and the period of time when it was built under the British Residency. The symmetrical architecture and mirrored floor plan of the structure were designed by Booty and Edwards Architecture. ^[3] It has a face-brick pattern on the front and on the concrete porch of the building. ^[10]

Its colonnaded front verandah, which is decorated with Brunei emblem, and its three pylon entrances combine traditional British and minimalist Egyptian architectural feature. The primary entry to the structure is the somewhat bigger center entrance. Along the passage between the pylons are similar doors surrounded by white stucco, light brickwork, and five pillars. The double timber doors with black glass allow for ventilation when there are no windows. Each pylon's parapet facing Taman Sir Omar 'Ali Saifuddien is adorned with relief sculptures that represent historical and indigenous scenes from Brunei. The Italian sculptor Rudolfo Nolli created these carvings that depict customary Bruneian pursuits including farming, metalworking, and fabric weaving, summarizing the locals' means of subsistence. ^{[11] [3]}

See also

• Politics of Brunei
• Bandar Seri Begawan

References

1. "Jabatan Muzium-Muzium - Monumen dan Tapak-Tapak Arkeologi". www.museums.gov.bn. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
2. Haji Md Kassim, Haji Khairol Azli; Pg. Haji Md. Noor, Pg. Hajah Fatimah (1 December 2014). "Bangunan Sekretariat ungkap detik bersejarah". Pelita Brunei (in Malay). Retrieved 2 January 2023.
3. "Secretariat Building". Universiti Brunei Darussalam . Retrieved 22 September 2024.
4. Brunei Ecology and Nature Protection Handbook. Lulu.com. 20 March 2009. p. 105. ISBN   978-1-4387-0633-7.
5. "Perkembangan Penempatan Bangunan". Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara (in Malay). Retrieved 1 January 2023.
6. USA, IBP (20 March 2009). Brunei Ecology and Nature Protection Handbook. Lulu.com. ISBN   978-1-4387-0633-7.
7. Malaysia. British Association of Malaysia. 1968. p. 14.
8. "Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications - Brief History". www.mtic.gov.bn. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
9. "RTB moves its administration to new premises » Borneo Bulletin Online". RTB moves some offices, divisions to new premises. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
10. "The Secretariat Building" (PDF). Brunei Tourism.
11. Ho, Hannah Ming Yit; Deterding, David (26 February 2021). Engaging Modern Brunei: Research on language, literature, and culture. Springer Nature. p. 203. ISBN   978-981-334-721-2.

External links

• Government of Brunei