Sultan Abdul Samad Building | |
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Malay: Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad | |
![]() Front view of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with the Merdeka 118 in the background | |
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General information | |
Type | Government Office |
Architectural style | Indo-Saracenic, Neo-Mughal, or Moorish |
Location | Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Construction started | 3 September 1894 |
Completed | 1897 |
Inaugurated | 4 April 1897 |
Height | |
Architectural | 40 m (130 ft) |
Antenna spire | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
Roof | 37 m (121 ft) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | A.C. Norman R. A. J. Bidwell A. B. Hubback |
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building (Malay: Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad; Jawi: باڠونن سلطان عبدالصمد) 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.
The building houses both the offices of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia (Malay: Kementerian Komunikasi dan Multimedia, Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Malaysia). It once housed the superior courts of the country: the Federal Court of Malaysia, the Court of Appeals and the High Court of Malaya. The Federal Court and the Court of Appeals had shifted to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya during the early 2000s, while the High Court of Malaya shifted to the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in 2007.
The government offices of the British colonial administration was originally located in the Bluff Road (present day Jalan Bukit Aman) area on a hill overlooking the Padang now called Merdeka Square. However, due to the need for more office space and complaints from the public about the necessity of going up and down the hill, the State Engineer of Selangor Public Works Department Charles Edwin Spooner proposed the building of government offices lower down at the plain. [1] The initial suggestion was rejected due to cost, but the British Resident of Selangor William Edward Maxwell accepted a second proposal that cost less. [1]
The building was originally designed by A.C. Norman and his assistant R. A. J. Bidwell in a Classical Renaissance style, but Spooner disliked the design. It was then reworked by Bidwell under Spooner's guidance in a style variously described as Indo-Saracenic, Neo-Mughal, or Moorish. Later A. B. Hubback who had just starting working for the colonial government in Malaya as a senior draughtsman also worked on it. [2] Although the building is formally credited to A.C. Norman (only his name appears on the foundation stone as the architect) and his ground plan was kept, the actual design is to a large extent the work of R. A. J. Bidwell, with some contributions from A. B. Hubback who also designed the fixtures of the building. [1]
The building has two stories, with the floor plan roughly in the shape of the letter F with an extended top bar representing the frontage. The facade of the building faces the Padang and stretches over 137.2 metres (450 ft) along Jalan Raja, at that time the largest building in Malaya. The building has 3.5 metres (11 ft) wide verandas on both floors. [3] A central clock tower is 41 metres (135 ft) in height, and designed to echo the Big Ben but in an Indo-Saracenic style. Two lower towers flanked the clock tower, each containing a staircase. The design of these two towers may have been influenced by Muir Central College of Allahabad in India. [1] All three towers are topped by a copper-clad onion dome. [4] The style of the building is sometimes referred to as the "blood and bandages" style—red bricks with white plastered arches and banding. [2]
The construction of the building began in September 1894 and was completed in 1897. The foundation stone was laid on 6 October 1894 by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Charles Mitchell. [3] The building sits on an area of 1.034 hectares, with the floor of the building occupying an area of 4,208.5 square metres (45,300 sq ft). [4] The construction used 4 million bricks, 2,500 barrels of cement, 18,000 pikuls of lime, 5,000 lbs of copper, 50 tons of steel and iron, and about 30,000 cubic feet of timber. [1] Spooner had previously established in the Brickfields area a factory for the production of large number of higher quality bricks, tiles and other building material suitable for the construction of the building. The cost of construction was 152,000 straits dollars. [2]
Spooner also made many alterations and additions while the building was being constructed with the help of A. B. Hubback. Some of these, such as an extra two and a half feet of brickwork on the lower walls, were necessary to strengthen the building due to it being built so close to the river. [1] The height of the clock tower had also caused much concern to the public, who thought that the tower might collapse due to the ground vibrations caused by a loud signal gun fired daily at noon and 5 pm, but the built tower proved to be sturdy. A problem arose with the clock first delivered as it was not in harmony with the building, and it was replaced by a second one. [1] The clock was manufactured by Gillett & Johnston Ltd of Croydon. [4]
The building was completed in 1897, and a dinner was held by the Selangor Public Works Department in the building to celebrate its completion. On 4 April 1897, The building was officially opened by Sir Frank Swettenham, the General Resident of the time. [2] A ball was held at the building, and its exterior was floodlit by gas burners, the first time such illumination was used in Kuala Lumpur. [1]
The 41-metre (135 ft) tower chimed for the first time to coincide with Queen Victoria's Jubilee Parade in June 1897 and has chimed since. [5]
The completed structure housed various important government departments during the British administration. The building, simply known as Government Offices in early Kuala Lumpur maps, housed the Federal Secretariat of the then-Federated Malay States (FMS) which was formed in 1896. The entire FMS administration—the Public Works Department, General Post Office, District Offices, Mines Department, Lands, Audit, Treasury, Government Secretariat Offices—was housed there. [2] [3] It also shared its offices with the Selangor State Government.
As it was not foreseen when construction began in 1894 that Kuala Lumpur would become the capital of the Federated Malay States, the office space provided was inadequate for the needs of a burgeoning bureaucracy. The FMS government took over the offices that were intended for the Sanitation Board. [6] Other buildings and extensions were then constructed around it. A rear wing was added in 1903, and a building built in the same style was added to the south in 1907 to house the General Post Office. [7]
Malaya gained independence in 1957, and the Padang or field in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, officially renamed Dataran Merdeka (or Merdeka Square) on 1 January 1990, has become the location for the official celebration of Malayan (later Malaysian) independence since. At Dataran Merdeka, the British Union Jack was lowered for the last time at midnight on 30 August 1957 when the clock started chiming, and the Malayan flag then hoisted for the first time. [8] Celebrations shifted to the Merdeka Stadium in the morning on 31 August with the Declaration of Independence, and Tunku Abdul Rahman became the first prime minister of Malaya. [9]
In 1974, all of the State of Selangor Government offices were relocated to Shah Alam, and the various departments of the Federal Government also moved their offices elsewhere. The building was then renamed Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad (Sultan Abdul Samad Building) and renovated. [4]
Starting from 1978, the building housed the Court of Appeal, High Court and the Supreme Court, which was subsequently renamed the Federal Court. The Federal Court and the Court of Appeals have since moved to the Palace of Justice located in Putrajaya, the new Federal administrative capital. The building now houses the offices of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture of Malaysia and underwent further refurbishment. [4]
Every year, in the morning of Merdeka Day (31 August) as well as Malaysia Day (16 September), thousands of spectators converge on the city to watch the colourful parade along the streets of the city and performances held at the Merdeka Square.
In 2012, the building was partly refurbished and the copper domes received a new coating of metallic paint. New colour-changing LED lights were installed to brighten up the building at night. On selected days, a section of Jalan Raja will be closed in order for the people to enjoy the night scenery of the area. Since 2007, a Merdeka (Independence) wording has been fixed at the bottom of the clock tower, a reminder of the very day of the nation's independence in 1957.
Topped by a shiny copper dome and a 41-metre-high clock tower, it is a major landmark in the city. The clock tower houses a one-ton bell clock that strikes on the hour and half-hour.
A 95-metre flagpole, one of the tallest in the world, marks that spot with a flat, round black marble plaque. It is located at the southern end of the Merdeka Square in front of the building.
The building serves as the backdrop for important events such as the National Day Parade on 31 August and the ushering in of the New Year. Each of the 13 states plus the Federal Territories are represented in the National Day Parade, as are the many ethnic groups that comprise multiracial Malaysia.
Behind the building flows the Klang River and Gombak River's confluence and in the middle of where the two rivers meet stands the Masjid Jamek (or Jamek Mosque), a mosque designed in similar architectural style.
In 1971, Kuala Lumpur suffered a huge flood after a heavy rainfall. Part of the building was not spared. In 1978, a massive renovation was undertaken. The renovation took six years to complete with a total cost of RM 17.2 million. There was also a fire which damaged part of the building. A large bronze memorial plaque commemorating fallen judicial officers and lawyers who served as volunteer soldiers in the Second World War disappeared about this time. The plaque was either looted or else was damaged in the fire but was never repaired or replaced. There is now a move supported by the Malayan Volunteers Group to try to get the bronze memorial plaque restored.
The building is accessible within walking distance west of Masjid Jamek LRT Station.
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 the largest city in the country, 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. Klang Valley is ASEAN's fifth largest economy after Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Manila.
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. 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.
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 Royal Selangor Club 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.
Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road, (JBIRR) or Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, Federal Route 188, is a multi-lane federal ring road highway that circles the Johor Bahru Central District in Johor, Malaysia. The 4.6-kilometre (2.9 mi) highway was the most expensive road infrastructure project per kilometre of its time in the country.
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 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.
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.
Jalan Tun Perak, formerly Jalan Mountbatten (1961–1981) Mountbatten Road (1946–1961) and Java Street (1889–1946), is a major road located in the historic centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was a major commercial street of early Kuala Lumpur, and is now the location of a few financial institutions. The entry to the Jamek Mosque is located here, and the light rapid transit stop on this street is Masjid Jamek LRT station.
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.
Dato' Y. T. Lee, also Lee Yoon Thim was a Malaysian Chinese architect active in Kuala Lumpur in the 1950s and 1960s. He helped "Build Merdeka" after Malaysian Independence, 1963. He moved in elite circles, and held several positions in the national government and in the Chinese community. He was a close friend to Prime Minister Tuanku Abdul Rahman and other political figures. He designed several of Kuala Lumpur's landmark buildings, such as: Chin Woo Stadium, UMNO building, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Federal Hotel, Kampung Baru Mosque, Ar-Rahman Mosque and the Masjid Al-Ubudiyah. In addition to his famous mosques in Kuala Lumpur, he also worked on middle eastern and Islamic architecture project, for example, Masjid Al- Ubudiyah in Kerling, Hulu Selangor which is opened in 1960. When this masjid is built, there was no electricity supply yet. Somehow now it has been used as a teaching place by the locals. His less well known works include the Too House, an addition for the Methodist Boys School, and healthcare-related and commercial work. In the early 1960s, a series of honours came his way: in 1960, he was granted the appellation of P.J.K.; in 1961, he was honoured as Justice of Peace and J.M.N in 1962; he was honoured as Dato' in 1964, an honorific similar to the British "Sir".
Dato’ Seri Nik Mohamed bin Nik Mahmood is a Director of Kumpulan Senireka Sdn Bhd., a large commercial architecture firm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mahmood founded the firm in 1973 after he left the Public Works Department. The firm specializes in commercial highrise buildings, and they have done some significant religious buildings. In the 1970s they were operating in the Brutalist idiom, but they turned to Postmodernism at the end of the century and were responsible for some prominent postmodern buildings in Malaysia, including the Menara Axis, 2002, Istana Negara Baru and the Kompleks Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka.
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.