I noticed there aren't any threads on the old architecture of KL.

So I decided to start this thread for all of you! :D

Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Infokraf, old railway station, old KTM Administration Building, Oriental Building...

I had visited them on my trip there.

For you redstone!!.Hope you'll enjoy :cheers:


Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By: nana kix


Sultan Abdul Samad Building

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087414.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087483.jpg

Pudu Jail

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087416.jpg

Masjed Jamek

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087477.jpg

NatiOnal Museum

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087481.jpg

Dataran Merdeka

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087418.jpg

Jln Tun Perak

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087415.jpg

brickfields

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087419.jpg

General Hospital

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087484.jpg

Petaling Street - shopping place

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087614.jpg

Balai Polis Bukit Aman

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087486.jpg

Lake Garden

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087480.jpg

Bukit Bintang

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087413.jpg

:D

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/view_image.php/546715/p.jpeg

THE OLD KL RAILWAY STATION

The station is situated at Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin and is probably the most photographed train station in the world. The first railway in the Klang valley runs from Klang (Pengkalen Batu) to KL. It was built in 1886. This is the third station built to serve that railway line. The previous two were demolished.

The architect for this station is Arthur Benison Hubback, who was then the Architectural Assistant to the Director of Public Works. He was previously in government service in India before his arrival here. This may help to explain his passion for Moorish/Northern Indian designs. He is also credited for designing the other heritage buildings in town - the Railway Adminstration building, the Old Chartered Bank building and Masjid Jamek.The contract to build was awarded to JA Russell and PC Russell. It was completed and ready for a train service on 1st August, 1910.

http://picserver.org/view_image.php/535223/p.jpeg

There is a story that the design was originally intended for a Moscow trade fair and later built in here with snow gutters and a roof to withstand about 2 metres of snow. How true is this? No one seem to have the answer.

Elegant domes and arches form the dominant features of the station. The groud floor of the station housed a linear set of halls with a deep continuous covered loggia in front to provide shade and shelter. The platforms were out behind. In 1967, a new 4 storey extension was built north of the station to accommodate the need for additional office space. Heritage Station Hotel is located at the northern wing of the station.

Although extensive renovation was carried out in mid 1980s to modernise the station, care and painstaking attention have ensured that the original architecture is preserved and not unneccessarily destroyed. The domes which were originally constructed from cement rendered on wooden frames were found to have been weakened by termite attack. These were rebuilt with concrete and steel reinforcement.

Travellers used to board the trains here to travel to most cities and towns on Peninsular Malaysian's west coast and to Tumpat on the east coast. There were also trains services to Singapore and Thailand. Today KL is served by a new transportation hub. As of 16th April, 2001 all KTM intercity services will operate from the new Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station located in nearby Brickfields. Only KTM Komuter services will continue to stop at the 'old' KL Railway Station.



http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/view_image.php/535212/p.jpeg

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/view_image.php/535211/p.jpeg

http://picserver.student.utwente.nl/view_image.php/535185/p.jpeg

read an article about the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station by N.Kumaran
http://www.keretapi.com/farewell.html

http://www.xpphotoalbum.com/data/500/9797KLr.JPG?535

KTMB's office.Located opposite of Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. It shares the same architect, A.B Hubbock. Just like the station, it has Moorish-style, A.B Hubbock style.
http://www.keretapi.com/admin.html

I still wanna like to pass this way and attention again in KL after I've ever been in riding a car of Sze's accompanying in the last May.I think there are something to interest on that hill.....maybe some palace or another!

http://www.xpphotoalbum.com/data/500/9797KSEN.JPG?9678

For you redstone!!.Hope you'll enjoy :cheers:


Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By: nana kix


Sultan Abdul Samad Building







http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087414.jpg

The photo caption is wrong....this is the High Court not the Sultan Abdul Samad Building ;)




http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087483.jpg

And this is the old Town Hall ....again not the Sultan Abd Samad Building ;)

I noticed there aren't any threads on the old architecture of KL.

So I decided to start this thread for all of you! :D


haha....thanks! ....been quite busy lately ;)

For you redstone!!.Hope you'll enjoy :cheers:


Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By: nana kix


Sultan Abdul Samad Building

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087414.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087483.jpg

Pudu Jail

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087416.jpg

Masjed Jamek

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087477.jpg

NatiOnal Museum

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087481.jpg

Dataran Merdeka

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087418.jpg

Jln Tun Perak

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087415.jpg

brickfields

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087419.jpg

General Hospital

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087484.jpg

Petaling Street - shopping place

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087614.jpg

Balai Polis Bukit Aman

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087486.jpg

Lake Garden

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087480.jpg

Bukit Bintang

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/1087413.jpg


Are alll of them still around?


The old railway station is now a hotel, right?
Heard it is not good at all.

Jalan Bukit Bintang seems so empty....

St. Mary's Church

The Anglican St. Mary's Church was built in 1894 at the north side of Merdeka Square, on land originally occupied by the stables of the nearby Selangor Club (Figure 2). The church was designed in the early Gothic style that features flying buttresses on the outside of the octagonal nave, stained glass tracery windows, pinnacles, pointed arches and crenellated parapet. In the old days, the church was the second social centre for the Anglican community in Kuala Lumpur after the Club.

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images5/stmary.jpg

Govt. Offices

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building (named after the then Sultan of Selangor) was built in 1894-97, stretching 400 feet along Jalan Raja (Figure 4). The building was originally constructed to house the Secretariat offices of Selangor. Later, it was occupied by the Selangor State Government Treasury, the Accountant-General's Office and the Marriage Registry. It is currently used by the Justice Department to house both the Federal and High Courts.

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images5/samad1.jpg

Police Offices

The police offices or Police Depot was sited on the Bluff area (Bukit Aman) where the national police headquarters stands today (Figure 6). The Depot was constructed on a hill overlooking Merdeka Square and the Kuala Lumpur skyline.

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images5/bktaman.jpg

Residency

In 1880, when Bloomfield Douglas, Selangor's second British Resident, moved the state capital from Klang to Kuala Lumpur, the Resident's house was brought over from Klang and erected on a hill near the present compound of the Prime Minister's Department (Figure 7). However, in 1888 the house was replaced by a more stately bungalow built in the style of the European wooden house. The two-storey building was built with high ceilings, spacious verandahs, balconies and big windows.

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images5/residens.jpg

Carcosa

The building was built in 1896-97 on a hill overlooking an area which was later developed into the Lake Gardens. The two-storey building was constructed to accommodate Sir Frank Swettenham, the then Resident-General of the Federated Malay States. In 1901, Frank Swettenham named it Carcosa, a name derived from Cassilda's song in Act 1, Scene 2 of Robert W. Chambers' book called The King in Yellow (1895). With the eclectic fusion of Neo-Gothic and Tudor styles, the residence has more than eight bedrooms including master bedroom and guest rooms; and eleven bathrooms.

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images6/calcosa.jpg

No pictures...

Are alll of them still around?


The old railway station is now a hotel, right?
Heard it is not good at all.

Think there was always a hotel within the station for a long long time. I'm not sure if there were plans to convert the entire building into one. The station is still used by the KTM Komuter. It's somewhat an "interchange" with Pasar Seni LRT also. :)

Most large buildings in the pictures are still around except for the museum which was wrongly but badly bombed during WW2. (actual target was the very close by railway station it seems). They demolished it and the present was built over the same site.

Think there was always a hotel within the station for a long long time. I'm not sure if there were plans to convert the entire building into one. The station is still used by the KTM Komuter. It's somewhat an "interchange" with Pasar Seni LRT also. :)

Most large buildings in the pictures are still around except for the museum which was wrongly but badly bombed during WW2. (actual target was the very close by railway station it seems). They demolished it and the present was built over the same site.


Yup.....the Station Hotel (or in recent times been called the Heritage Hotel) had been around since the inception of the railway station. Its services aren't on par with the likes of the modern 5-star ones but more like a 3-star hotel. So it mainly caters for the budget concious travellers with much interest in a quaint al station feel :D

Yea......all buildings in those pictures are still around except for the Selangor Museum (situated at the National Museum site), the picture below the museum which says Dataran Merdeka - which is actually the KL Cricket Club and the Selangor Club, and some of the shophouses you see at those pictures labelled Jalan Tun Perak, Petaling Street and Brickfields ;)

I can't see the pics in nazrey's post.

Guys! Please post anything about Kuala Lumpur from the years gone by. It can be past and present pictures of buildings and scenes, maps, old road names or anything concerning the colonial heritage of old KL.

I took some pictures in the old business and administrative district of KL yesterday.


The clock tower of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004051-skc.jpg

The High Court Building in KL.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004048-skc.jpg

Other views of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building area.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/CopyofKLNov2004044-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004054-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004047-skc.jpg

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and part of the KTM Railway Administration Building.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/CopyofKLNov2004018-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/CopyofKLNov2004022-skc.jpg


Sultan Sulaiman Building
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/CopyofKLNov2004020-skc.jpg

The Telekom Museum
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004071-skc.jpg

Commercial buildings from the period. Few have survived but sadly, most need rehabilitation. Help is on the way, no doubt, as more conservation work is being carried out.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004040-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/CopyofKLNov2004042-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004057-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004059-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004062-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004056-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004046-skc.jpg

GREAT pics Argory! :okay: :eek:

Aiks....did you take any pictures of the mysterious Majestic Hotel? (former National Art Gallery). Most people doesn't even know that place exists! :D

I really hate those signboards.....

GREAT pics Argory! :okay: :eek:

Aiks....did you take any pictures of the mysterious Majestic Hotel? (former National Art Gallery). Most people doesn't even know that place exists! :D

Thanks Sze! :)

I didn't take any full shots coz the building looked a bit sad la, almost abandoned. :( Are there any plans to revive it? I think, it has the potential to be turned into a Raffles or E&O kind of place.

I really hate those signboards.....

Which signboards? :?

Which signboards? :?

All the commercial building signboards. The signboards sometimes obstruct nice decoration on the wall. Why can't the shop owner be more creative, or at least follow Muzium Telekom style...

All the commercial building signboards. The signboards sometimes obstruct nice decoration on the wall. Why can't the shop owner be more creative, or at least follow Muzium Telekom style...

Yep, perhaps they should. But it's been done for decades though hand-painted wooden ones were used I think. Some signboards can be quite attractive actually.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/KLNov2004071-skc.jpg

beautiful Ionic buildin~ looks a bit like Altes Museum in Berlin~ :cool: nice pic men~ anyway~ i 2 dislike some of those signboard...

MORE PICTURES!!! :banana: :D

Where's the Telecom Museum?
Maybe I'll visit some of them if I got to KL again.

MORE PICTURES!!! :banana: :D

Where's the Telecom Museum?
Maybe I'll visit some of them if I got to KL again.


The Muzium Telekom is right at the foothill of Bukit Nenas (next to St. John Cathedral). Another good indication would be that it is opposite the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange ;)

This building is litted up fabulously at night. :)

If ya coming down maybe I could giva ya a guided tour of KL's old buildings.....I know quite a lot ;)

Oh and by the way.....it cost only RM2 to enter the museum :)

Great shots argory! Cantik ;)

BTW, how come no pics of Rubber Research Institute Building? Damn lawa that one

Great shots argory! Cantik ;)

BTW, how come no pics of Rubber Research Institute Building? Damn lawa that one


Despite loving that building so much....I can't simply find any parking nearby to take pics :(

That place is kinda isolated by walking and unless you're on a motorbike....there's no way you could stop there to take pics. Furthermore the big big trees in front of the building does no good either. Maybe next time I wake up early on a beautiful Sunday morning to go there and take pictures :lol: ( this won't happen this decade :D )

ok how about Asian Heritage Row? :D

http://www.victorianweb.org/buildings/malaysia/colonial/6.jpg
Horse Fountain..why did the brits build us such a lousy looking fountain! :rant:

ok how about Asian Heritage Row? :D


Wah....this one kena go at night lah :D

Its pretty nice :okay: ...and the best part is that they are turning more and more rowhouses there into pubs, restaurants and cafes ;)

Horse Fountain..why did the brits build us such a lousy looking fountain! :rant:

I always think this fountain looks nice ;)

But I think tha one at the Dutch Square, Melaka looks nicer :okay:

Mr Butterscotch Pudding walking down the street :D
http://www.baum.com.au/Dr_J_Baum/archiv_foto/small/23/23123-Zeleznice,_nadrazi_a_nadrazni_restaurace_v_Kuala_L....jpg

National monument
By: dusyum dusyum

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/701133.jpg

I always think this fountain looks nice ;)

But I think tha one at the Dutch Square, Melaka looks nicer :okay:
i agree, the fountain is a classic victorian-era beauty, originally to be installed in the middle of the streets in the 1880s for the jubilee of queen victoria, but the police protested because it would disrupt traffic! so they put it a little distance from where it is now, but was in disrepair until recently (beautifully) restored when there was underground construction under the padang. i think the coloured tiles are gorgeous.

Q: can anyone tell me what is underground in the padang?

no disrespect, but the tugu negara statues now look almost like cartoon in the way they stand (almost a little stiff), but i never thought that when i was young...maybe now i'm older i look at it differently.

Before

http://archnet.org/library/imgdownloader/jpg/47633/big/ITM0021.jpg

http://archnet.org/library/imgdownloader/jpg/47634/big/ITM0022.jpg

after

http://img7.exs.cx/img7/9297/q0znh.jpg

by Lim Khee Boon

http://www.pbase.com/boon3887/image/25863599.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/boon3887/image/25863600.jpg

http://img7.exs.cx/img7/5733/b9v32807981.jpg

http://img7.exs.cx/img7/896/z5mklstationaerial.jpg

By: dusyum dusyum

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/701129.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/721652.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/701022.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/721664.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/701134.jpg

Memperingati perwira-wira yang berjuang untuk menegakan keamanan dan kebebasan

Muga-muga Allah cucurkan rahmat keatas mereka

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/701025.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/708330.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/708361.jpg



http://srv.fotopages.com/2/708373.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/708374.jpg

The War Memorial
By: dusyum dusyum

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/693951.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/693949.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/693947.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/693945.jpg

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/693948.jpg

Errrr.....Nazrey

This thread is about colonial legacy lah....maksudnya ketinggalan penjajah. That means things built by the British ;)

The Tugu Peringatan (National Monument) is built after Merdeka :)

Q: can anyone tell me what is underground in the padang?

no disrespect, but the tugu negara statues now look almost like cartoon in the way they stand (almost a little stiff), but i never thought that when i was young...maybe now i'm older i look at it differently.


The underground mall there is called Putra Mall and it used to housed the Actor's Studio there (before that it was 2 cineplexes), some shops and carparks. The carpark is now operational but I am not too sure about the mall because after last year's devastating flood, I think it was closed down :(


hahaha......BTW Tugu Negara was designed and built by the same people whom did the Iwo Jima Memorial of the USA. Yea......ours looked a bit stiff compared to theirs which is very life-like and fluid :D

http://www.multinet.no/~trojen/malaysia/images/Malaysia%20-%20Kuala%20Lumpur%20by%20night1.jpg

:eek:
What's the occassion?
Christmas?
Hari Raya?

:eek:
What's the occassion?
Christmas?
Hari Raya?


What's what occasion? :?

You mean the lights or what? :?

Yes :)
Or is it normal?

Yes :)
Or is it normal?


Oh I see :D

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building is litted up like that every weekend nights and on the eve and night of any festivities or public holiday ;)

On normal nights it is just some orangy flood lights :)

During Christmas Menara KL will go red and green, right?

It is light very nicely on the fasting month, right?

KL rapidly losing its footprints of the past



Story and photos by CHIN MUI YOON




What is left of our capital city’s buildings that have once been homes to Kuala Lumpur’s pioneers and early communities? The new Heritage Act, expected to be passed next April, holds hope for the preservation of such buildings for the next generation. But will it be in time to save what’s left of the handful of historical buildings in Kuala Lumpur?



ON A quiet hillock in the sprawling Canton Cemetery along Jalan Lapangan Terbang, two youths tossed away a plastic bag of leftover food which scattered over the tombstones, one of which was the lalang-covered grave of Chinese Capitan Yap Ah Loy. It is a sad reflection of the general neglect and disregard Malaysians have of Kuala Lumpur’s pioneers and their legacy.

As Kuala Lumpur continued soaring upwards with skyscrapers, the foundations on which the city was built continued to be demolished. In the authorities’ bid to make Kuala Lumpur a modern, progressive city, it appears that all remnants of KL’s past will be reduced to textbooks, fading from one generation to the next.







http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/12/p2highrise.JPG

Modern highrise buildings are casting an ominous shadow over classic ones, such as this in Jalan Doraisamy, in the development race.







KL was dug from mosquito-infested muddy ground and built by labourers, many who succumbed to diseases. Nearly all 87 pioneering miners from China sent by Malay chief Raja Abdullah to prospect for tin in what is present day KL, died from malaria. No records or physical markers tell their stories.

The KL of today is a city of towers and similar box-shaped structures. The buildings that once housed the men and women who have contributed to its development are all but gone.

As one visitor from Suffolk, Britain, Simon Evans, 38, commented: “There seems to be more heritage left in a single street in Penang than all of Malaysia’s capital city combined. I have absolutely no visual idea of the place where my grandfather had once worked for eight years.”

“A city must have progressive development providing its residents with a better quality of life, but that can be done sympathetically and in a sensibly planned manner, not merely destroying KL’s valuable heritage to make way for more buildings,” said Heritage of Malaysia Trust (Badan Warisan Malaysia) executive director Elizabeth Cardosa said during a tour of KL’s endangered legacy.

“The principles of heritage conservation involve the retention of authenticity, integrity, and continuity.

“If we can preserve our own cultural traditions, why can’t we do the same with our built heritage?

“Heritage is something of the past that has made a mark on our lives, and tells us something about ourselves. A market, a school or a house can be our personal heritage. Once these are gone, they can never be replaced.”

Cities such as Paris, London, Stockholm, ancient English wool towns of Cotswolds and even countries such as Singapore and Vietnam have taken pains to retain their heritage buildings, which attract millions of foreign visitors yearly.

Documents, reports and old photographs of Kuala Lumpur are proof of an Asian city with as much beauty and charm as any other.

British Governor, Sir Frederick Weld, upon visiting KL in 1886, reported that the city was “fast becoming the neatest and prettiest Chinese and Malay town ? picturesque houses and shops brightly- painted and often ornamented with carving form the streets.”

Yet, KL authorities, building owners, landowners and tenants have shown little interest in preserving the little of what’s left in the capital city, nor have played any role in promoting awareness.

“These buildings are KL’s footprints of the city that were built in the late 19th century and many have remained for over 80 years,” said Cardosa.

“Heritage buildings are the physical markers of our city.

“Some have immense historical value, others social or architectural worth.

“A lack of heritage consciousness has largely led to the diminishing number of heritage buildings left today. People are just not aware of how these buildings have played a role in their lives until they have disappeared.

“There are also no financial incentives to encourage building owners to preserve their heritage,” she added.

Historian J.M. Gullick, author of Old Kuala Lumpur, wrote in his book: “All that the historian can suggest is that the modern age should understand that it has been the heir to a community which left its legacy. Even now, it is there to be seen in places, and where it can be preserved, it should be cherished.”






Loke Mansion

Amid the bustling square of Medan Tuanku stands the Loke Mansion. The original building dates back to the 1860s, and what is seen now was built between 1895 and 1904 on a 4ha site. This was once the home of Loke Yew, one of KL's pioneers and is probably the oldest standing residential brick and plaster building in KL today.






http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/12/p3view.JPG

A view of the Loke Mansion in the 1950s (photograph taken by Lady Joan Fenner)






The building is still glorious in its original European-Chinese architectural design, in Straits Eclectic style. It has fan-shaped transoms combined with “garlic” details – lucky symbols to the Chinese.

The building’s doors have welcomed the city’s most prominent figures and its walls were witness to grand parties and important meetings. In the 1960s, the house was used as a police-training centre.

While the Loke Mansion commanded the highest point overlooking the city then, today, it is nearly lost amid the maze of modern Medan Tuanku. LimKokWing University College of Technology's art and design department moved out last year, and now the mansion stands swathed in thick undergrowth behind locked gates, its fate unknown.









Bok House

The famous Bok House, standing prominently in Jalan Ampang, is another mansion with an increasingly threatened future.

It is a grand example of a purely European-style home built by mostly wealthy Chinese merchants. Many such mansions were built with brick, timber, concrete and stones, and inspired by Italian villas and England’s large country homes.

The late Chua Cheng Bok had commissioned Richard Jones of Swan and MacLaren to design his residence in the style of civic buildings he saw on a visit to England.

The mansion was built in the Palladian style of Renaissance revivalism with Baroque influences such as the subtle curves on the portico, an ornate gate and grand central stairs. It has stately Ionic capitals and verandas wrapped around the building.

Surrounded by the soaring Twin Towers, luxury hotels and the stylish Zouk club, Bok House with its Neo-Classical style looks sadly out of place.

In February 1999, Bok House’s rear portion was demolished. Its front portion remains, but for how long?







Art Deco houses of Jalan Doraisamy

Two rows of Art Deco double-storey houses along Jalan Doraisamy built in the 1930s have seen much activity over the year. One row has been adapted for more contemporary needs of stylish bars, cafes and restaurants in a collection named the Asian Heritage Row.

“This appears to be a viable economic project to renovate and adapt old buildings,” said Cardosa. “But I would question the use of the word heritage applied to it.”






http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/12/p4cardosa.JPG

Cardosa showing one of the premises in Serani Row, which still has its colourfully painted floor tiles intact.









“The buildings were originally designed as an ensemble of homes. By changing the windows and knocking out the walls to build balconies for alfresco dining, the original designs of the buildings are altered.

“A heritage project would have retained the integrity of the original form and the building’s architectural values,” she added.

Opposite the Asian Heritage Row is a row of houses with arched roofs and open-faced brickwork also built around the 1930s.

Baroque pediments at the end of a sloping roof and graceful arches shield porches, one of which has birdcages hanging.

The house is occupied by Lai Kok Onn, 62, and his relative, Yap Yuet Lan, 75, who have lived on this street since the 1940s.

“This old house is airy, spacious and pleasant,” said Lai.

He and Yap are renting the house for several hundred ringgit. They said they had received eviction notices to move out by early next year and did not know what would happen to the house.

The building is in good condition although it is old. The floorboards of solid resak wood have stood nearly 75 years.

“We are still able to see the whole structure of what a typical shophouse or rowhouse in the city was like,” said Cardosa.

“But now the air-well has been covered by zinc sheets to provide more space for a kitchen and an extra room. As such, the traditional ventilation system created by the open air-well is negated.

“But the main structure has not been changed much except for a few reversible elements. How much longer will this building stand intact once the original residents leave, and its use changes?”









Serani Row

Serani Row, an enclave of heritage buildings off Jalan Raja Chulan, was formerly home to a Eurasian community. These are excellent illustrations of Neo-Classical houses built in 1931. But these are also endangered derelict structures today – half demolished and with exposed walls that are used for a carwash business.

Pushpanani Raja Gopal, 41, who lives in one of the bungalows behind the road, said the landowner had not collected rent for several months now.

“I came here 17 years ago after marrying my husband. His family has been living here for over 30 years. We hear rumours that the land is going to be sold. We may have to move, as we don’t know how long these houses will remain here.”

Grand, old mansion in limbo



By Goh Ee Koon





WHATEVER has happened to the Loke Mansion in Jalan Medan Tuanku? The former home of the late Kuala Lumpur tycoon Loke Yew has been abandoned for a while now.

When Star Metro checked on the place recently, we found the gardens of this once-plush mansion overrun with weeds. The main door was shut and locked with wooden bars.

However, a few windows were open. A security guard, who was inside the house, said that normally one person would be stationed to look after the place in the daytime and two guards would be on duty at night.

A pile of rubbish collects at the side of the house – a sad image, compared to the mansion’s heyday.






http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/7/p2entrance1.jpg

The entrance to Loke Mansion in Jalan Medan Tuanku. Its former tenants' business signs are still standing even though they are no longer there.










Checks revealed that the premises was vacated over a year ago, and for a while, “For Sale” signs were put up. Sources said the place was left as it was because there were no takers.

Before it was put on sale, the mansion had housed the offices of the art and design and the registration centre of the then LimKokWing Institute of Creative Technology, International House and an IT company.

These former tenants had refurbished the old house, giving it a new coat of paint inside and out.

Not every palatial home of key millionaires in Kuala Lumpur’s history share the same fate as Loke Mansion.

In comparison, Loke Hall in Jalan Tangsi has fared better, even with different tenants occupying it in the past century or so.

The hall was built by Loke Chow Kit, but ownership later passed on to Loke Yew’s son, Alan Loke.

It later became Empire Hotel from 1909 to 1919 and Peninsular Hotel from 1919 to 1973 and then the headquarters for Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (Malaysian Institute of Architects).

So far, the fate of Loke Mansion is still unknown, whether it will continue to be empty, tenanted or be a conserved piece of architecture that is part of the city’s history.

City Hall said Loke Mansion’s owners had not announced any plans to turn the building into a heritage site. “We need to hear from them before we can make a decision,’’ a spokesman said.






http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/7/p2entrance.jpg
A side entrance to the mansion









Loke Mansion, which is a prime example of a colonial era home, is unique. While Western influence dominates the aesthetics, the place was built to suit the country’s humid tropical climate.

To become a heritage site, a process of evaluation needs to be undertaken first.

The place needs to be assessed for its cultural and historical significance.

PAM vice-president Dr Tan Loke Mun said this assessment include verifying whether a place had been the venue of an important event, or whether it had inspired something to happen.

“We have to evaluate its significance: the role it played in local culture, arts, politics and history,” said Tan, who is also PAM’s committee chairman in charge of conservation.

He said that for old buildings to be “reincarnated,” it needed to find new life, or new uses.

“In this case, Loke Mansion’s location in Jalan Medan Tuanku is a good thing, because the scale of the surrounding shophouses do not hedge the building in,” he said.

“If new tenants or owners of the place are to breathe new life into the mansion once more, there are two conservation approaches that can be taken, and these approaches are on different extremes.

“The first is to restore it to exactly the way it was, like the Khoo Kongsi in Penang. The second is keeping up the scale of the building, but using it for a different purpose other than being a home,” Tan said.

Of the lot, the second is more prevalent.

Asian Heritage Row, for instance, is a great example of adaptive reuse done successfully. The row of shoplots has been turned into a series of trendy restaurants, bars and nightspots where much of the Klang Valley’s fashionable crowd converges.

“Designating a certain place as a heritage building allows for a lot of options. It promotes its unique history, raises interest, and brings more activities and life to the venue,” Tan added.

A place torn from history





There are some things about Kuala Lumpur that do not meet the eye. Most of us have taken these things for granted. Unfortunately, not tourists. CHIN MUI YOON and photographer ART CHEN wandered around KL and were ashamed at what they saw. But, hope is in sight.







http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/11/p16junk.jpg

Piles of junk and dirty backlanes make what Kuala Lumpur is today.







TOURIST guidebooks advise travellers to wander off-the-beaten track to explore hidden surprises in foreign cities. But, in Kuala Lumpur they are not far off.

Next to modern skyscrapers, in the heart of bustling city life, are buildings that have once seen glory days, but are now in a sorry state.

Neglected, rotting and decaying, the structures have, over the years, become a part of the city's landscape. To the tourists, they are sorry sights and a sharp contrast to what tourism posters touted Kuala Lumpur to be.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall has promised to clean them up, but there isn't even a remote sign that the algae and ferns on the façades of heritage buildings will see their end. Ignored by the authorities and shunned by the locals, these once remarkable structures seem to be here to stay in their dilapidated state. A shame, really, especially for visitors from abroad.

“After visiting museums and the modern shopping malls, we asked our cab driver to take us for a tour around the city,'' said tourist Rebecca Chetley. “We were surprised, and even disappointed, that Kuala Lumpur’s beautiful architecture is an embarrassing eyesore rather than a prominent feature in the cityscape,” said the 26-year-old from United Kingdom who, with a group of foreigners, took in the filth and decay at Tengkat Tong Shin recently.

“We didn’t want to see anymore of the glass and steel structures,'' she said. “These only represented a country's progressive state. What we wanted to see was Kuala Lumpur's unique heritage, but instead we saw only eyesores.''







http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/11/p16houses.jpg

A row of pre-war houses along Jalan Tengkat Tong Shin is abandoned and has real estate agents trying hard to sell it off.








Colourful and scribbled graffiti across walls of tunnels and underpasses isn't the only evidence of the city's culture. Broken drains, uncollected junk and wrecked public phones do, too.

To make matters worse, old advertising posters are left half-peeled from phone booths and the sides of buildings. If these aren't enough to put off tourists, abandoned projects such as the proposed Hyatt Hotel at the busy Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang junction are enough to make us cringe in shame.

Just steps away from Chinatown, one of Kuala Lumpur’s major tourist spots, is a huge façade of the Chik Sin Tong building, a demolished building in Jalan Sultan that once housed a funeral parlour and a place where Chinese opera troupes staged their plays. The open space has been converted into a car park, but the dilapidated structure still stands where it stood years before.

Abandoned buildings are near KL Sentral in Brickfields, too, where foreign visitors get the first impression of Kuala Lumpur.







http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/11/p16modern.jpg

Near modern skyscrapers are signs that the mindset of the people are still years behind.







Behind Jalan Pudu, ramshackle remains of an old house with its roof caved in stands as if unnoticed by the locals.

Buildings aren't the only things that represent Kuala Lumpur's derelict side. The poor maintenance or lack of it has resulted in filthy backlanes where moss and algae are where the paints were.

While cemeteries in foreign capital cities are promoted as beautifully landscaped tourism areas, the sprawling Canton Cemetery is overgrown with grass and abandoned despite its historical value. Many of Kuala Lumpur’s founding fathers are buried there.

All is not lost. Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim's announcement on Monday of a proposed Heritage Act spells hope.







http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/11/p16moss.jpg

Green moss and ferns take the place of paint on this building.









Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) deputy president Dr Tan Loke Mun said the new Act would give more relevance to the preservation of old buildings with significant value. “These old buildings ought to be preserved because they represent a part of Kuala Lumpur's history in the spaces surrounding us,” he said.

“They represent the various architectural styles through our history and they also have cultural value that can never be reproduced.

“The buildings can be refurbished or preserved for re-adaptive use such as what we have seen with the Asian Heritage Row and Tengkat Tong Shin areas.”

Badan Warisan Malaysia president Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid is pleased with the minister's announcement.

“We are happy that there is an enforcement unit and penalties planned for those tearing down heritage buildings,'' he said.

“We also hope to see a set of incentives undertaken by the private sector in the conservation of heritage buildings in the same way products and services are given under the relevant promotion of investment laws.''

Architect Jimmy Lim agrees. “We must always remember that conservation is all about people,'' he said. “We should not conserve iconic structures without the life behind it,” said the former PAM president who has been practising in Kuala Lumpur since 1972.

“Heritage is not about empty structures, as these are remnants of a culture. Today is yesterday’s future, as today will be tomorrow’s yesterday.








http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2004/11/p16underneath.jpg

Above this structure is a modern highway that hides the 'truth' underneath.









“Malaysia has an abundance of buildings that are not utilised. Why couldn’t we make use of whatever we have today before building more?

“Malaysia’s future generations will look back and wonder one day why we have built so many apartments and high-rises. What sort of heritage are we leaving for them?” Lim asked.

http://www.zipworld.com.au/~hong/malaysia/kl/fedcourt_1.jpg

Singapore's colonial mansions are disappearing very fast!

Katong and Orchard, which used to be covered with them, are only left a handful, some not preserved! :bash:

http://srv.fotopages.com/2/2447059.jpg

What's that supposed to be?:?

A cinema! :)

http://files.photojerk.com/baqthier/tiang1.JPG

:eek:
And this is???

Actually red those are the spires of the Court of Session and Magistrate building in KL. ;)
http://www.tropicalisland.de/KUL_Kuala_Lumpur_High_court_building.jpg

Actually red those are the spires of the Court of Session and Magistrate building in KL. ;)
http://www.tropicalisland.de/KUL_Kuala_Lumpur_High_court_building.jpg

looks kind of like Venice!

"Afraid that their intrusion into Yap Ah Loy's domain would create hostility and at worst, bloodshed - they sited the 'official quarter' on the opposite bank of the Klang River connected only by a rickety wooden bridge over the river to the main centre. The anticipated uprising never happened. Kuala Lumpur was by then growing at an astonishing rate."

http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MHIS_klcolonial.htm

The present bridge along Lebuh Pasar Besar (Market Street) that links KL's old administrative and main commercial districts (Market Square).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Picture_0596-edit-skc.jpg

JKR Memorial Museum

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images15/jkr92kl.jpg

Kraftangan

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images11/jkrkrafKL.JPG

Who or what is JKR?:?

JKR stands for Jabatan Kerja Raya which is the Works Department ;)

JKR stands for Jabatan Kerja Raya which is the Works Department ;)


It is actually the Public Works Department ;)

What's this?

Take by me
http://img167.exs.cx/img167/2093/aerialcolon16go.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

And what's the name of this school ar?

http://img58.exs.cx/img58/5859/aerialcolon25xa.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

http://img114.exs.cx/img114/766/aerialcolon38um.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

Chinese Assembly Hall (the domed one)
http://img216.exs.cx/img216/2269/aerialcolon47ay.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

Was the Chin Woo Stadium built during the British rule?

Victoria school something...the current Sultan of Brunei studied here before :drool:

http://img43.exs.cx/img43/3189/aerialcolon56hv.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

http://img38.exs.cx/img38/3990/aerialcolon63qf.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

:eek:

What's this?

Take by me
http://img167.exs.cx/img167/2093/aerialcolon16go.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)


This is St. Mary's Girls School ;) .....It is now abandoned (hope they would preserve the old building) as the actual school moved out many years back :(

And what's the name of this school ar?

http://img58.exs.cx/img58/5859/aerialcolon25xa.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)



That would be the Convent Bukit Nanas .......the school is still occupying the building ;)

Was the Chin Woo Stadium built during the British rule?


I am not too sure actually as the people I knew forgot when it was built. I think it probably was built during the colonial times........I gotta find that out ;)

Victoria school something...the current Sultan of Brunei studied here before :drool:


http://img38.exs.cx/img38/3990/aerialcolon63qf.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)


Errr....Baq....you got all the schoold mixed up :D

The current Sultan of Brunei studied at the Victoria Institution which is another fantastic picece of colonial architecture (the best IMO.....okay would try to find some pics for this school) :okay:

BUT the picture posted by you above is of St. John's Institution :D .....It is one of the most prestigious all-boys school in its heydays ( even till now ;) )

oooh I found it from their webpage!

http://viweb.freehosting.net/viImgGal.htm

Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur

http://viweb.freehosting.net/gif/viig_vi-2003.jpg

http://viweb.freehosting.net/gif/viig_vi-tower-03.jpg

Taken in 1930's
http://viweb.freehosting.net/gif/viig_vibuilding-atnight.jpg

Taken in 1958
http://viweb.freehosting.net/gif/viig_vibuilding58.jpg

My dad studied at St. John's Institution and my grandad studied at Victoria Institution (he studied there even before the above colonial building is built and when they are still located along High Street ......now renamed Jalan Tun HS Lee). My grandad got married at the Chinese Assembly Hall :D


hehehe......I wish I get to 'experience' all these old architecture too :D

^ It was built in 1893

I wish to see pics of Vivekananda Ashrama, Brickfields.

I found some but very very small pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/kltravel/Brickfields1/brickfields15.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/kltravel/Brickfields1/brickfields16.jpg

^ It was built in 1893


Nope....the earliest building on the current site (the clock tower 'E'-shaped block) was erected in 1929 / 1930. But the Victoria Institution itself was established in 1893 and its original site is located next to where the Traffic Police HQ now stands (at High Street / Jalan Tun HS Lee) ;)

I am not too sure actually as the people I knew forgot when it was built. I think it probably was built during the colonial times........I gotta find that out ;)
Chin Woo Stadium: I didn't know there was such a place - is it still in use? By its design, it was clearly and unmistakably built in the 1920s (Inter-war period). There is a similar style building at the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris which was used for one of the world exhibitions.

:eek: wow!!

i love the clock on victoria institution

Chin Woo Stadium: I didn't know there was such a place - is it still in use? By its design, it was clearly and unmistakably built in the 1920s (Inter-war period). There is a similar style building at the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris which was used for one of the world exhibitions.



erm.....actually the stadium is in Art Deco style which flourish in the 20s and last till the late 50s.

I just happened to ask my dad (I missed him the last time I asked around)......he replied very long time ago :D Then I asked if it was built after he was born and he said definitely. He was born in 1943. Minutes later ( and after much thinking I think :D ) ......he said it was the 50s when it was built. ;)


BTW the stadium is still very much in use. In fact their Wushu and swimming team is kinda famous :)

Gotta search for more sources :)

Taken from the 'History of Chinwoo Athletic Association of Selangor & Kuala Lumpur......



http://www.chinwoo.org.my/


Chinwoo drafted a long-term project in 1930s, emphasized on intensive expansion of the association. The project included - (1) Establishing a New Building for ChinWoo School, (2) Establishing a Chinwoo Administrative Center, (3) Building a Chinwoo multi-purpose stadium, (4) To Enhance Facilities for all Activities and to Improve Effectiveness of Training, (5) Formation of Malaysia-Singapore Chin Woo Federation. Unfortunately, the association stopped functioning and these projects were abandoned due to the World War 2. However, shortly after the war, the newly recruited association came back to function and the projects mentioned above had all been successfully achieved soon after.

Chinwoo earned enough capital and invested wisely in some landed properties when they made benefit from the operation of lotteries plus long term savings. The land in which the current Chinwoo Stadium located was bought in the year 1947. The Building Fund Committee Board was formed under the leadership of Mr. Chen TaiJie. They were devoted to build a new school building and a stadium.

The Chinwoo School was formed in 1929 and the new school building for Pasar Road Chinwoo School was completed in 1950. It was officiated by the past President, the late Mr. Zhang YuChai. Moral values, healthiness, mental thinking and good discipline were emphasized in methodology besides normal languages teaching. Wushu and charity club were started then and aimed to provide Chin Woo with more capable students. The school was renamed to as Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina CHINWOO under the aids of the Government. At present, there are approximately 1800 students.


The Chinwoo Stadium located at Jalan Hang Jebat and was constructed during the years 1950 to 1953. The initialization of project was officiated by His Royal Highness Sultan Hishammuddin Alam Shah on 31-8-1950. The opening ceremony was honorably officiated by His Excellency, Sir. Mc Donald, the then High Commissioner of Great Britain, witnessed by local leaders on the 11th December 1953. This was a glorious date, a milestone that is worthwhile written in the history of Chinwoo Association.

The great project strengthened the association. A year later, the construction of an Olympic sized swimming pool was eventually completed and officiated by Tan Sri Lee Guang Qian. In conjunction with this great celebration, the association organized a Singapore/Penang/K Lumpur Inter-State swimming competition, pioneering swimming sports in Chinese society in the Kuala Lumpur City. The facility of the pool was considered as the best one in the region of South East Asia at that moment.

The association was very well developed when the number of members increased to thousands, with wide variety of activities, such as Wushu, swimming, basketball, choir and music, in which the members exhibit their good attainments and performances. Furthermore, some of National Players, Representatives for international competitions were learned and trained in Chinwoo. The magnificent Chinwoo Staduim building flourished the scenery beauty of Kuala Lumpur, together with the historical Chinese Assembly Hall, K L. “Chin Woo Shan” which means “The Hill of Chinwoo” was the name given by local Chinese to the Chinwoo Association which is situated on the top of the hill, and there became a hot spot for big event for Chinese and other races, venues for most of the performances of world famous artists, famous orchestra, Wushu performances and commercial trade fair and displays.

wah few years before merdeka :D

Also a school near Jalan Raja Laut
http://img79.exs.cx/img79/2475/schoolrajalaut9zg.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

Now, only 2 schools here still occupy their old colonial buildings! :cry:
Many situated in the city had been moved out to modern buildings in the suburbs! :(

More pics

http://www.beingyap.com/site_graphics/school_front1.jpg

http://www.beingyap.com/site_graphics/school_pano.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3057.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3065.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3074.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3080.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3042.jpg

GREAT pics HKSkyline! :okay:





http://www.beingyap.com/site_graphics/school_pano.JPG


That is the Batu Road School ;)

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3057.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3065.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3074.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3080.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/gentingphotos/20030223/RIMG3042.jpg


Architecture like this should be showcased to the WORLD!

Architecture like this should be showcased to the WORLD!


Those are often promoted mah....seems like no one is interested :(

Architecture like this should be showcased to the WORLD!


It’s unique to KL and some Indian cities like Madras and Bombay. Most other colonial styles were neo-classical I think.

Anyone have the pics of Sentul Railway station which was built in 1900's?

The old Victoria Institution building at High Street (pic circa 1894) .....

http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/imagesJPG/images5/institut.jpg

This is part of the former Victoria Institution, now very well restored. :eek: It’s definitely a landmark for preservation efforts in KL. :) All pictures taken this afternoon. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Picture_0865-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Picture_0862-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Picture_0864-skc.jpg

This is part of the former Victoria Institution, now very well restored. :eek: It’s definitely a landmark for preservation efforts in KL. :) All pictures taken this afternoon. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Picture_0865-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Picture_0862-skc.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Picture_0864-skc.jpg






Yea......saw em constructing for so long already....... WOW! Didn't know that they are into such details especially that the building are almost completely gone before the 'restoration' or should I say reconstruction :D

ANyway who owns the building? Anybody knows? :? .....seems like a lot of money are sinked in to have this beautiful piece of architecture revived :okay:

Yea......saw em constructing for so long already....... WOW! Didn't know that they are into such details especially that the building are almost completely gone before the 'restoration' or should I say reconstruction :D

ANyway who owns the building? Anybody knows? :? .....seems like a lot of money are sinked in to have this beautiful piece of architecture revived :okay:

I didn’t know of a plan to preserve this building actually. Yeah, I was wondering about the nice person behind this too. Anyway, it’s not being used yet… so we got to wait and see lah. ;) Sze, do you have any pictures of the building before restoration?

Clock-less tower...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/img0071.jpg

^ SCARY! Looks like a person without the eye!

Most other colonial styles were neo-classical I think.

i think is called Victorian eclectic with classical detial instead of neo-classical.. for example.. the "Grand Old Lady ofda East" Raffles Hotel in Singapore.. :) dunno why called it "Victorian eclectic" thou.. instead of neo-classical..?? correct me if im wrong..

http://www.beingyap.com/site_graphics/school_pano.JPG

nice.. :eek:

i think is called Victorian eclectic with classical detial instead of neo-classical.. for example.. the "Grand Old Lady ofda East" Raffles Hotel in Singapore.. :) dunno why called it "Victorian eclectic" thou.. instead of neo-classical..?? correct me if im wrong..


The term Victorian refers to architecture from a period between 1840 and 1900. So in that sense, you’re probably right.:) Even KL is Victorian then, alongside most of Penang, Taiping and Singapore.

The Moorish architecture of KL is sometimes referred to as ‘Modern Saracenic’. The old Selangor state museum in KL (which was unfortunately bombed during WWII) is supposed to have been of the Flemish order. ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/kl61.jpg