The Old Kuala Lumpur

[THT-United]

Originally Posted by taurus064

I know they have or are going to tear down the Equatorial Hotel to build a newer hotel in its place but old Hilton KL (now Crowne Plaza Mutiara) is going to come down also? That's news to me but does anybody have any info on this one?

The new project to replace the Crowne Plaza and Kompleks Antarabangsa is called Tradewinds Center, but I'm not sure whether there's a standalone thread on this project in the "Countdown to 2020" sub-forums or not...

And what a massive difference between these two photos taken at almost the same angle, don't you think so?

KL in 1973


Roughly the same view at end-2011 (all those tall buildings in the above picture have been blocked by the newer ones!)

[taurus064]

Originally Posted by THT-United

The new project to replace the Crowne Plaza and Kompleks Antarabangsa is called Tradewinds Center, but I'm not sure whether there's a standalone thread on this project in the "Countdown to 2020" sub-forums or not...

And what a massive difference between these two photos taken at almost the same angle, don't you think so?

KL in 1973


Roughly the same view at end-2011 (all those tall buildings in the above picture have been blocked by the newer ones!)

The 2011 photo shows the Bukit Bintang side but the 1973 photo is looking towards Jalan Raja Chulan and Jalan Sultan Ismail - Not exactly the same spot I should say .......

[taurus064]

From the Business Times, July 11 2012 edition:

Tradewinds kicks off RM6b project, upgrades more assets

KUALA LUMPUR: Tradewinds Corp Bhd (TCB) will demolish the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur and Kompleks Antarabangsa as early as the first quarter of 2013 to build a RM6 billion Tradewinds Centre.

To be located on a 2.8ha site, the project with four towers and a retail podium, will have a total gross floor area of 3.77 million sq ft and a net floor area of 2.78 million sq ft.

The whole project will be completed in 2019.

“The buildings (along Jalan Sultan Ismail) [Does that include Wisma Genting & the Life Centre - I wonder?] will be demolished in the first quarter of 2013 or early part of the second quarter,” group chief executive officer Shaharul Farez Hassan said.

Shaharul said Crowne Plaza’s last day of operations will be on January 2 next year and that TCB is in negotiations with hotel operator InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) on ending the management contract ahead of its term.

It is understood that Crowne Plaza held a townhall session yesterday to notify its staff on the last day of operations.

Shaharul said financing for the project would be from a combination of debt and equity.

“We will fund it with debt and equity. We are in talks with key bankers,” he said, adding that the ratio would be 70:30.



This confirms what you stated above, THT-United; thanks .........

[dengilo]

That looks like the city tower site .in the background i think i can see jalan sahabat+wisma angkasaraya+wisma mpiI wonder if those bright lights behind the hilton is from the racecourse?

[taurus064]

Originally Posted by dengilo

That looks like the city tower site .in the background i think i can see jalan sahabat+wisma angkasaraya+wisma mpiI wonder if those bright lights behind the hilton is from the racecourse?

Those bright lights could be coming from the old Jalan Ampang race course - Wonder if there were any night races being held then? On another point the skyline could look a lot different in 7 years time with the Tradewinds Centre Project taking shape - the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel & Kompleks Antarabangsa would have been long gone by then ..........

[dengilo]

But then again it could be tennis courts if i am not mistaken

[taurus064]

Originally Posted by dengilo

But then again it could be tennis courts if i am not mistaken

But does Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel (still KL Hilton in 1978) have any tennis courts I wonder. But then again you could right on that one, dengilo. Guess we'll never know for sure unless we were there during that period of time .......

[taurus064]

Some more photos from around KL during the 1970s .........


A dam of debris has been formed across the Gombak River where it passes by the Suleiman Flats along Jalan Kuching in Kuala Lumpur during the Great Floods of January 1971 .........



One of the many places that was flooded during the January 1971 floods in KL. Any idea where this is this place?



Aerial view showing the on-going construction of Pertama Shopping Complex in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur. The old Mara Building is on top side extreme right. Odeon Cinema and part of Jalan Dang Wangi can be seen on the foreground right. Photo taken in April 1976. If the cameraman had pan his camera to the left a little bit more you could see the old Suleiman Court Flats just opposite of Pertama complex .........



The large crowd in front of Bangunan Koperasi Polis in Jalan Maharajalela rushing to submit their application forms for interview for MAS airline's stewards and stewardess positions. Photo - February 1979 .......


View of Jalan Tun Perak as seen from its junction with Jalan Parlimen. Photo - February 1979 ..........



View of Foch Avenue (now Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock) in February 1972. The bus stop & road side stalls on the left side of the road is the site for eventual development of Kota Raya Shopping Complex ..........

[taurus064]

More photos again from 1970s KL ..........


November 1975 - Crowds waiting for a bus at the Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur bus terminal.



August 1975 - The new building of the Bumiputra Bank HQ (now Bank Muamalat) still under construction at Jalan Melaka, KL ...........



March 1965: Hawkers at Cecil Street (now Jalan Hang Lekir) near Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur .........



February 1976: A hole dug at the junction of Jalan Bangsar-Jalan Brickfields (now Jalan Tun Sambanthan) caused the motorists to travel bumper-to-bumper



February 1979: View of Jalan Ampang near its junction with Jalan Campbell (now Jalan Dang Wangi) ........



December 1963: Confusion in the Municipal car park, where the new link road has already cut through to connect with the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman-Jalan Mountbatten (now Jalan Tun Perak) junction ..........



September 1958: The scene along Mountbatten Road (now Jalan Tun Perak) in Kuala Lumpur in the morning when motorists got their first
taste of the town's new one-way traffic system. The road looks congested, but traffic was moving along much faster than before .........

[dengilo]

Originally Posted by taurus064

More photos again from 1970s KL ..........




September 1958: The scene along Mountbatten Road (now Jalan Tun Perak) in Kuala Lumpur in the morning when motorists got their first
taste of the town's new one-way traffic system. The road looks congested, but traffic was moving along much faster than before .........

Hey thats a good idea!One way out of the CBD then Jalan Dang Wangi into the CBD

[taurus064]

Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock :


February 1972. Photo probably taken from atop the pedestrian overhead bridge .........



The same road as it is today but photo was taken from the reverse angle .........

[THT-United]

Wow, looks like KL roads in the 60s and 70s are already full of cars... Also, the Sultan Sulaiman Flats are on the site of the present Sogo Complex, am I correct?

And just wondering, why were all the English road names changed to localized ones? We should have kept the original names like they were before (like what they did in Penang and Singapore), as a means of recognizing the contribution our colonial masters made to Malaysia, don't you think so?

[taurus064]

Originally Posted by THT-United

Wow, looks like KL roads in the 60s and 70s are already full of cars... Also, the Sultan Sulaiman Flats are on the site of the present Sogo Complex, am I correct?

And just wondering, why were all the English road names changed to localized ones? We should have kept the original names like they were before (like what they did in Penang and Singapore), as a means of recognizing the contribution our colonial masters made to Malaysia, don't you think so?

You are correct on the first one. Sogo Shopping complex is indeed sitting on the site of the already-demolished Suleiman Courts flats. The Suleiman Courts flats were built in 1957 and occupied in February 1958. It was demolished in 1986 to make way for the construction of Sogo Shopping Complex. Sogo KL commenced business in January 1994.

[HangPC2]

edit.................

[dengilo]

I remember the sogo site was to be a "aerobus"station

[szehoong]

Aerobus!

.....I still remember it used to be a topic in our BM text book!

[dengilo]

It was supposed to be from the old KL Plaza via jalan bukit bintang /jalan tun perak to sogo!

[taurus064]

Yet more old KL photos from the 1950s and 1960s .........


November 1968: The crowd outside the former Malayan Banking Berhad (now Maybank) head office in Jalan Bandar, Kuala Lumpur, after an attempted bank robbery by four armed robbers.



November 1968: Bus terminal (Klang Bus Stand) at Jalan Sultan Mohammed in Kuala Lumpur, Now in the process of being demolished to make way for the MRT Project .........



March 1980: The Datuk Bandar (mayor) of Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Yaacob bin Abdul Latiff on his 'walkabout' along Jalan Melaka in Kuala Lumpur. The stalls on the left now has been torn down and replaced by the Masjid Jamek LRT station.



April 1959: Two "raised gardens" are being constructed at traffic light islands along Jalan Raja and Batu Road (Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman) near the Kuala Lumpur General Post Office and the Municipal Office. When they are completed they will be filled with earth to be used for planting flowers and shrubs. this move, initiated by the Municipal Council, is aimed at making the Federal Capital more attractive and discouraging the public from tramping on these traffic islands


August 1967: The Lee Wah Bank building in Kuala Lumpur (background middle). Now houses the UOB Bank Medan Pasar branch.



March 1964: Lee Yian Lian building, Kuala Lumpur. This photo was taken from the hill behind the building. Can anybody confirm that this hill is the site where the future Maybank Tower (Menara Maybank) was built?



March 1960: View of KL's skyline - Bangunan Koperasi Polis is right in the background middle while the Chinese Assembly Hall is to the extreme left. You can also see the Merdeka Roundabout (Bulatan Merdeka) minus the water fountain right in the middle. Chan Sze Shu Yuen (Chan Clan Chinese temple) is noticeable in the foreground left. One question - Does anybody know when did they start to install the water fountain at the roundabout?



March 1964: A skyline view of Batu Road in early days, with the Odeon Cinema in the foreground left screening "Porgy and Bess"



June 1959: Hundreds of passers-by at Foch Avenue (now Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock) are attracted by this building, the Selangor Fui Chiu Mutual Assistance Association (now refurbished and re-built as Wisma Fui Chiu), which is completely illuminated for the Centenary Celebrations of Kuala Lumpur



September 1965: Busy with vehicles as usual in Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur. Wonder which part of Jalan Pudu is this?

[szehoong]

Originally Posted by taurus064

Yet more old KL photos from the 1950s and 1960s .........


November 1968: Bus terminal (Klang Bus Stand) at Jalan Sultan Mohammed in Kuala Lumpur, Now in the process of being demolished to make way for the MRT Project .........

It is completely demolished now......

March 1964: Lee Yian Lian building, Kuala Lumpur. This photo was taken from the hill behind the building. Can anybody confirm that this hill is the site where the future Maybank Tower (Menara Maybank) was built?

Yes it is.

[taurus064]

Thanks for the info, szehoong - I haven't been around this area lately. Never realized this iconic building has already gone for good .........