Heritage Building of Kuala Lumpur – the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

One of the most prominent landmarks of Kuala Lumpur in yesteryear apart from the Sultan Abdul Samad Building must be the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station whose function has now been replaced by the new and modern KL Sentral since 2001.

The old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station was designed by AB Hubback with significant Mughal architectural style. The same architectural style was also applied to the KTM Headquarters located across the road, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the Masjid Jamek (it was also designed by AB Hubback). In other words it was the contemporary architectural style at that time.

This majestic railway station complex was completed at a cost of 23,000 dollars and began its operation on 1 August 1910.

Mughal architecture is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that was adopted by architects of Europe and America in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with everything oriental. It is a mix of Islamic, Persian and Indian influence.

The Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

The Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

Mughal architecture has several significant features that are pretty easy to identify.

Take note of key-hole arches, ogee arches and horseshoe arches featured on this handsome building.  These arches form a repetitive pattern on a straight row on each floor. Key-hole arches, horseshoe arches and ogee arches are among the features that identify Mughal architecture.

Chhatris and domes on top of the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

Chhatri and dome are framed by the horseshoe arches of KTM Headquarters Building

Next, look out for onion-shaped domes sitting on top of the buildings of Mughal architectural style.  In fact domes are the most conspicuous characteristics of Mughal architecture.

Below the big domes are the chhatris – a flat plate that holds the dome. In fact, ‘chhatri’ means canopy or umbrella. Chhatris are commonly found in Hindu as well as Mughal architecture. The chhatris here are supported by eight pillars.

Let your eyes run along the roofline. This type of roof-balcony, with its holed-wall is another feature of Mughal architecture, and is very suitable for the climate in Malaysia. The wall with holes is called ‘jali’ and they use repetitive patterns.

If you look into the main porch, you will see that the ceiling is very high and wide, to suit the tropic heat and allow for airflow to cool the place. After all, this is a railway station, where thousand move in and out daily.

This architectural masterpiece is said to be the most photographed railway stations in the world! I don’t have the verified source to support the claim though.  However , judging by its majestic architecture and the British Raj image it represents it is surely one of the most photographed railway stations in the world.

It was gazetted as a heritage site on 14 April 1983.

I have photographed this heritage buildings a few times both in the early morning and in the late evening. It is during that time the building would look so majestic resulting from the dramatic and contrasty light of the warm low-angled light. This will also result in interesting shadow interplay thanks to its multi-faceted geomatric design.

Photographing it was a sheer joy. I hope this architectural gem would be well preserved by the government and more effort should be taken to ensure that it is put to good use befitting this grandiose edifice.

Do enjoy the photos and I welcome any comments and criticism. More pictures of the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station can be found here.

The Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is framed by the horseshoe arches of the KTM Headquarters

Old against new

The old KL Railway Station acts as a foreground interest framing the modern Kuala Lumpur skyscrapers in the background visible among them are KL Tower, Menara Maybank and Petronas Twin Towers.

The Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station at dusk

Chhatri and dome are framed by the arch and staircase of the KTM Headquarters

Dome and chhatri in a frame

Dome, chhatri and the moon

Heritage Building of Kuala Lumpur – KTM Headquarters

This lesser known but equally majestic heritage building is currently occupied by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTM) headquarters.  This building is said to be the last of many Mughal-style buildings erected in Kuala Lumpur. Located along Jalan Hishamuddin, it blends in nicely with the appearance of its more famous counterpart, the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station across the road.

Like many Mughal-style buildings in Malaysia its architecture was also designed by AB Hubback.  It was completed in 1917, after works were halted during World War One. It incorporates the Mughal style of architecture, just like its counterpart across the road, the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. The building suffered bombing in its North Wing during the Second World War, and in 1968, the second floor was gutted by fire. In 1983, the building was gazetted as a heritage site.

The Mughal-styled dome of KTM Headquarters building

The front view of KTM heaquarters

One of the essential elements in Mughal architecture is onion-shaped dome.  KTM heaquarters is no exception and it has so many of them. The main dome has a cupola, or a smaller dome that crowns the bigger dome, which sits on top of a small pavillion. The word ‘cupola’ is derived, via Italian, from the lower Latin cupula or small cup, indicating a vault resembling an upside down cup. The other smaller domes are surrounded by thin long minarets.

KTM headquarters

Other than dome, arch is another typical characteristics of Mughal architecture as shown in the picture above. On the ground floor it is pointed horseshoe arches while on the first and second floor there are repetitive pattern of key-hole arches. Besides its ornamental function the arches provide holes to the passageway or corridor for the ventilation purpose considering hot and humid climate Malaysia is in.

KTM headquarters

KTM headquarters

At the corners of the builing you will see an overhanging balcony. You can recognize it from its criss-cross pattern as shown in the picture above. This is the ‘jharoka’, which is a balcony jutting forward from the wall plane. This adds to the architectural beauty, but it also has a functional purpose. It allows for people from the inside to look out, without being seen themselves

Horseshoe arches and key-hole arches

Let’s hope KTM and the Malaysian government will do everything necessary to preserve this beautiful architectural masterpiece and put it to good use even after KTM moves out to the new building some day.  It would be a great loss to the nation’s history and its heritage if the classic and vintage buildings of this kind are not preserved or worse still are replaced by featureless glass and concrete edifice.

A dome with the chhatri on top

Key-hole arches and horseshoe arches

A large dome on the tower surrounded by smaller domes

Heritage Building of Kuala Lumpur – City Theatre

Panggung Bandaraya (Malay for City Theatre)

Panggung Bandaraya DBKL (Malay for DBKL City Theatre) is a historical theatre hall located located across the Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the junction of Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja. It was built in 1896 and was completely finished in 1904.

The theatre formerly occupied the historical building of the Old City Hall of Kuala Lumpur. The theatre and old City Hall building was designed by a colonial-government architect, A.B. Hubback, who was also responsible for designing the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, the Jamek Mosque and other colonial structures throughout the Klang Valley.

It was built for production stages such as plays and musicals. Panggung Bandaraya is gazetted as a heritage building under the Antiquities Act and its Mughal architectural-styled façade has been preserved. A major fire in 1992 destroyed the entire interior of the theatre but City Hall’s designers and builders restored it soon after. The refurbishment that was undertaken has incorporated significant modifications to the furnishing and the sound system, which was updated.

The side view of the City Theatre (Panggung Bandaraya) while in the foreground is the Old High Court Building. Both feature rich Mughal architectural style thanks to A.B. Hubback who designed both of the elegant buildings

The City Theatre in the frame

The City Theatre entrance

Its facade which bears rich Mughal architectural style

Heritage Building of Kuala Lumpur – the Old High Court Building

The Old High Court Building with its distinctive Mughal architectural style

On the other side of the Sungai Gombak (Gombak River) from the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, there is another colonial heritage building which is likely to be ignored by ordinary city folks. This  classic edifice was designed by none other than A.B. Hubback, the British architect who was instrumental in designing many buildings with Mughal architectural style in Kuala Lumpur and other major cities in Malaysia.

A distinctive feature of the Old High Court building is the towers topped with a cupola with decorative buttresses around the base. Linking these towers are passageways or verandahs with two different types of arches – keyhole arches and ogee arches – another typical traits of Mughal architecture. The towers were origanally dining chambers with private tiffin rooms. This Old High Court Building started to be constructed in 1912 and completed in 1915.

The keyhole arches on the first floor of the verandah and ogee arches on the ground floor

The building first housed the Kuala Lumpur High Court as its name reflects and the Supreme Court but later after the High Court and Supreme Court were at that time moved to the bigger building which was the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, this beautiful building then was occupied by the Sessions and Magistrates Court yet it is still referred to as the High Court Building until now.

Nowadays I noticed that it is occupied by part of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture office.

The Old High Court Building in a frame

The ogee arch and door with strong Mughal architectural influence at closer look.

The Old High Court Building is located on the bank of Gombak River