Architecture Of Kuala Lumpur
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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 Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
's colonial buildings were built toward the end of 19th and early 20th century. These buildings have
Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...
, Tudor,
Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
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. Independence coupled with the rapid economic growth from the 70's to the 90's, saw buildings with more local and Islamic motifs arise in the central districts of the city. Many of these buildings derive their design from traditional Malay items, such as the head dress and the
keris The kris or is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight ...
. Some of these buildings have Islamic geometric motifs integrated with the designs of the building, such as square patterns or a
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
. Late Modernist and Post Modernist style architecture began to appear in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Buildings with all-glass exteriors sprang up around the city, with the most prominent example being the
Petronas Twin Towers The Petronas Towers (), also known as the Petronas Twin Towers and colloquially the KLCC Twin Towers, are an interlinked pair of 88-storey supertall skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, standing at . From 1996 to 2004, they were the tall ...
As an emerging global city in a newly industrialized economy, the city skyline is expected to experience further changes in decades to come with construction works like The Gardens, The Pavilion, Four Seasons Place, Lot C of KLCC and many more.


Neo Moorish and Mughal

Buildings with
Neo-Moorish Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centu ...
and Mughal style of architecture were built at the turn of the 20th century by the colonial power,
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
. While most of the buildings with such architecture are in
Dataran Merdeka 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'' (meaning "field" in Malay), and was ...
, there are some in older part of town such as the
Jamek Mosque 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 rivers and may be accessed via Jalan Tun Perak. The mosque was desi ...
on Jalan Tun Perak, and the KTM
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
and the KTM Administration Office. Famous buildings in the neo-Moorish style includes
Sultan Abdul Samad Building The Sultan Abdul Samad Building (Malaysian Malay, Malay: ''Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a late-19th century building located along Jalan Raja in front of Independence Square (Kuala Lumpur), Dataran Merdeka and the Roya ...
, the Court of Appeals and the old Kuala Lumpur High Court. All the buildings mention before are within the Dataran Merdeka area. Other buildings with Moorish architecture are Bandaraya Theatre, InfoKraft (
National Textile Museum The National Textile Museum () is a museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The museum is open daily from 9am to 6pm, with admission fees ranging from Malaysian ringgit, RM2 to RM5. It is adjacent to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. History Designed ...
), Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library, National History Museum and the old Sessions and Magistrates Courts before it was moved to Jalan Duta. The architect responsible for many of these buildings was
Arthur Benison Hubback Arthur Benison Hubback (13 April 1871 – 8 May 1948) was a British Army officer and architect who designed several important buildings in British Malaya, in both Indo-Saracenic architecture and European "Wrenaissance" styles. Major works cr ...
who designed the Jamek Mosque, the Railway Station, KTM Administration Office, Bandaraya Theatre and the textile museum, as well as contributing to the design of Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Image:Kuala Lumpur Sultan Abdul Building.jpg,
Sultan Abdul Samad Building The Sultan Abdul Samad Building (Malaysian Malay, Malay: ''Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a late-19th century building located along Jalan Raja in front of Independence Square (Kuala Lumpur), Dataran Merdeka and the Roya ...
Image:Sultan Abdul Samad National Day.jpg, Night view of Sultan Abdul Samad Building File:Mosque Jamek.jpg, Jamek Mosque File:2016 Kuala Lumpur, Narodowe Muzeum Włókiennictwa.jpg, Former FMS Railway headquarters File:2016 Kuala Lumpur, Stacja kolejowa Kuala Lumpur (02).jpg, Kuala Lumpur Railway Station Image:Railway HQ KL 2007 017 pano.jpg, KTM Headquarters


Tudorbethan & Victorian

There are many buildings built by the British at the turn of the 20th century that exhibit Victorian and Tudor influence in their designs. The buildings are modified to be suitable to the tropical environment of Malaysia, which is hot and humid with many days of monsoon rain.
Mock Tudor Tudor Revival architecture, also known as mock Tudor in the UK, first manifested in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture, in rea ...
or Tudorbethan styled architecture is the feature of two sporting clubs situated in
Dataran Merdeka 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'' (meaning "field" in Malay), and was ...
, the Royal Selangor Club and the Selangor Chinese Club. The buildings were built in 1910 and 1929 respectively. The architectural style, which features large exposed wooden beams in half-timbered walls, was the typical model for some of the earliest social club buildings in the country.
Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
architecture exists in religious building built by the colonial powers such as the St. Mary's Cathedral, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Church of the Holy Rosary and St. John's Church which is converted into Bukit Nanas Community Center. However, some residences such as Carcosa Seri Negara, which was built in 1897 for
Frank Swettenham Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham (28 March 1850 – 11 June 1946) was a British colonial administrator who became the first Resident general of the Federated Malay States, which brought the Malay states of Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and ...
also feature this style of architecture.
Victorian architecture Victorian architecture is a series of Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the st ...
was also a popular choice for the colonial powers to build schools, such as
Victoria Institution The Victoria Institution is the oldest secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a memorial school, so-called because it was partly funded by public subscription intended for the erection of a permanent memorial to commemorate the Golden ...
, Methodist Boys' School and
Convent Bukit Nanas S.M.K. Convent Bukit Nanas (abbreviated CBN) is an all-girls school located at Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest schools in Malaysia and is widely known as CBN. Convent Bukit Nanas is one of the ...
. Other examples of building in this style of architecture include the Central Market, National Art Gallery, Malaysia Tourism Center, Industrial Court Building, The Mansem, PAM Center (housing the Malaysian Institute of Architects) and Coliseum Theater. Image:St Mary's Cathedral KL.jpg, St. Mary's Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur Image:KLCentralMarket.JPG, Central Market Image:Royal Selangor Club, Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur.jpg, Royal Selangor Club Image:Coliseum Cinema, Kuala Lumpur (February 2007).jpg, Coliseum Theater


Grecian-Spanish

Prior to the gay fight, many
shophouse A shophouse is a building type serving both as a residence and a commercial business. It is defined in the dictionary as a building type found in Southeast Asia that is "a shop opening on to the pavement and also used as the owner's residence ...
s, usually two story with functional shops on the ground floor and separate residential spaces upstairs, were built around the old city center. These shop-houses drew inspiration from Straits Chinese and European traditions. Some of these shop-houses have made way for new developments but there are still many standing today around Medan Pasar (Old Market Square),
Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Doraisamy,
Bukit Bintang Bukit Bintang (; stylised as Bintang Walk or Starhill, the latter being a translation of the Malay language, Malay name) is the shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It encompasses Jalan Bukit Bintang (''Bukit Bintang ...
and Tengkat Tong Shin areas.
St. John's Institution St. John's Institution (abbreviated SJI) or formerly known as St. John's National Secondary School () is a public all-boys school (sixth form is co-ed) and is one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The school is widely known by ...
in
Bukit Nanas Bukit Nanas (Weld Hill during colonial rule) is a small hill in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With a height of 94 meters (308 ft) above sea level, it contains the only virgin tropical rain forest left in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The Bukit Nanas For ...
is famous of its imposing white and red brick building with emphasis on Grecian-Spanish style of architecture. The Telecom Museum, which was built in 1928 also sports the influence. Image:St John's Institution (Secondary Boy's), Golden Triangle, Kuala Lumpur.jpg, The Secondary Boy's branch of
St John's Institution St. John's Institution (abbreviated SJI) or formerly known as St. John's National Secondary School () is a public single-sex school, all-boys school (sixth form is co-ed) and is one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The school is ...
on
Bukit Nanas Bukit Nanas (Weld Hill during colonial rule) is a small hill in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With a height of 94 meters (308 ft) above sea level, it contains the only virgin tropical rain forest left in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The Bukit Nanas For ...
. Image:1-19, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur.jpg, Shophouses at '' Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman'' (Batu Road). Image:KL old shophouses.jpg, ''Medan Pasar'' (Old Market Square) shophouses. Image:Eng Choon Assembly Hall, Jalan Ampang, central Kuala Lumpur.jpg, Eng Choon Assembly Hall (1930) at ''
Jalan Ampang Jalan Ampang or Ampang Road (Selangor state route B31) is a major road in the Klang Valley region, Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in the 1880s, it is one of the oldest roads in the Klang Valley. It is a main r ...
''.


Modern Malay

Kuala Lumpur today has many iconic modern buildings which drew inspiration from every day traditional Malay items. The buildings were constructed in the 1980s and 1990s. An example of this style of architecture is the Lembaga
Tabung Haji Lembaga Tabung Haji ( Jawi: ; Arabic ) also known as Tabung Haji or TH is the Malaysian hajj pilgrims fund board.(18 July 1990)Tunnel tragedy death toll may reach 155, says Yusof ''New Straits Times'' It was formerly known as Lembaga Urusan dan T ...
(Pilgrims Fund Board) building which is derived from the form of a Malay drum,
Telekom Tower Telekom Tower ( Malay: ''Menara Telekom''), also known as TM Tower, is a 55-storey, 310-meter-tall supertall skyscraper in Lembah Pantai in western Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Until 2023 it was the headquarters of Malaysian telecommunications comp ...
which resembles a slanted cut of a bamboo trunk and Maybank Tower, whose design was inspired by the sheath of the
keris The kris or is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight ...
, the traditional Malay dagger. The buildings were designed by the same architect, Hijjas Kasturi.
Istana Budaya The ''Istana Budaya'' or also known as the ''Palace of Culture'', is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concerts and opera from local and international performances. It is located in t ...
is another example of this type of architecture, in which the building is designed based on a
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
head dress. The
National Library A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public library, public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, ...
which is situated beside Istana Budaya is also inspired by the Malay Head Dress. Image:KL-national library.JPG, The
National Library A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public library, public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, ...
building in Kuala Lumpur Image:Menara_telekom.jpg, Menara Telekom Image:Istana Budaya KL 2007 004 pano.jpg,
Istana Budaya The ''Istana Budaya'' or also known as the ''Palace of Culture'', is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concerts and opera from local and international performances. It is located in t ...
Image:Istana Budaya closeup bw.jpg,
Istana Budaya The ''Istana Budaya'' or also known as the ''Palace of Culture'', is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concerts and opera from local and international performances. It is located in t ...
closeup Image:Maybank Tower Kuala Lumpur.jpg,
Menara Maybank Maybank Tower () is a skyscraper in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The tower serves as the headquarters of Maybank and houses the Maybank Numismatic Museum. History The construction of Maybank Tower commenced in 1984 on Court Hill, over the ...
Image:Muzium Negara Malaysia KL (2022-05).jpg,
Muzium Negara The National Museum () is a public museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia dedicated to Malaysian art, Culture of Malaysia, culture, and History of Malaysia, history. Located on Jalan Damansara close to Perdana Botanical Gardens, Perdana Lake Gar ...


Islamic

With Islam being the official religion of Malaysia since independence, there are many Islamic architecture featured buildings that resides in Kuala Lumpur. Buildings like the Dayabumi Complex, and Islamic Center have Islamic geometric motifs on their structure, signifying Islamic restriction on drawing nature. Some buildings such as the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and National Planetarium have been built to masquerade itself as a place of worship, complete with dome and
minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...
, when in fact is a place of science and knowledge. Naturally, Islamic motif are evident in religious structure such as Masjid Wilayah and
Masjid Negara The National Mosque of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a capacity for 15,000 people and is situated among of gardens. Its key features are a minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete main roof. ...
. Religious places will have more
Arabic calligraphy Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of penmanship, handwriting and calligraphy based on the Arabic alphabet. It is known in Arabic language, Arabic as ''khatt'' (), derived from the words 'line', 'design', or 'construction'. Kufic is the ...
drawn on the columns and other places on the structure. Image:Dayabumi, Kuala Lumpur (February 2007).jpg, Kompleks Dayabumi Image:National Mosque KL 2007 pano.jpg,
Masjid Negara The National Mosque of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a capacity for 15,000 people and is situated among of gardens. Its key features are a minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete main roof. ...
Image:KualaLumpurTower.jpg,
Kuala Lumpur Tower The Kuala Lumpur Tower (; Jawi: ), colloquially referred to as KL Tower, is a 6-storey, telecommunication tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the world's seventh-tallest tower. It features an antenna which increases its height to . The r ...
Image:Blue dome mosque near hang tuah.jpg, A mosque near
KL Monorail The KL Monorail Line is the only operational monorail system in Malaysia. Operated as part of the Rapid KL system by Rapid Rail, a subsidiary of Prasarana Malaysia, it is one of the components of the Klang Valley Integrated Transit System. Th ...
's Hang Tuah station


Late Modernism & Post-Modern

Kuala Lumpur's central business district today has shifted around the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) where many new and tall buildings with Late Modernism and
Postmodern architecture Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the International Style (architecture), international style adv ...
fill the skyline. The 452 meter
Petronas Twin Towers The Petronas Towers (), also known as the Petronas Twin Towers and colloquially the KLCC Twin Towers, are an interlinked pair of 88-storey supertall skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, standing at . From 1996 to 2004, they were the tall ...
, designed by
César Pelli César Pelli (October 12, 1926 – July 19, 2019) was an Argentine architect who designed some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. Three of his most notable buildings are the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Wo ...
, when seen from above, resembles the Islamic geometric motifs. While looking from street level, the all-glass shell of the building gives a post-modern take on the more traditional motif. The
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (), also known as the KL Convention Centre, is a purpose-built convention and exhibition centre located in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was launched by Prime ...
, next door to the towers follows the same theme. The convention center will have the shape of an eagle if viewed from above, while the all-glass shell of the building gives a more post-modern look. File:Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur.jpg,
Petronas Twin Towers The Petronas Towers (), also known as the Petronas Twin Towers and colloquially the KLCC Twin Towers, are an interlinked pair of 88-storey supertall skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, standing at . From 1996 to 2004, they were the tall ...
, Night View Image:Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (northeastern exterior), Kuala Lumpur.jpg,
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (), also known as the KL Convention Centre, is a purpose-built convention and exhibition centre located in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was launched by Prime ...
Image:KL- K Residences.JPG, An upscale residential tower along Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur. Image:KL- Lembaga Tabung Haji HQ.JPG,
Tabung Haji Lembaga Tabung Haji ( Jawi: ; Arabic ) also known as Tabung Haji or TH is the Malaysian hajj pilgrims fund board.(18 July 1990)Tunnel tragedy death toll may reach 155, says Yusof ''New Straits Times'' It was formerly known as Lembaga Urusan dan T ...
Headquarters.


Current Developments

As a developing city and a part of a developing nation, there are many construction projects that are currently being built that will change the city's skyline in the near future. Some of the construction project are The Pavilion, The Gardens, Oval Suites, Four Seasons Center and Lot C of KLCC. A lot of the new development has come at the cost of old existing structures. The destruction of the heritage has created controversy, such as the recent destruction of the colonial-era mansion Bok House on Jalan Ampang in 2006 to make way for a 60-story office towerThe battle for survival


Skyline


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Architecture Of Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
*
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...