Architecture of Kuala Lumpur

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

Tudor, Neo-Gothic

or Grecian-Spanish style or architecture. Most of the styling have been modified to cater to use local resources and the acclimatized to the local climate, which is hot and humid all year around.

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. Some of these buildings have Islamic geometric motifs integrated with the designs of the building, such as square patterns or a dome

.

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

Lot C of KLCC

and many more.

Neo Moorish and Mughal

Buildings with

railway station and the KTM Administration Office. Famous buildings in the neo-Moorish style includes Sultan Abdul Samad Building, 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), 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

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.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building
Night view of Sultan Abdul Samad Building
Jamek Mosque
Former FMS Railway headquarters
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
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.

Dataran Merdeka, 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.^[1]

Neo-Gothic 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 also feature this style of architecture.

Convent Bukit Nanas. 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

.

Grecian-Spanish

Prior to the gay fight, many

St. John's Institution in Bukit Nanas 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.

The Secondary Boy's branch of
St John's Institution on Bukit Nanas
.

Shophouses at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Batu Road).
Medan Pasar (Old Market Square) shophouses.
Eng Choon Assembly Hall (1930) at Jalan Ampang.

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

keris, the traditional Malay dagger. The buildings were designed by the same architect, Hijjas Kasturi. Istana Budaya is another example of this type of architecture, in which the building is designed based on a Minangkabau head dress. The National Library

which is situated beside Istana Budaya is also inspired by the Malay Head Dress.

The National Library building in Kuala Lumpur
Menara Telekom
Istana Budaya
Istana Budaya closeup
Menara Maybank
Muzium Negara

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

Masjid Negara. Religious places will have more Arabic calligraphy

drawn on the columns and other places on the structure.

Kompleks Dayabumi
Masjid Negara
Kuala Lumpur Tower
A mosque near
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

Petronas Twin Towers, designed by César Pelli, 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.^[4] The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

, 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.

Petronas Twin Towers
, Night View
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
An upscale residential tower along Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur.
Tabung Haji 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 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 tower^[5]