Architecture Heritage Building Analysis

Klang Municipal Hall

Lee Er Hau 0309722 Wong Zi Xiu 0309732 Hng Xuan Ning 0310110 Tan Cheng Chuan 1006A79433

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0.1 History of Klang The royal town of Klang has been a site of human settlement since prehistoric times. Bronze Age drums and Tulang Mawas from the Iron Age have been found within the town itself and within the vicinity. Commanding the approaches to the tin rich Klang Valley, Klang has always been of key strategic importance.(''Pejabat dan Dewan Mesyuarat baharu Majlis Bandaran Klang Upacara Pembukaan Rasmi'', 1964, December 1. (No Author, 1964)) Due to the industrial revolution of the West, the demand for tin increased and that led to the rapid expansion of tin mining. As a result of the reason stated, Klang had become more significantly important in the 19th century. Hence, the royals of Klang started the Selangor Civil War (sometimes called the Perang Saudara Klang), as they were driven by the desire to control Klang. The chief outlet for Selangor's tin is still the royal town. Moreover, the railway that links Klang Valley to Bukit Kuda has been completed in 1886, the position was enhanced. In the 1890s its growth was further stimulated by the development of the district into the State' leading producer of coffee, and then rubber. In 1901, it became the official seat of Sultan Sulaiman (Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Shah). Today Klang is no longer State capital or the main seat of the Ruler, but it remains the headquarters of the District to which it gives it name. 1.0.2 History of Klang Municipal Hall Klang Town Council was found on May 1890. It was known as Klang Health Board to govern Klang. In 1904, the area of Klang Health Board and Port Swettenham were delineated. Both of the health boards were combined in 1926. Then, in December 1945, the name was changed to Klang Town Board to avoid misunderstanding with Klang Health Board. In 1950, the Local Authority Election Ordinance direct members of town board to be elected, instead of nomination and appointment. The combined town of Klang and Port Swettenham was the only town in Selangor that has a population of over 10000 and should be run by a town council with elected members. Hence, the town board was called town council. In 1955, the first elected councilor, Mr. Chan Peng Hong, started a reserve fund to build a much needed town hall. The site was first announced at the old rest house near the railway station at jalan raya east. In August 1960, the town planning and building committee decided 1

that a town hall should be separated from the town council office. Y.B. Enche Abdullah bin Haji Hassan suggested although the Selangor state capital did not move to Klang and due to rapid development they need a modern town hall. He stated that an ideal site would be Istana Kota, the hill side along the river.

In 1963, the contract went to Kenneison brothers and the first phase was completed in May 1964. In November 1964, the council office shifted into the newly completed town hall. However in October 1992, a new tender worth RM8.1 million was given to build a new seven stories building with a meeting room and auditorium. It was fully used in March 1995 as the new headquarters for Klang Municipal Council. (Jabatan Komunikasi & Pengaduan Awam Majlis Perbandaran Klang (2010). Sejarah Majlis Perbandaran Klang. Klang, Selangor (JKPAMPK [JKPA], 2010))

Figure 1. The old MPK building in 1960s. (source: MPK, 2013)

1.1 Fast Facts of Klang Municipal Hall 1.1.1 Building Facts of Klang Municipal Hall The building has a long history, the oldest record about this building was in 1857. In 1857, Raja Abdullah Bin Raja Jaafar built Gedung Raja Abdullah to show his wealth and power. He was a very influential person back then, he was entitled with Orang Kaya Klang by Sultan Muhammad with the power to find tin mine. Later on, a war called Perang Saudara Klang was started by Raja Mahadi and Putera Raja Suleiman because they were jealous of the prosperity and progress made by Klang under Raja Abdullah. The warfare took place near the Klang River, where the Gedung Raja Abdullah was used as a fortress to defend Raja Abdullah himself. Gedung Raja Abdullah, in the other words- The Palace of Raja Abdullah is the oldest building in Selangor. Raja Abdullah escaped safely during the war due to the safety tunnel he built at his palace. After the war in 1874, the Selangor government claimed the house and used it as government office. Afterwards, the buildings ownership changed from government offices to police headquarter. In 1880, the Palace of Raja Abdullah was used as the headquarters of Klang Police. Afterwards, it was used as Selangor Police Headquarters for a continuous 100 years. The building was emptied from 1980-1984 as the police headquarter of Klang moved away to the back of the palace . It actually became a mini museum to show Klang history for one year before it was abandoned again and decided to rebuild it as Klang Municipal Hall. During the inception of having a building for the council, the representatives of the council were impressed by the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka building so they chose Enche T. J. Khoo as the architect. The site was given by DYMM Sultan Selangor on 6th January 1964 because it held a lot of historical events in Klang and it was named Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah. The Engineers in charged were called Rankie & Hill. Quantity surveying were done by Crisp Kevanagh & Partners. The electicians were Pang & Liu and the contractor was Kenneison Bros Ltd. Initially, the loan was $750,000 and it rose to $989,000 after the architect finalized the building design. It was completed in November 1964. Then new Klang Municipal Hall takes up an area of 2660.84 square meters. (No Author, 1964)

1.1.2 Function The Klang Municipal Hall is where the city governing body is located, it gives a platform for working places for government workers throughout the whole building. The related departments 3

include the governing department, town treasury, tax and income unit, hawker and stalls department, audit department, , properties and cooperate department, health department, YDP office etc. It provides the best facilities for people in Klang. It is often used as a meeting place for town officials. The Yang-Di-Pertuans office is also located at the top level of Sultan Abdul Alam Shah building. Generally, the Klang Municipal Hall is where people pay bills and get approval for their license. 1.1.3 Location The Klang Municipal Hall is located in Bangunan Sultan Alam Shah on Jalan Perbandaran just beside the Klang river, It is on top of Bukit Raja, which has the best view of Klang city. Besides, across the river, there is Masjid Jamek Ar Rahimiah Klang which also acts as a significant landmark. Then Klang Municipal Hall is surrounded by landscaping gardens and Raja Mahadi Fort, it is also opposite Dewan Hamzah. There is a signage of Klang on the slope of the hill and also a clock tower nearby the entrance. We can also see a water feature from the highway. Rows of shop houses can be seen below the hill and a railway beside the road.

Figure 1.1.1 . The railway and Masjid Jamek Ar Rahimiah Klang located across the Klang River. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 1.1.2. The landscaping garden behind Klang Municipal Hall. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 1.1.3. Signage of Klang on the slope of the hill. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 1.1.4. The water feature facing Jalan Kota roundabout. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 1.1.5. Location of Klang Municipal Hall as shown in map.

2.0 BUILDING INVENTORY 2.1 Faade

Figure 2.1.1. Overview of Klang Municipal Hall. (source: Author, 2013)

Element Faade Details: The building consists of three atriums. Both of the main buildings have distinct design. Both of the buildings were built at different time so there are obvious differences between the designs, structures and the materials used.

Figure 2.1.2 The backview of Bangunan Sultan Alam Shah. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure above shows the building Bangunan Sultan Alam Shah. It is a newer building which was constructed in October 1990. It is a six-story office tower. On the ground floor, it has an auditorium and a feedback center. The curved surface faade is covered by windows. The front view of the building gave people an illusion that the building is a solid geometric shape but when you look from the back, it actually shows a shape of hook or a J. (see Figure 2.1.1 and Figure 2.1.2) First Floor: The Department of Property Management and Evaluation (extension) Second Floor: The Department of Engineering and The Department of Health (extension) Third Floor: The Department of Business and Commercial (extension) Fourth Floor (New Building): The meeting room of the Treasury department Fifth Floor (New Building): The Municipal Hall Management offices Sixth Floor (New Building): The operation room and office of the Mayor.

Figure 2.1.3. The emblem of Klang on Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah. (source: Author, 2013)

This building consists of meeting rooms and offices of various departments, named Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah. It was finished in November 1964. It has a rather dull shape which is a rectangle with some addition and subtraction of space on the both ends, giving it a more interesting structural view. As for this building, It has lesser windows than the previous one, the windows are located on the side facing the main road, providing a clear view of Klang. First Floor: The Department of Property Management and Evaluation Second Floor: The Department of Engineering and The Department of Health Third Floor: The Department of Business and Commercial

Figure 2.1.4. Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 2.1.5. The centre atrium (source: Author, 2013)

This is the center atrium that acts as a bridge to connect both of the atriums on the side as well as the main entrance. Inside, it is the reception area and a mezzanine level that is the Public Relation department and the Internal Audit Department.

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2.2 Interior structure

Figure 2.2.1. Reception area in the centre atrium. (source: Author, 2013)

This is the ground floor of the center atrium. In figure, it shows the reception area. Meanwhile, this area is the main space that the circulation is focused here. The user can access to both sides including the back garden. On the left theres the auditorium and the galleries(Figure 2.2.2) to showcase the work. On the other side, there are the financial department and the main switch room which are situated in the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah building. The paying counter is located at the back of the main lobby.

Figure 2.2.2. Gallery (source: Author, 2013)

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Structural elements

Figure 2.2.3. Enquiry counter. (source: Author, 2013)

The screen is made up of tiles. The logo of Klang Municipal Hall is located there as it is the first thing that comes to eyes when one enters. It is used to separate the reception area and the space behind. It shields the stairway to the mezzanine and the entrance to the bill payment counter from the eyes of the viewer.

Figure 2.2.4. Inner roof structure. (source: Author, 2013)

The roof top is made of corrugated metal and supported by the steel frames. The light weighted materials allow the roof having a high ceiling with minimum supporting columns. The design of the roof stimulates air ventilation to keep the interior cool. The lighting system is hanged from 12

the ceiling with long cables to provide a brighter atmosphere during night time as the ceiling is too high.

Figure 2.2.5. Glass wall used for transparency. (source: Author, 2013)

The glass wall is located on the side of the reception area. It allows the sunlight to enter the space which makes the space brighter and it is eco-friendly because no lightings needed to be turn on during day time. Besides that, the transparent wall makes the space wider as it provides the view to the greeneries in between the reception area and the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah.

Figure 2.2.6. People waiting to pay their bills. (source: Author, 2013)

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Figure 2.2.7. Interior of auditorium (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 2.2.7. shows the auditorium that is located on the ground floor of Bangunan Sultan Alam Shah. It has a capacity of 80 seats. Besides, there is a semicircular stage located in front. This auditorium provides a suitable space for giving talks and ceremonies as it is equipped with many facilities such as surround speakers, projectors and a stage.

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2.3 Landscapes and Surrounding Structures

Figure 2.3.1. The gate of Raja Mahadi Fort. (source: Author, 2013)

The landscape of the building is preserved since 1857. There is a back garden behind the building. The famous Raja Mahadi Fort is located there and acts as a back entrance.

Figure 2.3.2. Escape tunnel. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 2.3.2. shows the entrance to the escape tunnel. The tunnel is the original structure that was a part of Gedung Raja Abdullah since 1857. It is the located on the side of the building. The entrance now acts as a gateway leading to the parking space of the office workers. The escape tunnel is now sealed and just for exhibiting. 15

Figure 2.3.3 . Tombstone of Muhd Akib (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 2.3.3. show the Tombstone of Muhd Akib, a captain of Raja Mahadi and leader of people of Batu Bahra, he had made great contribution in the battle of Bukit Kota and was the right hand man of Raja Mahadi during the civil war period in Klang.

Figure 2.3.4. Cannon used in Klang War. (source: Author, 2013)

The cannon is located in front of the auditorium as a decoration. It is an original cannon from the Klang Civil War. They found it during the course of excavations of the site. It is an appropriate ornament that shows the origin of the site as well as emphasizing the history of the site.

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Figure 2.3.5. Raja Mahadi Meeting Room. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure 2.3.5. shows the exterior of Raja Mahadi Meeting Room, it has a circular plan and a rounded roof with a crescent and a 14-point star symbolizing Islamic authorities and the fourteen states in Malaysia, similar as the one on the Jalur Gemilang.

Figure 2.3.6. Interior of the meeting room. (source: Author, 2013)

Figure above shows the interior of the Raja Mahadi meeting room. It is where the official meetings commence. It has tables with seats surrounding the void in the middle to provide optimum environment for discussion. 17

Figure 2.3.7. Clock tower at the entrance. (source: Author, 2013)

There is a clock tower located at the entrance of the parking lot opposite the Municipal Hall.

Figure 2.3.8. Dewan Hamzah. (source: Author, 2013)

This figure shows the entrance to the parking lot and Dewan Hamzah, which was previously used as a public meeting hall before the new Sulatn

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3.0 CONCLUSION Klang Municipal Council was founded in May 1890, being known as the Klang Health Board, it is the oldest town governing body in Malaysia, lasted for more than 120 years. It has been through the Klang Civil War and overseen the rapid development of the local community. Klang does not have any high rise skyscrapers but it does have a well preserved history. We get to know the building of Klang Municipal Hall by paying a visit to there. The head of the public relation department of Klang Municipal Council greeted us and explained the development of the building to us. He also showed us the pictures of the building including the old and new as well as the catalogue. On the other hand, we went to the National Archive to dig deeper into the origin and get our hands on the written report of the development of Klang Municipal Hall. In the National Archive, we found some official documents as well as reports regarding the inception of Klang Municipal Council and the official building. We have learned about the Klang Civil War between Raja Abdullah and Raja Mahadi, and the origin of the current site of Klang Municipal Hall- the Kota Raja Mahadi, which was used as a defensive fortress before converting into the site of Klang Municipal Hall. We had taken pictures of our research subject and learn a lot more about the history and surrounding structures of throughout the process. As a conclusion, we really appreciate the knowledge we got from the research trips and the help we got from staffs around the Municipal Hall and the National Archive. We are glad that the government did an effort to preserve the documents in a way that everybody can access them. We have to remember the history and appreciate the effort done by the previous people so that we can have a better environment to live in as well as to create a better future for the later generation.

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References

1. Jabatan Komunikasi & Pengaduan Awam Majlis Perbandaran Klang (2010). Sejarah Majlis Perbandaran Klang. 2. Pejabat dan Dewan Mesyuarat Bahasa Maljis Bandaran Klang Upacara Pembukaan Rasmi, December, 1964.

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