Architecture Heritage Building Analysis Report

Selected Building:

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

Group Members:

Ang Min Qi

Eleanor Ng

Pei Xuan

Tan Hui Xian

Tutor:

Pn. Shahrianne

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The Old Kuala Lumpur

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=260106

The architectural building analysis that

this project focuses on is the Kuala Lumpur

Railway Station. It is located along Jalan

Sultan Hishamuddin at the city center of

Kuala Lumpur, opposite the Malayan Railway,

now incorporated as KTMB. The architect for

this building is Arthur Benison Hubback, who

is the Architectural Assistant to the Director of

Public Works in the Public Works Department. His other works include the Masjid Jamek

and the Ubudiah Mosque in Kuala Kangsar. The station has undergone up to three

renovations in an effort to upgrade the railway station as it grew in its size and function.

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station served as the central hub of rail transportation in

Malaysia for almost one hundred years. It received its last intercity train, the Senandung

Malam, on April 15, 2001 at 10.30pm. (Malaysian Explorer, 2012) The function of the Kuala

Lumpur Railway Station as a central hub has since been taken over by KL Sentral. It serves

today as the KTM Komuter Kuala Lumpur Station, and also as a hotel, called the Heritage

Station Hotel. The railway station is notable for its mixture of Eastern and Western designs,

and has become a popular tourist spot as well as a popular spot for portrait or wedding

photography. There is a place where some of the old trains are kept, which is an interesting

place for photo shoots.

The buildings in Malaya have adopted the

colonists’ architectural styles such as Neo- Moorish, Tudor and Victorian, Neo- Gothic or

Grecian- Spanish, and etc. and are modified to suit the local climate context, which is warm

and humid. These colonial buildings also have combinations from the styles of other cultures

because of the migration of Indian and Chinese as well as the local Malay traditions. These

unique architectural styles have great heritage values. Many of them are being conserved

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The Heritage Station Hotel

station.html

The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

1890s – Kuala Lumpur – Old Railway Station

https://aibob.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/kuala-lumpur-once-upon-a-time/

until today and they form an identity for Malaysia’s architecture. The beginning of the

development of Kuala Lumpur dates back to 1850s when many Chinese tin miners migrated

from Klang to Kuala Lumpur to operate tin mines. During this early period, wood and attap

(thatch roof) are the main building structures. (Ho, K.C., 2005).

In the year 1881 to 1882, the government decided to rebuild the colonial town due to

the fire, flood, muddy condition and overcapacity in Malay Peninsula. Building Regulations

and town planning methods were introduced in 1884. In the 19th century, the British have

adopted a mixture of the British and Moghul Architectural style (Indian Muslim) in India. This

architectural style is commonly used in administrative buildings. The British has begun to

make their impact in Malaya’s architecture before the Second World War. Public Works

Department (PWD) was entrusted to design and construct the public sector buildings in most

of the British colonial countries.

Chandran Jeshurun (2004) stated, in the year of the rebuilding programme (1884),

the town population have expanded rapidly. The establishment of the railway provided

convenience towards the development of buildings that increased during the 1890s. The

railway network system has always been a main component in the development of the

country. Before the first railway line was opened to the public, the only transportation was by

boat along the Klang River. The first railway station, built in 1886, was just a temporary

building of wood and corrugated iron roof that was in keeping with the rest of the buildings in

town. The first railway track was built in 1885, running from Taiping to Port Wed in Perak;

and the network grew from a 12.8 kilometres track as Malaysia developed. A new station

was built in 1911 as the railway station grew and more passenger services were introduced.

The government started an extension project on Kuala Lumpur Railway Station in

1983 because of its heritage value and its popularity as a tourist destination. The building

was preserved as a worthy historical attraction. Kuala Lumpur Railway Station as the central

station, with the start of KTM Komuter service, once linked Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to

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Railway tracks in KL

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=438753&page=36

British field stations throughout Malaysia to Bangkok. It was always bustling. However, with

the newly and modern-built KL Sentral taking over, the KL Railway Station has become just

a stop for commuter trains. After so many years of operation, the Kuala Lumpur Railway

Station has now come to its end.

In these modern times, Malaysia’s development has been growing rapidly and there

is existing conflict between urban change and heritage. Many buildings have combinations of

Malay roof forms with the mainly modernist types for maintaining the identity of Malaysia.

The remaining of British Colonial past has made its effort in introducing Islamic elements to

the government buildings. The lately built intensities due to force of rapid urbanisation

demolished almost all the heritage buildings and affect the country not only architecturally

and environmentally but also socially and culturally. In contrast, according to Ho K.C. (2005),

there is a critical requirement to build up new and appropriate designs concurrent with the

past and present. The architects and the planners of the historical and cultural perspectives

of a place should have this basis to relate the local technology and social-economic

development with the new designs.

The architect for the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, Arthur Benison Hubback, was

born in Liverpool, England. He lived mostly in London, from 1871 to 1948. (Malaysian

Explorer, 2012) His architectural style is mainly Indo-Saracenic. Hubback was attentive to

the needs of the community in Kuala Lumpur and has successfully designed a railway

station that is attractive and aesthetic. The railway station has become an important

architectural building and its high heritage value has increased its popularity as a tourist

destination.

The design ideas for the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station came from the Moghul neo-

Saracen architecture, which features gently curving domes and arches. (Chandran

Jeshurun, 2004) This architectural style is pioneered by British architects in British India.

This unique style is a combination of elements from native Indo-Islamic and Indian

architecture, as well as the Gothic revival and Neo-Classical styles. The term Saracenic was

used by the ancient Romans to refer to people who lived in desert areas in and around the

Roman province of Arabia, as well as people who

were distinguished from Arabs.

The first railway station was constructed in 1886

with just wood and corrugated iron roof. (Jeshurun,

2004) It was located in Jalan Cheng Lok. This

station was referred to as the ‘Residency Station’

since it was terminated at the grounds of the British

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Resident. (Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, 1997) In 1892, the Second railway station, which

was popularly known as Sultan Street Station, was constructed at Foch Avenue. It was

stationed along the Pudu railway line. (Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, 1997)

Mughal architecture is one of the glamorous 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. Authur Benison Hubback was the

Architect of the third railway station, Kuala

Lumpur Railway Station. Capslock (2007) This

Mughal-inspired neo-Saracen station was

constructed in 1900 and was completed in 1910,

at a cost of 23,000 dollars. (Jeshurun, 2004)

This station is located along a road named

Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin.

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Kuala Lumpur’s old railway station (right) and railway office in a 1950/60s picture (right) and railway office in a

1950/60s picture

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=260106

The several distinctive architectural elements in this station

http://www.keretapi.com/the-kuala-lumpur-railway-station.html

There are several distinctive architectural elements in this station. Key-hole arches,

horseshoe arches and ogee arches are among the features that identify Mughal architecture.

These arches form a repetitive pattern on a straight row on each floor. In addition, domes

are the most eye-catching characteristics of Mughal

architecture and there are the chhatris which hold the

domes. Chhatris are commonly found in Hindu as

well as Mughal architecture. The platform’s canopy is

built with simple octagonal towers with cupolas that

are constructed from cast iron and timber. The new

railway station consists of two parts: the terminal

building with its offices, waiting rooms, restaurant and the train shed. The train shed has

been influenced by large glass and iron train sheds,

although cloaked in domes and arches, while the

main span of the shed is 60 feet. (Kuala Lumpur

Railway Station, 1997) At the ground level the

station is a simple linear set of halls with a deep

continuous covered loggia in front as shade and

shelter, while the platform is laid out behind in a

parallel form. The station comprises of one main

terminal building and three platforms that serve four railway tracks. (Malaysia Travel Guide,

2010)

Apart from that, the provision for cross ventilation is made with the gilled and slatted

openings to both faces. At the northern section, the

building at mezzanine is expanded full length due to the housing of principal public waiting

rooms, first floor level and also the loggia, providing a ‘floating’ quality to the front elevation.

Besides, in the section, the ostensible volume of the building is renounced and it steps down

towards the platforms, allowing the principal halls to be top-lift from large ventilating sky-light.

The building has a curious asymmetric quality whereby to

the northern end, the building develops in scale and

complexity from a simple massive boundary wall, whist to

the south, the side wall of the platform canopy looks

curiously unembellished. Thus, additional wings were

built to enhance more of an Asian focus to it. (Turkcebilgi,

2010)

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http://www.malaysia-traveller.com/kl-railway-station.html

http://www.malaysia-traveller.com/kl-railway-station.html

Victorian St Pancras Station 

http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/london/lspage01b.htm

The station has undergone several major changes in its more recent history. One of

the changes was that the north wing was converted for office use by 1967; the arches was

closed with verandahs and windows. In 1986, the station was more widely renovated, the

interior and significant windows replaced with modern counterparts while the exterior was

repaired and preserved. An additional extension built was refurbished on the south wing of

the building, which "Raj" styling’s is the dominant style of the building. The addition of a

frontal façade for the north wing that portrays similar architectural elements serves to

conceal hints of Western designs from the front. These changes resulted in the building to

contain two additional ‘chhatris’, two on the corner of each wing and alongside the original

four. There are other modifications for the old building, which includes a new station

entrance, which was built, resulting in the rear wall of the station to be carved open and

extended to accommodate the taxi stops, several office and retail spaces, while a double-

storey retail space is added to one of the two adjacent frontal access roads to the main

building. (Turkcebilgi, 2010)

KL Railway Station in comparison

with St Pancras Station in London, UK, is

that both are railway stations and they are

both named for the famous railway station

from the 19th century.  But their similarities

pretty much end there.  KL Railway Station

is the first railway station in Malaysia that

was built in 1886. It is located in Jalan

Sultan Hisshamudin.  St. Pancras Station,

on the other hand, was designed by

William Barlow and Rowland Mason Ordish

in 1863, which is one of the most eccentric

and extravagant British railway stations, made even more peculiar with construction

commencing in 1866, which features the famous Barlow train shed arch that spans 240 feet

and is over 100 feet high at its apex. On its completion in 1868 it became the largest

enclosed space in the world. One of the most recognisable features of St Pancras

International today, the red brick Grade 1 listed Gothic front facade was created as part of a

competition in 1865, and became the Midland Grand Hotel, designed by Sir George Gilbert

Scott, father of Giles, built during 1868 to 1876.

From the outside, the only thing the two buildings have in common is that they both

function as a railway station. But, the architecture styles of both buildings are rather different.

Both styles were influenced by the culture and climate of their country. The KL Railway

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Station, designed by architect Arthur Benison Hubback, was built in the Mughal style – the

fusion of Islamic and India culture architecture. It has a central domed superstructure over

the saloon. The dome is supported by an internal cast wrought-iron frame and features a

convex, feathered ring, topped by a fluted ring, in turn topped by a parapet; ribbed onion

dome above, with reticulated lights, culminating in a high finial. Dome is a characteristic of

Islamic architecture representing heart and heaven - symbol of peace and tranquility. On

each corner of the dome is a minaret, supported by an octagonal leaf column and rising from

square yet crenellated turrets. It has these features – The chattris (small minarets at all four

corners of the building) and the chajia (a projecting cornice with deep brackets) which are

Muslim features whereas the pillars and horizontal beam over the front door are of Hindu

inspiration, as are the many representations of the lotus. The St Pancras Station, on the

other hand, was designed by William Barlow and Rowland Mason Ordish, and was built in

the Victorian style – the name represents the British and French custom of naming

architectural styles for a reigning monarch. It had a single span roof, with wrought-iron cross

ties and glass covering for the arch at the station level. The arch was sprung directly from

the station level, with no piers, revealing details of Victorian features, which was lost to the

eye for generations. The arch is a slightly pointed design, with a reduced Radius of

curvature at the springing points. There is a total of the 24 rib roof. The single-span overall

roof was the largest such structure in the world at the time of its completion. The current

record holder for this is the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, USA. It also has a train shed

which has the glazing pattern with the skeletal transparency of the Ferro-vitreous ironwork

shed and the colour is a sky-blue shade of late Victorian times. Besides that, it has a

distinctive feature of a fabulous bay window and red-brick masonry walls of early Victorian

times.

In conclusion, the KL Railway Station and the St Pancras Station are two of the

world’s most famous Railway stations.  They have fundamentally different architectural

designs, both inside and out, that would reflect and enhance the different goals of the

architect to suit the building with the climate and culture in different countries. Their unusual

designs which dominate entire blocks are open to the public, just as libraries or churches

do.  Neither of them blends in with the surrounding buildings, and yet each one elegantly

adds to the neighbourhoods’ overall harmony.  The unique shapes of these railway stations

invite passengers to marvel at them and perhaps to come in and admire the architectural

style.  In this sense, the architecture of these buildings is different in that one is Mughal and

one is Victorian but they eventually produce a similar function and emotion in the viewer.

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Reference

Chandran Jeshurun. (2004). Kuala Lumpur – Corporate Capital Culture Cornucopia: Kuala

Lumpur Railway Station. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Arus Intelek Sdn. Bhd.

Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. (1997, 15 Feb). Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, pp. 50–65.

Arkib Negara Malaysia.

Mohd Bakri Jaffar & Dr. Azmy Morsid. (2007). Untukmu Malaysia Sempena 50 Tahun

Merdeka Menjejaki Warisan Kita. Shah Alam, Malaysia: Ultimate Print Sdn. Bhd.

Ho, K.C., Ahmad Sanusi Hasan, & Norizal M Noordin. (2005). Malaysia Design Archive: An

Influence of Colonial Architecture to Building Styles and Motifs in Colonial Cities in

Malaysia. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from http://www.malaysiadesignarchive.org/?

p=936

Information About Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Retrieved March 9, 2013, from Turkcebilgi

Official Website : http://english.turkcebilgi.com/Kuala+Lumpur+Railway+Station

Kuala Lumpur Train Station Very For Cheap And Easy Travel. Retrieved March 9, 2013,

from Malaysia Travel Guide official website:

http://www.malaysia-travel-guide.com/kuala-lumpur-train-station.html

Malaysian Explorer. (2012) KL Railway Station. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from

http://www.umlib.um.edu.my/publications/APA-Guide.pdf

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R, Michael. (2013) St. Pancras Station. www.GreatBuildings.com. Retrieved June 3, 2013

from http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/S._Pancras_Station.html

Voyage 99. (N.D.) Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from

http://www.voyage99.com/tourist-attraction/kuala-lumpur/attractions/kl-railway-

station.html

The Old Railway Station: Places to Visit in Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved March 9, 2013 , from

abckualalumpur official website :

http://abckualalumpur.com/info_guide/kl_railwaystn.htm

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