SULTAN ABDUL

SAMAD BUILDING

HISTORY II
Authored by: Your Name
HISTORY OF
THE BUILDING
• It is a late nineteenth century building that located along Jalan Raja in
front of Dataran Merdeka and the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur

• The land for this building was initially the settlement of Yap Ah Loy and
was used as a vegetable garden where that time, the administration
centre for Kuala Lumpur was at the east part of Klang River. During the
year 1875 to 1978, the land was said to be a valley and was took over by
the British under the development plan, Swettenham 1882. Yap Ah Loy
had to accept the offer of $50 an acre.

• When Malaya gained independence in 1957, the building was named as

Dataran Merdeka or Merdeka Palace as the declaration of the
independence of Malaysia was done in front of this building on August
31, 1957 where the lowering of the Union Jack Flag took place and
replaced with the national flag of Malaysia.

• In the year of 1974 all the state of Selangor Government offices were
relocated to Shah Alam and the various department of Federal
Government also moved their offices elsewhere. The building itself
renamed again as Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad after Sultan Abdul
Samad the reigning Sultan of Selangor at that time.

• In the year of 1978 the building housed the superior courts of the
country: the Federal Court of Malaysia, the Court of Appeals and the
High Court of Malaya.

• The Federal Court and the Court of Appeals had shifted to the Palace of
Justice in Putrajaya during the early 2000s, while the High Court of
Malaya shifted to the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in 2007.
DESIGN
CONCEPT
 The Architect

Born in England in 1858, Arthur Charles Alfred Norman served as a senior

government architect of Public Works Department (PWD) in Malaya from the year
1883 till 1903.

On October 6th, 1894, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building began construction under
the supervision of the State Engineer, Charles Edwin Spooner, with Norman as the
official architect. In just three years the building was completed. It was the largest
building to be built at the time spanning 400 feet in on the ground with a central
clock tower standing 135 feet tall. During the construction of this iconic building,
Norman was also involved with a number of other structures. His works include the
St Mary’s Church (1894), the year SASB was scheduled to begin construction, the
Selangor Club Building (1890),
Victoria institution (1894), the
Carcosa (1897) and the the
Government Printing Office,
known in the present day as
the JKR 92 Memorial Library
and Museum(1907 – 09).

While Norman was the

Government Architect at the
time, the Moorish architectural
style that resonates in the
Sultan Abdul Samad Building,
and a number of others in the
vicinity, was influenced by the
State Engineer, Charles Edwin
Spooner, who at the time had
working experience in Ceylon.
His influenced induced Norman
to change the early designs of
the Sultan Abdul Samad
Building from that of the
Classic Renaissance to adapt
the Mahometan style.

Notably, not all of Norman’s work show this adaptation. The St Mary Church,
Selangor Club Building and the Government Printing Office had strong similarities to
the architecture from his native land, England.
• The idea of this building is from Mahomaten style that was so much
influenced by C.E Spooner who had working experienced in Ceylon (Sri
Lanka).
• Ceylon is the India neighboring country that have eclentive mixture of gothic
and Italian as well as Islamic elements.
• The building contains of 4 millions of bricks, 50 tons of fabricated steel and
iron, 30,000 cubic feet of timber, 2,500 barrels of cement, 18,000 pikuls of lime
and 4,000 cubic yards of sand.
• This building has a front façade stretching 137.2 metre (450 feet).
• 50 tons of fabricated steel and iron, 30,000 cubic feet of timber, 2,500 barrels
of cement, 18,000 pikuls of lime and 4,000 cubic yards of sand.
• This building has 3 towers namely the tallest Central Clock Tower and 2
shorter circulation towers.
PRINCIPLE
ELEMENTS
RHYTHM
 RHYTHM

• Rhythm is a regular and

repeated pattern

• As a design principle,
rhythm can be defined in
building design as a
patterned repetition of
elements in space

• Rhythm in building design

is characterised by patterns,
elements or motifs at irregular
or regular intervals

• Rhythm in this
circumstance is the
organization of the repetitive
forms, elements and space in
building design

• Usually rhythm in
architecture is present in
columns, windows, walls and
other elements of a building
designed in such a way that it
transmits a repetition of the
same element

• The Sultan Abdul Samad

building incorporates rhythm
in its architecture

• The element on the walls

of this building shows the
principle of rhythm

• It is shown as a repetitive shape moving in different cadences throughout the wall

• The building stairways also has this principle present

• With the stairway the rhythm in its design is shown in a more mesmerizing way as
the repeating arches coincide in a melodic fashion
REPETATION
 REPETITION

• Repetition is repeating a single element many

times in a design

• It is the use of the same element more than one

throughout a space

• Repetition can include the repeated use of shape,

color, or other art element; a repeated shape of
color helps unify different parts into a whole

• Repetition can bring harmony and create a theme

to design

• Repetition can be used to create a pattern, create

rhythm, create harmony and create emphasis. This
principle can be seen on the exterior
• The Sultan Abdul Samad
building has plenty of repeating
patterns in its design

• The principle of
repetition can be seen in its
corridor arches

• The repeating design of

the arches come in various
shapes and sizes

• This creates a
mesmerizing pattern due to the
repeating arches that creates a
rhythmic pattern

• This building
showcases Islamic aesthetic
design and it is prevalent and
obvious through the whole
building
SYMMETRY
The front façade of the building is extremely symmetrical. Two circular
towers with the same height of 17.2 metres stand on each side of the porch,
separated only by a 41.2 metre high clock tower.
In the case of the front façade, the clock tower acts as the axis of symmetry for the
building.
The symmetry however only applies for the elevation. When viewed in plan, the F-
shaped nature of the building takes away the symmetry.
COPPER DOMES

Another striking feature

of the Sultan Abdul
Samad Building are the
three towers that
protrude from the
building. One of the two p
circular towers. A copper
dome peeping out from
behind the roof. The
copper domes that cap
them are based on the
Indo-Saracenic
architectural style. • The
element design that have
been apply to copper
domes is radial
symmetry. Two lower
towers flanked the clock
tower, each containing a
staircase.
 Miniature white domes places the terrace above the entrance

The majestic domes sit on the minarets which are detailed

with horse shoe arches, a drum and a fine finial.
The historical clock on the tower

was made by Gillet and Johnston

Manufacturers in Croydon,
England. This giant clock has
been around for over a century
and consists of a pulley system,
weights and gears to function. It
has to be manually maintained to
keep it moving everyday.
The task of doing it is not easy
but thankfully a team of staff
from the Survey and Mapping
Department or JUPEM has
volunteered to do the daily
winding, cleaning and oil the
mechanism of the clock. It takes
about 3 hours a day for a team of
two to do the job.
At one time, the time zone in
West Malaysia was half an hour
later than East Malaysia. The
standardization of time between
Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah,
Sarawak and Singapore was
done here on January 1, 1982.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
was used to house the Federated
of Malay States administration
after its completion in 1897.
Since 1972, this building has
been used to house the High
Court and the Supreme Court.
When the new Federal
Administrative Capital of Malaysia was completed, the Federal Court and Court
of Appeals have since moved to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya. It now
houses the commercial Division of the High Court of Malaya as well as a
handicraft centre.
Every year, Malaysian will congregate here to usher in the New Year.
Origin and design

The government offices of the British colonial administration was

originally located in the Bluff Road (present day Jalan Bukit Aman) area
on a hill overlooking the Padang now called Merdeka Square. However,
due to the need for more office space and complaints from the public
about the necessity of going up and down the hill, the State Engineer of
Selangor Public Works Department Charles Edwin Spooner proposed the
building of government offices lower down at the plain.[1] The initial
suggestion was rejected due to cost, but the British Resident of Selangor
William Edward Maxwell accepted a second proposal that cost less.[1]

The building was originally designed by A.C. Norman and his assistant R.
A. J. Bidwell in a Classical Renaissance style, but Spooner disliked the
design. It was then reworked by Bidwell under Spooner's guidance in a
style variously described as Indo-Saracenic, Neo-Mughal, or Moorish.
Later A. B. Hubback who had just starting working for the colonial
government in Malaya as a senior draughtsman also worked on it.[2]
Although the building is formally credited to A.C. Norman (only his name
appears on the foundation stone as the architect) and his ground plan
was kept, the actual design is to a large extent the work of R. A. J. Bidwell,
with some contributions from A. B. Hubback who also designed the
fixtures of the building.[1]
The building has two stories, with the floor plan roughly in the shape of
the letter F with an extended top bar representing the frontage. The facade
of the building faces the Padang and stretches over 137.2 metres (450 ft)
along Jalan Raja, at that time the largest building in Malaya. The building
has 3.5 metres (11 ft) wide verandas on both floors.[3] A central clock
tower is 41 metres (135 ft) in height, and designed to echo the Big Ben
but in an Indo-Saracenic style. Two lower towers flanked the clock tower,
each containing a staircase. The design of these two towers may have
been influenced by Muir Central College of Allahabad in India.[1] All three
towers are topped by a copper-clad onion dome.[4] The style of the
building is sometimes referred to as the "blood and bandages" style—red
bricks with white plastered arches and banding.
Construction

The construction of the building began in September 1894 and was

completed in 1897. The foundation stone was laid on 6 October 1894
by the Governor of the Straits Settlements Sir Charles Mitchell. The
building sits on an area of 1.034 hectares, with the floor of the
building occupying an area of 4,208.5 square metres (45,300 sq ft).
The construction used 4 million bricks, 2,500 barrels of cement,
18,000 pikuls of lime, 5,000 lbs of copper, 50 tons of steel and iron,
and about 30,000 cubic feet of timber.[1] Spooner had previously
established in the Brickfields area a factory for the production of
large number of higher quality bricks, tiles and other building
material suitable for the construction of the building. The cost of
construction was 152,000 straits dollars.

Spooner also made many alterations and additions while the building
was being constructed with the help of A. B. Hubback. Some of
these, such as an extra two and a half feet of brickwork on the lower
walls, were necessary to strengthen the building due to it being built
so close to the river. The height of the clock tower had also caused
much concern to the public, who thought that the tower may collapse
due to the ground vibrations caused by a loud signal gun fired daily
at noon and 5 pm, the built tower however proved to be sturdy. A
problem arose with the clock first delivered as it was not in harmony
with the building, and it was replaced by a second one. The clock
was manufactured by Gillett & Johnston Ltd of Croydon.
Opening

The building was completed in 1897, and a dinner was held by the Selangor
Public Works Department in the building to celebrate its completion. On 4
April 1897, The building was officially opened by Sir Frank Swettenham, the
General Resident of the time. A ball was held at the building, and its exterior
was floodlit by gas burners, the first time such illumination was used in
Kuala Lumpur.
The 41-metre (135 ft) tower chimed for the first time to coincide with Queen
Victoria’s Jubilee Parade in June 1897 and has chimed since.
BUILDING USES
This building has seen many uses as a government administration office. One use which
many travel sites never mentioned was the use of this building as the main post office. I
still remembered in my school days when I joined the queue in the early mornings to
purchase issuance of First Day Covers of philatelic stamps. I still have my stamp
collections from those younger days. Later when the main post office shifted to Dayabumi
Building, the Sultan Abdul Samad building was left vacant for a while before it was used
for courts room hearings and activities. The High Courts has since move over to
Putrajaya and now they just have the commercial division of the High Court of Malaya as
well as a handicraft Centre

Extensions

The completed structure housed various important government

departments during the British administration. The building, simply known
as Government Offices in early Kuala Lumpur maps, housed the Federal
Secretariat of the then-Federated Malay States (FMS) which was formed in
1896. The entire FMS administration—the Public Works Department, General
Post Office, District Offices, Mines Department, Lands, Audit, Treasury,
Government Secretariat Offices—was housed there. It also shared its offices
with the Selangor State Government. As it was not foreseen when
construction began in 1894 that Kuala Lumpur would become the capital of
the Federated Malay States, the office space provided was inadequate for
the need of a burgeoning bureaucracy. The FMS government took over the
offices that were intended for the Sanitation Board. Other buildings and
extensions were then constructed around it. A rear wing was added in 1903,
and a building built in the same style was added to the south in 1907 to
house the General Post Office.

Post-independence

Malaya gained independence in 1957, and the Padang or field in front of the
Sultan Abdul Samad Building, officially renamed Dataran Merdeka (or
Merdeka Square) on 1 January 1990, has become the location for the official
celebration of Malayan (later Malaysian) independence since. At Dataran
Merdeka, the British Union Jack was lowered for the last time at midnight on
30 August 1957 when the clock started chiming, and the Malayan flag then
hoisted for the first time. Celebrations shifted to the Merdeka Stadium in the
morning on 31 August with the Declaration of Independence, and Tunku
Abdul Rahman became the first prime minister of Malaya.
In 1974, all of the State of Selangor Government offices were relocated to
Shah Alam, and the various departments of the Federal Government also
moved their offices elsewhere. The building was then renamed Bangunan
Sultan Abdul Samad (Sultan Abdul Samad Building) and renovated.
Starting from 1978, the building housed the Court of Appeal, High Court and
the Supreme Court, which was subsequently renamed the Federal Court.
The Federal Court and the Court of Appeals have since moved to the Palace
of Justice located in Putrajaya, the new Federal administrative capital. The
building now houses the offices of the Ministry of Information,
Communications and Culture of Malaysia and underwent further
refurbishment. Every year, in the morning of Merdeka Day (31 August) as
well as Malaysia Day (16 September), thousands of spectators converge on
the city to watch the colourful parade along the streets of the city and
performances held at the Merdeka Square.

In 2012, the building was partly refurbished and the copper domes received
a new coating of metallic paint. New colour-changing LED lights were
installed to brighten up the building at night. On selected days, a section of
Jalan Raja will be closed in order for the people to enjoy the night scenery
of the area. Since 2007, a Merdeka (Independence) wording has been fixed
at the bottom of the clock tower, a reminder of the very day of the nation's
independence in 1957.
Incidents

In 1971, Kuala Lumpur suffered a huge flood after a heavy rainfall. Part of the
building was not spared. In 1978, a massive renovation was undertaken. The
renovation took six years to complete with a total cost of RM 17.2 million.
There was also a fire which damaged part of the building. A large bronze
memorial plaque commemorating fallen judicial officers and lawyers who
served as volunteer soldiers in the Second World War disappeared about this
time. The plaque was either looted or else was damaged in the fire but was
never repaired or replaced. There is now a move supported by the Malayan
Volunteers Group to try to get the bronze memorial plaque restored.
Transportation

The building is accessible within walking distance west of Masjid Jamek LRT
Station.
Inside the Building

Inside of the Sultan Abdul Samad building are the offices of the Ministry of
Information, Communications and Culture of Malaysia. The building has a
shiny copper dome and a clock tower which is 40 meters high. The building
serves as a backdrop for many essential events for the country. Among the
important events celebrated at the Sultan Abdul Samad building are the
National Day Parade on August 31 and the welcoming of the New Year. Other
historical event which took place at this building was the declaration of
independence of Malaysia back in 31 August 1957. Another important event
happened on 1st January 1982 when the time between Peninsular Malaysia,
Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak were standardized.

Other attractions nearby would be the Petaling Street (Chinatown) and Jalan
Tuanku Abdul Rahman. These are the two famous places where you can shop
for anything. These two places are always bustling with people. Jalan Tuanku
Abdul Rahman is most famous for its imported fabrics, sarees, leather goods
and batik. You can also do your shopping at Berjaya Times Square. This
multilevel shopping mall is occupied by hundreds of shops and it also has the
largest covered theme park in Malaysia. Food here is also abundant.
The historical clock on the
tower

was made by Gillet and Johnston Manufacturers in

Croydon, England. This giant clock has been around for
over a century and consists of a pulley system, weights
and gears to function. It has to be manually maintained to
keep it moving everyday.
The task of doing it is not easy but thankfully a team of
staff from the Survey and Mapping Department or JUPEM
has volunteered to do the daily winding, cleaning and oil
the mechanism of the clock. It takes about 3 hours a day
for a team of two to do the job.
At one time, the time zone in West Malaysia was half an
hour later than East Malaysia. The standardization of time
between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and
Singapore was done here on January 1, 1982.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building was used to house the
Federated of Malay States administration after its
completion in 1897. Since 1972, this building has been
used to house the High Court and the Supreme Court.
When the new Federal Administrative Capital of Malaysia
was completed, the Federal Court and Court of Appeals
have since moved to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya. It
now houses the commercial Division of the High Court of
Malaya as well as a handicraft centre.
Every year, Malaysian will congregate here to usher in
the New Year.
The main facade of the building is made elegant with thsymmetrical arches.
Floral designs are imprinted on the pavement along the street.The central 8
pointed star symbolises the “seal of the prophethood” in Islam,thus ensuring the
declaration of Islam as the national religion.
Along its verandahs we can
see different forms of
arches,the most common
being the keyhole, ogee,
pointed and horseshoe
arches to provide airy
ventilation in adapting to the
hot and humid tropical
climate of Kuala Lumpur.
 The use of red bricks with white plaster.

Gothic Architecture
inspired spires pierce
through the blue sky.
The old colonial
buildings are used
as an inspiration to design
surrounding buildings. The
new buildings take on a few
elements such as the arches in
their form.
Conclusion

The Sultan Abdul Samad building has borne witnessed to many major historical events of
our country. It stood proud for over a century, watching as we gained independence and set
the time which marked the joining between the peninsular, Singapore and the east coast. Its
walls have soaked in the joy, the tears and the frustration of our ancestors, as it will ours.
Historical landmarks aren’t just big buildings or expensive structures, they are those that
withstand the test of time and serve as an identity to a nation. This building is that, it is
the identity of our country and everything it stands for.
The first of its kind. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building was the first to be built in the
Mahometan style and brought on an architectural movement within the nation. It is
important that the colonial architecture such as this one is preserved, not only as a national
heritage building, but also as a reminder of the hardship our ancestors went through to get
us to where we are today.
References

1. J. M. Gullick. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Journal of the Malaysian Branch of
the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. 65, No. 1(262). Malaysian Branch of Asiatic Society
(1992)
2. A. Ghafar Ahmad. Chronological Biography of Arthur Charles Alfred Norman. Journal of
the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. 70, No. 1(272). Malaysian
Branch of Asiatic Society (1997)
3. Robert Raymer. Spirit of Malaysia. Editions Didier Millet (2011)

4. Chen Voon Fee. Encyclopedia of Malaysia V05: Architecture (Encyclopedia of

Malaysia). Didier Millet, Csi (2007)

5. ACCU Nara International Correspondent. The Eighth Regular Report. (Pg 21-23)
Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for
UNESCO (ACCU) (2011)
6. Hazrina Mohidin, Alice Ismail, Aminatuzuhariah Abdullaah. A Study of Styles
Classification and Influences on Administration Building in Malaysia (15th – 21st
centrury). Seminar of International Convention: Bridging Between Old & New 2012,
KALAM, UTM (Pg 12)
7. Wikipedia. “Sultan Abdul Samad Building”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Abdul_Samad_Building
8. World Travel, The Great Mirror : “Travel to Malaysia: KL Take
Two”. http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?navid=1519

DONE BY
QURESHI ABDUL REHMAN (182920107)
JAMA ABDIRAHMAN MOHAMED (172918995)
OMAR ABDILLAHI ABDINASIR (181919861)
MAHMOOD MOHANAD (183920347)
BE F O RE

AF TER