ARCHITECTURE HISTORY PROJECT 2: ANALYSIS REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 03
1-8 9 - 16 17

Comparison
Sultan Abdul Samad Building

General Hospital Kuala Lumpur

02
GROUP DETAIL
Daryl Goh Wei Zhi Voon Ming Yee Yong Zhen Dong Cheng Xin Tung
0343532 0343048 0343078 0348757

Chang Shi Pei Ashley Yap Ee Wern Lee Xiu Yi Gerald Kho Ming Xiang
0342740 0343275 0343268 0343462
 1.1 Background Sultan Abdul Samad
1.2 History building is known to
1.3 Site analysis many as the building
1.4 Spatial analysis located in front of
1.5 Architectural style, significant features Dataran Merdeka to
fellow Malaysians,
and construction materials
notable for it’s
1.6 Summary
imposing porch,
graceful arches, curved
colonnades topped
with shiny copper
cupolas and a
domineering 41.2m
clock tower. This late-
nineteenth century
building is a must see
for Malaysians all
around as it jump
started modern
architecture in
Malaysia.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building 1

1.1 BACKGROUND
British Malaya at that time was lacking in terms of
architectural innovation and development, where
there was hardly any building in brick or stone.
Mosques and palaces of local rulers were built in
wood or bamboo. Hence The British decided to
disrupt the constant but also respecting the local
Islamic cultures by introducing the Islamic style
they were using from India, giving the people a
fresh and exciting jumpstart to a new era.

As the British were colonizing

Malaysia, several buildings
were constructed as a way to
indirectly assert dominance
and ask for compliance in
peace. This post-war British
planning approach
overlapped with increasing
interests in modernist
architectural styles, including
indo-sarecenic architecture
adapted from British India, as
well as bold experiments with
construction materials and
methods. The building was
commissioned by the British
administration in an effort to
centralized the administrative
offices.

The analysis of Sultan Abdul Samad building aims to highlight the extravagant decorative ornamentation and
its principles with were brought down for over 100 years, as well as how it affects the image of Kuala Lumpur.

2
construction start

(6/6) Foundation stone was

laid on by the Governor of
the Straits Settlements, Sir
1.2 HISTORY
Charles Mitchell.

rename and renovation

All of the State of Selangor

1894
Government offices were
relocated to Shah Alam, and the
various departments of the
Federal Government also moved
Independence of Malaya
their offices elsewhere. The
building was then renamed The Padang or field in front of the
Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad Sultan Abdul Samad Building,
(Sultan Abdul Samad Building) officially renamed Dataran Merdeka
and renovated. (or Merdeka Square) on 1 January
1990, has become the location for
the official celebration of Malayan

1974 (later Malaysian) independence

since.

1990
1897
construction
completion

(4/4)officially opened by
Sir Frank Swettenham,
the General Resident of
the time.

The 41-metre (135 ft)

1978
tower chimed for the
first time to coincide Starting from this year, the

with Queen Victoria’s
Jubilee Parade in June
1897 and has chimed
since.
2012
building housed the Court
of Appeal, High Court and
the Supreme Court, which
was subsequently renamed
the Federal Court.

refurnish
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.

3
 1.3 SITE ANALYSIS
Typology
Mixed used building (government + commercial)

Location ACCESSIBILITY
Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 202, 580, 770 ,RED

Architects 4, 5

Arthur Benison
Hubback
CIRCULATION
Primary road
Secondary road
Pedestrian path

Arthur Charles
Alfred Norman

Regent Alfred
John Bidwell

NEIGHBOURHOOD
CONTEXT

Royal Selangor Club

SWOT ANALYSIS Masjid Jamek

S Being one of the most well known landmark makes it

the focal point of Kuala Lumpur, hence is it easily
accessible and found by the public.

W The industrial design of the newer building clashes with

surrounding heritage buildings.

Royal Selangor Club

O
opens up business opportunities and tourism
opportunities due to its strategic location, helps *both buildings exhibit similar
increases activity in the street area architectural styles with Sultan
Abdul Samad Building.

T Building is unprotected from natural phenomenon, poor

maintenance/planning in conserving and preserving the
building

4
1.4 SPATIAL ANALYSIS
There are many administrative departments involved in Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The
Design principles
building is now currently being occupied by the Ministry of Information, Communications,
and Culture of Malaysia and was later joined by Jabatan Warisan Negara in 2014.

The rectangular spaces are

erected into different types of
shapes and are ordered in a F-
shaped form.

unity
Simple geometrical forms that are distinctly
Linear
articulated and grouped showed the building as
organization
a whole in a harmonic manner.
The forms then merge
partially with each other
forming interlocking spaces
and adjacent spaces. These
spaces are merged to form
larger spaces for certain
activities.

hierarchy
The use of hierarchy strategically emphasizes
the clock tower as the centerpiece, being the
tallest compared to other dome towers.

BL
OC
KA
symmetry
The use of symmetry mirrors the front-facing
private space
facade of Sultan Abdul Samad Building and
public space
contributes to a unified and harmonised design.
circulation

BL
OC
KB

Form/ massing

Repeated modular elements of form such as

Cuboids and Cylinders form masses that are
used as basic elements in the design and layout rhythm
of the building.
Rhythm can be seen clearly in the repeating arches
and curves all around the building.

5
1.5 ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
AND SIGNIFICANT FEATURES
Chhajja
Chattri

Dome
- Originally made of
Arches
timber and bricks and - Made of bricks and white painted plastered
painted black and are blocks.
now replaced with - The ground floor arcades have a much widen
copper cladded span than those upstairs showing that Norman
domes which are gave the building a feeling of proportion.
based on the Indo- -There are different forms of arches to provide
Saracenic airy ventilation in adapting to the hot and
architectural style. humid tropical climate of Kuala Lumpur

- The central
dome is Pointed
placed on top - Curved sides that meet at a point m
0m
of the clock - Particularly important in Gothic 259
architecture
tower flanked
by two smaller
domes with Horseshoe (keyhole arch)
descending - Often used in Spanish medieval
architecture.
spiral
- Maximum width is greater than the
staircase. distance between its two side supports.

41000mm
Ogee
- Consisted of two ogees, mirrored left-
to-right and meeting at an apex
- The use of ogee elements
characterize Venetian Gothic and
Gothic Revival architectural styles.

Masonry work
External walls were mainly made o

6 were rendered. The facade displays

bricks and white painted plastered s
 Indo-Saracenic architecture
Revivalist architectural style mostly used by
British architects in India in the later 19th century
which drew stylistic and decorative elements
from native Indo-Islamic architecture. Gothic
revival and Neo-Classical style are incorporated in
the layout and structure of the building as well.

Clock Tower
- At the center of the
building
- Shows the symbol of our

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
country as a democratic,
Islamic, and stable
economic country.
-Houses a one-ton bell
clock striking the hours
and half hours

>2267kg of copper 2500 barrels of cement

- Soft, malleable, - A cement is a binder, a
ductile metal with high
4 million bricks substance used for
thermal and electrical construction that sets,
- Cost-effective and
conductivity and good hardens, and adheres to other
easy to work with,
resistance to corrosion materials to bind them
and without the need
-Relatively light together
for expensive
rendering (e.g.) to bind sand and gravel
-Strong, hard, >45000kg of steel and iron (aggregate) together.
durable, resistive to (railings and fountation) 30000 cubic
abrasion and fire feet of timber >1000000kg of lime
- High tensile strength
-Produces less - Lime is one of the basic
-Binds well to concrete, has a (doorways and
environmental building material used
pollution during
similar thermal expansion entrances) mainly as lime mortar in
coefficient, and is strong and
manufacturing construction
relatively cost-effective -Lightweight and
process - Have a higher acid
versatile, -easy to
resistance- due to its alkaline
handle and install
nature
-Resistant to high
- Used to make intricate
temperatures
patterns as well as
geometrical profiles

Pinnacle
of colored bricks while the interior walls
horizontal bonding in alternate course of
strips
7
 In short, it is safe to say that Sultan Abdul Samad building serves as a staple
of new beginnings of modern architecture in Malaysia with the introduction
of incorporating elements from Islamic architecture that represents
Malaysia, a multi-raced country. It is evident that the Sultan Abdul Samad
Building has impacted the evolution of Malaysian architecture, such as the
worldly known KLCC having a subtle Islamic tone.
2.1 Background
2.2 Site analysis
2.3 Spatial analysis
2.4 Architectural style, significant features
and construction materials
2.5 Summary

Known to the public as

the place where the first
successful kidney
transplant was conducted
between a husband and
wife with different blood
types in Malaysia 2012,
and with the average
hospital admission on a
daily basis over 360 cases,
Hospital Kuala Lumpur
proves to be a reliable
hospital and one of the
staples of modern
architecture in Malaysia.
Its design reflects space
functionality and
convenience at its finest,
thus proving the organic
growth and expansion
from only 3 wards to a
nationally recognized
hospital.
General Hospital Kuala Lumpur 9
2.1 BACKGROUND
The progressive design and construction of
General Hospital Kuala Lumpur mirrored the
country's economic growth. Buildings in this post-
war building boom encouraged fewer walls and
natural ventilation and lighting. They were also
sensitive to topography and used simple lines and
geometric forms.

The individual buildings of General Hospital

Kuala Lumpur may not be particularly
significant but must be appreciated as a
whole, as they act as a reminder and
reminiscence of the past and the spirit of the
times, where people were fighting their way
for better healthcare facilities with minimum
help.

Modernist architecture in
Malaysia, specifically tropical
modernist architecture
associates functionalism with
the local tropical environment.
Hence architects take extra care
on the building orientation and
materials used. The inspiration
of brutalist architecture
exhibited growing importance,
with local architects being
trained in the west and adapting
the use of concrete to replace
traditional materials such as
wood and bamboo.

The analysis of General Hospital Kuala Lumpur aims to highlight the characteristics of brutalist architecture
and its flexibility to grow and expand for over 140 years.

10
 2.2 HISTORY
start of HKL

Developed as a district
hospital with three wards.

1870 specialization

Maternity
Hospital,
North Ward
Block,
Radiotherapy
Department
and Hostels
for staff were WCH Opened and future
Upgrade of facilities plans
built.

Institute of A new 12-storey Women and

Radiotherapy, Children’s Hospital (WCH) with 600
1964 Oncology and beds built at a cost of RM 850

1920 Nuclear
Medicine.
million is scheduled to open within
HKL's compound, offering services
such as labour and delivery,
nursery, therapy and women
ward classification specialist clinics, child development
Upgraded to 25 wards center, pediatric specialist clinics,
with 1st class, 2nd women health center, neonatal
class and 3rd class intensive care and obstetric wards.
wards classifications. 1997
Future plans include a "school
within a hospital" facility for

1972-1975 children who are on long-term

treatment and hospital-bound.

expansion

2017
1972
South Ward Block, Neurology
Institute, Surgical Block, Radiology
Block, National Blood Transfusion
Centre and more hostels were added.

1973
Specialist clinics, Outpatient
Department and Doctor's hostel were
2013
constructed.
SCACC opened
1974
Trainee Nurses hostel and Clubhouse Specialist Complex &
added. Ambulatory Care Centre
(SCACC) was opened,
consisting of 16 clinical
1975 departments, support services
such as pharmacy, pathology,
Orthopaedic Institute, Urology
radiology, Central Sterile
Institute, Artificial Limb Centre and
Supply Unit (CSSU) and allied
Radiology Block were established.
health services. SCACC
providing 30 beds for daycare
patients, 184 consultations
rooms, 7 seminar rooms and
the Clinical Research Centre

11
(CRC).
Site Plan
2.3 SITE ANALYSIS
ACCESSIBILITY
202, 251, 254,
BLUE, RED

3, 4

*Service road: one-way road suited for

CIRCULATION
users that are circulating inside of General
Primary road
Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
Secondary road

Typology Tertiary road

Service road
Pedestrian path
Government building (hospital)

Location
Jalan Pahang, 50586 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah
Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur NEIGHBOURHOOD
CONTEXT

Hospital Tunku Azizah

SWOT ANALYSIS
S Most important tertiary centre in the country, many researches have been
conducted in HKL in the past and there are many more researches that are
being carried out currently as well as upcoming researches in the future.

W Lack of facilities around the hospital to accommodate the high population of

patients in the area, area is overcrowded

O
Education and Curriculum support/development is provided to other
hospital due to its rich experience in the medical field

T Tight roads and parking congestions causes heavy traffic flow and
difficulty for people to access, drop off and pick up patients KPJ Sentosa KL Specialist Hospital

12
2.4 SPATIAL ANALYSIS
The Kuala Lumpur Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in Asia and has 53 different departments and units. These include the administration & finance
department, the pharmaceutical department, training and research, 28 clinical departments and 12 clinical support services. It consists of many building
blocks, each serving as different wards.

The usage of cuboids or rectilinear configuration repeatedly reflects

certain functional zones and gives the space a sense of uniformity and
harmony. It is a design that achieves the utmost in simplicity.

Derived from the addition and subtractive

transformation of simple cuboids,
emphasising the building's functionality.

Denotes clustered organization

Urology & Nephrology

Radiotherapy

Orthopedics & Traumatology

Due to its continuity of expansion throughout the years, different Parking lot
blocks of the hospital are built based on the topography and space of
the surroundings. Therefore the building blocks and spaces are linked
by connection bridges or common space. These blocks then fulfill
individual functions serving as different wards.
Hospital Bersalin

Wisma Rekod HKL

Design principle

rhythm symmetry
The usage of cuboids or rectilinear configuration repeatedly creates The main block or structure of the building has the mirrored form
a regular rhythm which enforces brutalism architecture. from its central axis, hence the hospital's form is balanced.

Form/ massing

Hospital Kuala Lumpur is composed of

different sizes of rectangular shapes

Unlike other buildings which only have

flat cement walls, most of Hospital Kuala
Lumpur facades include cement frames
of different sizes causing it to have a
rigid and bulky appearance.

13
2.5 ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
AND SIGNIFICANT FEATURES

Structural walls
- Possess high compressive
strength and is not subjected to
corrosive and weathering effects
- Fire resistant , insulated and
light weighted
- Can be easily handled and
moulded into any shape

Flat roof
- Systematic utilization for domestic purposes. Facade
- The reinforced concrete serves as a protection
- Rectilinear frame which is created from louvered
against changing temperatures by the maintenance
windows
of constant humidity on the roof.
- Allows air and sufficient sunlight to enter the building
- Maximize the internal space of a building and are
- The concrete frame dominates the aesthetic
usually far more energy-efficient than pitched roofs.
- Form the classic brutalist “egg-crate” appearance.

-Suitable for Malaysian climate where

sun and heavy rains are common
-Easy maintenance
-Resistant to wind damage : Wind can
damage a shingled roof and can easily
rip off an entire row of shingles .

Louvered windows (sun shading)

-Controls the amount of light that penetrates into
the building , cooling the building down and
14 providing thermal comfort for the patients
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is a style that emerged in the 1950s and is distinguished by their rigid geometric style and
extensive use of poured concrete. Brutalists put heavy emphasis on the exposure of structural materials such as
concrete and prioritised the internal functional use of the building, which is healthcare in the context of Hospital
Kuala Lumpur. It is a contemporary architecture style that is highly functional and concrete rather than abstract.
Modular elements such as rectangular blocks were often used to create masses representing distinct functional
zones, merged into a unified whole.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Aluminium glass window
- Weather-proof
- Corrosion-resistant
- Immune to the harmful effects of UV rays, ensuring optimal
performance over a very long serviceable lifetime.
- Lightweight, cheap, have high durability

Concrete
- A composite material composed of
fine and coarse aggregate bonded
Terrazzo
together with a fluid cement (cement
- A composite material which consists of
paste) that hardens (cures) over time.
chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or
- Strong, durable, and low
other suitable material, poured with a
maintenance
cementitious binder.
most durable and lowest life-cycle-cost
flooring material

15
 Hospital Kuala Lumpur has come a long way, from being a district hospital
with only 3 wards, to being the main government hospital we know today. It
has without a doubt played a role in contributing to modern architecture in
Malaysia with its introduction of materials like reinforced concrete and the use
of functionalism. Since then, several government buildings in Malaysia such as
Wisma Equity and Penang Central Bank have followed its footsteps in
incorporating brutalist architecture to evoke a sense of formality.
3.0 COMPARISON

SULTAN ABDUL SAMAD BUILDING vs GENERAL HOSPITAL KUALA LUMPUR

Archietcture Style
Indo-Saracenic Both buildings are categorized
Brutalism
under Modernist Architecture.

Cylindrical and dome shaped
forms and detailed decorations
causing it to have an
ornamental appearance,
emphasizing on Islamic motives
as facade design.
Design Elements
Addition and subtractive
1.shape and form transformation of rectilinear
Usage of addition, subtractive and shapes and forms, causing it to
colliding form transformation have a rigid and bulky
techniques. appearance, minimal
decorative elements.

2.texture
Dome coated with shiny copper
Matte concrete
and rich masonry work

Use of hierarchy to introduce different

Design Principles
Buildings are more rectangular and exhibit a
heights. monotonous height.
Symmetry and repetition to bring
out a unified whole.

Construction
Components
Dome and pitch roof (roof
sloping downwards, 'pitch' of a Flat roof (roof is complete, or
roof is its vertical rise divided 1.roof almost level and is laid to a fall
by its horizontal span and is a to ensure that rainwater can
measure of its steepness.) run off to the lower side)

Quadratical frame that repeats

repetitively that forms the
Consist of different type of
arches and swirls
2.facade classic brutalist “egg-crate”
appearance.

17
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