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 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
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
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 Old Kuala Lumpur
The Heritage Station Hotel
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=260106
http://www.malaysia-traveller.com/kl-railwaystation.html
The buildings in Malaya have adopted the colonists’ architectural styles such as NeoMoorish, 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 until today and they form an identity for
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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.
1890s – Kuala Lumpur – Old Railway Station
https://aibob.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/kuala-lumpur-once-upon-a-time/
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
British field stations throughout Malaysia to Bangkok. It was always bustling. However, with
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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 neoSaracen 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 Resident. (Kuala Lumpur Railway
Railway tracks in KL
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?
t=438753&page=36
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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.
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
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
http://www.keretapi.com/the-kualalumpur-railway-station.html
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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,
http://www.malaysia-traveller.com/kl-railway-station.html
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,
http://www.malaysia-traveller.com/kl-railway-station.html
2010)
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 doublestorey retail space is added to one of the two adjacent frontal access roads to the main
building. (Turkcebilgi, 2010)
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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
Victorian St Pancras Station
Barlow and Rowland Mason Ordish in
http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/london/lspage01b.htm
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
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
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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-travelguide.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-railwaystation.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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