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Stunning colonial heritage of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur can often seem like a city which is in love with the future, such is the frenetic pace of development. But if you know where to look, there are still plenty of reminders of times gone by. Of particular interest are the colonial-era buildings which still grace KL.


Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) houses the greatest concentration of British colonial edifices, many of them dating back more than a century. The square lies just a few hundred metres from where KL was founded by a band of intrepid Chinese tin miners back in 1857.




The magnificent Sultan Abdul Samad Building - named after the Sultan of Selangor at the time of its construction in the late 1890s - was once the administrative hub of British Malaya. With its iconic clock tower, it is a superb example of the east-meets-west architectural style known as Indo-Saracenic.




The Royal Selangor Club, was a bastion of colonial social life, from its foundation in 1884, to the lowering of the British flag outside in August 1957. The current mock-Tudor structure is much less old though, due to a major fire in 1970. Next door is the diminutive St Mary’s Anglican Cathedral.



Consecrated in 1895, St Mary’s once served the spiritual needs of British colonial officials and their families. Nowadays, it has a much more diverse congregation, with services in several different languages. The original stained glass windows were taken out during World War Two, and never found again.




Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is one of the city’s most extraordinary buildings; a superb example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. First opened in 1910, it was the city’s main railway hub until its replacement by KL Sentral in 2001. The station’s former ticketing hall now contains a small railway museum.




Completed in 1917, the former Malayan Railway Administration Building, is another extravagant colonial edifice. Like Kuala Lumpur Railway Station across the road, it was designed by Arthur Hubbock, the architect responsible for many of British Malaya’s finest buildings.




Victoria Institution is one of Malaysia’s most venerable educational establishments, having been founded in 1893. The current elegant structure dates back to 1929. The school was commandeered by Japanese forces during World War Two, and fittingly was the site of their official surrender in Malaya.


Close to Merdeka Square is the former mansion of local tycoon Loke Chow Kit. Built in a grand European style in 1907, it appears Loke did not like the building, as it became a hotel just two years later. More recently, it was the headquarters of the Malaysian Institute of Architects, but is now being redeveloped.




Wander round the older parts of KL, and you will stumble across fine examples of colonial-era mansions, surrounded by more modern buildings. Many of these hidden gems, like this one near Puduraya Bus Station, which dates back to 1918, retain much of their former glory.




This modest yet attractive house, next to St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, is a reminder that not all colonial buildings were extravagant architectural statements. KL was once filled by such dwellings, but each year sees more falling to the wrecking ball.




A charming hybrid of Malay and mock-Tudor elements, the Old Post Office in Chinatown is crying out for sympathetic restoration. It was built in 1911, and during its early years a red flag was raised to signal that mail was expected soon. The flag was then lowered when the mail arrived.




KL is littered with colonial-era buildings which have fallen on hard times. Many occupy large plots of prime land, and look set to be demolished sooner or later. With a little bit of imagination though, it is possible to see how attractive they could look once again, with the right amount of time, effort and money.