Architecture history

ARCHITECTURE

HERITAGE

BUILDING

ANALYSIS

ARCHITECTURE CULTURE & HISTORY 2 [ARC 1323] MS ANIDA

NUR ADILA ZAAS (0310417) | SONIA MANYIE (0801A65704)| YASEEN SYED (0309021) | SWAFAA SIHAG (0306347)

CONTENTS

PROGRESS

| JOURNEYS |

INTRODUCTION 1.0|FASTFACT|CONTEXTUAL|THE ARCHITECT |

THE BUILDING 2.0| ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS | SPECIAL FEATURES |

CONCLUSION

PROGRESS | JOURNEYS |

PROGRESS

0.1 JOURNEYS

TAYLOR'S LAKESIDE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS -> NATIONAL ARCHIVE -> NATIONAL LIBRARY -> KLANG LIBRARY -> MAJLIS PERBANDARAN KLANG -> BALAI BOMBA DAN PENYELAMAT KLANG

INTRODUCTION 1.0HISTORY | CONTEXTUAL | THE ARCHITECT

INTRODUCTION

1.0 HISTORY OF KLANG

INTRODUCTION

Klang is one of the oldest towns in Selangor. The names itself been derived by Malay

words, “Kilang” which means warehouses and factories. It also has been a human settlement

since 2,000 years ago due to the instruments used during Iron Age called “Tulang Mawas” were found.

In the past, Klang was already famous due to its high – grade tin and also the Klang River itself. The Klang River was marked and named on the earliest maritime charts prepared by

navigators who accompanied the Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho on his visits to Malacca from 1409 1433. In addition, metals were found in Abundance In - Stream and along the river.

INTRODUCTION

1.0 HISTORY OF KLANG Therefore, the desire to control Klang led directly to several wars back then. It started when Raja Mahadi fought against Raja Abdullah to regain what he considered his birthright as territorial chief in the Selangor Civil War 1867-1874. Raja Mahadi failed to gain full control of the state after the British intervention and control.

Despite the transition, Klang never lost its appeal and heritage. Nowadays, we can see several buildings remain the traces of historical background. From the roof to the façade of famous buildings, there are a lot of interesting tales and stories to tell.

| ONE OF THE FAMOUS BUILDING IN KLANG, MAHKOTA PURI PALACE |

INTRODUCTION

| SITE CONTEXT |

JALAN TENGKU KELANA, KLANG

1

KLANG RAILWAY

STATION

2

P R E W A R

S H O P L O T S

3

4

G E D U N G

R O Y A L G A L L E R Y

R A J A

A B D U L L A H

| Kota Raja Fire & Rescue Station |

INTRODUCTION

| SITE CONTEXT |

JALAN TENGKU KELANA, KLANG

1

KLANG RAILWAY STATION

Built in 1890

2

PREWAR SHOPLOTS Constructed

between

1930 & 1940

Made

the

the

area

busiest

one

spots

in

Southern Klang

More

than

40

shoplots

historical scene

pre-war

form

a

at Jalan Raya Timur

of

INTRODUCTION

| SITE CONTEXT | JALAN TENGKU KELANA, KLANG

3

ROYAL GALLERY

Built in 1909 Western and Classical

Architecture Design Architect’s name is

A.B.Hubback

It was the British

Administration Office Japanese Military

Headquarters

It was Royal Malaysia

Police Contingent

4

GEDUNG RAJA ABDULLAH Built in 1857

It was turned into a police

station and remained so

until 1974

The lock ups, with Iron Wrought Gates, still exist

INTRODUCTION

1.1 HISTORY OF KOTA RAJA FIRE & RESCUE STATION |

Built in the 1890s, the fire station is one of the oldest building still standing until today. Situated

at the junction of Tengku Diaudin Road and Tengku Kelana Road overlooking the Klang Bridge, this unique building is hard to miss. During those times, the construction of the fire station was supervised by the local police department before it was handed over to District Council in the year of 1950. In

1967, the district council handed over the control of the building to the State government and finally was placed under the Federal government in 1978.

During the administration of the police department, this building was used as a storage ammunition as well as office spaces until the 1950 in which it was then used as a police station. At the time, the building was designed to amplify sounds of incoming attacks from Japanese occupiers. The

back part of the buildings were also used as quarters for the policemen.

Today, although the building has been renovated, the Victorian-styled building architectural elements are still maintained under the orders of the Selangor Sultan.

INTRODUCTION

1.2 Contextual Conditions 1.2.1 Physical Aspects Since it was built in the Victorian times the fire station has the physical aspect of a typical Victorian building. Although there are many different types of Victorian houses they all share many of the same detailed physical aspect. During our visit to the fire station in Klang we immediately spotted the rendered reddish brick wall (Figure 1.2a), which stood out in the streets of Klang. A technique called the Flemish bond brick (Figure 1.2b) which consists of alternating headers(bricks whose end appears on the face of the wall) and stretchers(bricks whose long side appeared on the face of the wall) to bring about the uniqueness of the exterior of a Victorian-styled building.

Figure 1.2.1a Reddish brick wall facade

Figure 1.2.1b Flemish bond brick

Entering the building we stepped on geometric, terracotta floor tiles in the porch area and through the ground floor. As for the roof, on the ridge (where two sides of sloping or pitched roof meet) and gable ends they often have finials, a small carved ornament on the point this type of roof is called a slate roof.

Arched doors in the interior and wood siding was used for Clapboard siding. A round shaped post known as a column usually holding and supporting the roof up are also seen in the fire station .At the back entrance of the fire station, timber- framed porches can be seen, with lattice work(an opened framework of strips, with a crisscross pattern). (Refer to building inventory).

1.2.2 Social Aspects Brick-built buildings offer high levels of comfort, although we all have our own ideas about what brings out a comfortable environment. Some of these ideas are difficult to quantify, we studied a number of factors that bring out or show us the level of comfort in the fire station. The fire station has wide openings and are mostly kept open as they are the entrance of the fire brigade; this opening takes at least half of the front facade of the building (Figure 1.2.2a), because of this the acoustic level travelling from the inside to the outside and vice versa is really high, thus lowering the comfort level. However when it comes to the inter-space noise control, the brick walls separating the spaces and the mostly shut sliding windows lower the chances of sound transfer from one space to another.

Figure 1.2.2a

Figure 1.2.2b

The thermal conditions inside this building vary in different spaces. The main space (engine bay) of the building were the fire brigade and the fireman's uniforms and most of the equipment is kept, is in a form of a courtyard that is open space (Figure 1.2.2b), here the thermal conditions depends on the weather conditions, when we visited the fire station it was a hot afternoon thus this space was equally hot. However the other spaces were closed up spaces and these are the offices consisting of the meeting room (Figure 1.2.2c), control room (Figure 1.2.2d), office spaces (Figure 1.2.2e), and new standby locations. These spaces are fully air conditioned and are always closed therefore air movement is within the space and it is always cool. As for the old stand-by spaces(Figure 1.2.2e) which now the fireman do not use due to extremely small space and no source of ventilations at all caused by the lack of windows, the thermal conditions in this space if very low.

Fig 1.2.2c

Fig 1.2.2d

Fig 1.2.2f

Fig 1.2.2e

The main structure of the building is made of brick walls therefore the absorption of moisture in walls is about twelve to twenty percent therefore just enough to obtain a proper bond between the motor and the bricks., because of this the main exterior walls of the fire station even though they are extremely old, have hardly grown mold, however the interior walls which separate the spaces absorbs a lot of moisture due to the material used is timber, thus most of the walls have mold grown in them (Figure 1.2.2g).Because it is a fire station, there are no toxic emissions emanating from the building fabric into the internal space, making it extremely clean environment.

Figure 1.2.2g

Figure 1.2.2h

And as for the levels of safety, the building is mostly made of open spaces thus a lot of exiting areas and firefighting equipment’s (Figure 1.2.2h) all over the building thus high level of safety in case of fire and flooding, however less safe in case of burglary due to the open all spaces in the building are connected to the main courtyard area, thus high levels of flexibility in the circulation of the building.

1.2.3 Cultural Aspects Until today, the building has many of its original designs and elements kept intact. The Victorian style has been maintained by the Federal government as the sultan of Klang did not want any modern changes to be made. The materiality of the building are still visible, even though some of the wood and timber may have perished over time. Paint has been applied over the wood to enhance the perished and demolished sections of the building. The building still depicts all the Victorian elements (Refer to building inventory) such as: Patterned Walls-These can be seen all around the station, they are placed in a Fleming bond, which was common to the Victorian style Terraces and Porches - towards the back of the station, a small terrace is created using glazed timber, it also has some lattice work done on it. It probably seats two people. While sitting in it, one can get an average view of the street in front. The porches were like gardens built at the front and rear.

Barge boards – Distinctive decorative wooden panels were visible on the gable of the pitched roof.

Decorated roof lines and slates-Again at the ends of the gable, small carved finials were placed to adorn the roof.

Floor tiles - The use of geometric, earthly clay tiles was common to Victorian architecture. The fire station floor is layered with terracotta tiles, which are in keeping with the neutral colours of the rest of the building.

Columns - Cylindrical columns uphold the roof, and they are also painted in earthly colours.

Arched doors - The arched doorways, express Victorian architecture.

Clapboard Sidings - Long, thin wood panels that overlap one another are projected out of the walls.With all the remains of the original building, the Government has managed to preserve the building and keep it in its original form. Hence the city of Klang is known to be the historical city of Malaysia.

1.2.4 Economical and Political Aspects Economically, Klang has always been of key strategic importance. By the 19th century, the importance of Klang greatly increased by the rapid expansion of the tin mining industry. The royal town remained the chief outlet for Selangor’s tin. In 1901, it became the official seat of Sultan Suleiman, however, today, Klang is no longer a state capital or the main seat of the ruler, but it remains the headquarters of the district. With all the flourishing income made through trade and business, Klang become the 16th busiest port across the globe. Building the fire station was not much of a hassle, as Malaysia’s place in this exchange commodity was as a leading exporter of raw materials (tin, rubber, timber, oil, etc.) and an importer of manufactures.

The political history of the building involves the government and public affairs of Malaysia. The fire station as mentioned earlier was a police station. Klang encompasses three parliamentary seats: Kapar (Mr. Manikavasagam a/l Sundaram of PKR), Kota Raja (Mdm. Siti Mariah Mahmud of PAS), and Klang (Mr. Charles Anthony Santiago of DAP). All three are held by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. These constituencies are subdivided into state seats. The construction of the fire station was never a major issue between the parties, as it was constructed for the city’s security. The maintenance of the building was also not as costly, as most of the materials used were natural materials. Just every now and then, services were required to polish up the building.

THE BUILDING 2.0 ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS|SPECIAL FEATURES

THE BUILDING 2.0 BUILDING INVENTORY

2.1 Patterned Walls

Element

Patterned Walls

Faรงade detail -

Flemish brick bond

-

Colors blends with the environment but distinct with the patterns

-

Different colour for contrast

Brief

The patterns can be seen on the front and side elevation of the fire station.

description

Victorian houses often used what is known as Flemish brick bond, which consists of alternating headers (bricks whose end appears on the face of the wall) and stretchers (bricks whose long side appeared on the face of the wall) along each course with the headers centered on the stretchers above and below.

2.2 Gardens and Porches

Element

Gardens and Porches

Faรงade detail -

Timber-framed porches

-

Timber from the roofing of the fire station dating back to World War II are reused as railings and floorings

Brief description

-

Ladder leading up to the porch

-

Furniture with detailing provided

Victorians were fond of porches in front of the main door into their houses. Styles ranged from enclosed stone or brick porches to open and part glazed timber framed porches. In the fire station, timber framed porches can be seen, with lattice work (an opened framework of strips, with a crisscross pattern).Smalls gardens in the fire station, can also be seen at the front and back.

2.3 Side-gabled and Front-gabled Roof

Element

Side-gabled and Front-gabled Roof

Faรงade detail

Brief description

-

Presence of ridges

-

Gabled-end

-

Moderate pitch

Victorian houses commonly have slate roofs, on the ridge (where two sides of sloping or pitched roof meet) and gable ends they often have finials, a small carved ornament on the point.

2.4 ARCHES DOOR

ELEMENT

Arches Door

FACADE DETAIL - Curve Arch Door - Timber Framed Door -Symmetrical

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

It is a common thing for Victorian Houses to have Curve Arch Door.

The framed of the door been covered by timber with small window been include on top of the door. This door also been built with a nice symmetry.

2.5 CLAPBOARD SIDING

ELEMENT

Clapboard Siding

FACADE DETAIL

- Wood Siding - Ventilation - Decoration Purposes - Can be Painted

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

This clapboard siding is actually a wood siding commonly used in house. This clapboard siding a one way to cover from rain and wind. The gap between siding is to allow oxygen to come in and also allow a trace of sun into interior.

FACADES / ELEVATIONS

| FRONT ELEVATION |

| LEFT ELEVATION |

| RIGHT ELEVATION |

CONCLUSION

Overall, the building remains intact with most of its elements in place. It symbolizes the influence of Victorian elements into the Malay culture. The Federal state government and Sultan have maintained each corner of the Fire Station well, in that none of its original elements were demolished or renovated. The Station has served its duty well, in protecting the people of the city, in any emergency. With the sultan's concern on keeping the building intact and preserving it, the building will serve its duty in many years to come.

APPENDIX Floor Plan of the fire station:

Pamplets used as reference:

REFERENCES During the course of the interview, the medium of instruction used was the Malay Language. The interview was divided into audio recording, interviewer, photo-taking and notestaking. Below are parts of the translated transcripts.

F= Fireman Mohamad Syafiee; I: Interviewer I: Good afternoon Mr Syafiee.

F: Good afternoon. How may I assist you with this interview?

I: Well, basically we would like to know the history of the building and if it is possible for you to escort us around the fire station.

F: Of course [Lead us to the board describing the history of the station]. The fire station was built in 1919…

For the full couse of the interview, Mr Syafiee led us to various room and parts of the fire station.

Photographs and notes were documented as shown in the building inventory and diagrams on this reports. Photographs were taken and documented on the fire station official facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Balai-­‐Bomba-­‐Penyelamat-­‐Kota-­‐Raja/390748224284487.