Architectural Heritage Studies of Gedung Raja Abdullah, Klang, Selangor

Heritage Studies 2020 Department of Architecture Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

EDITORS Noor Aziah Mohd Ariffin Aida Kesuma Azmin Asiah Abdul Rahim Aliyah Nur Zafirah Bt. Sanusi Nayeem Asif

AUTHORS Azinurhamizahtulaini binti Muhamad Aziz Hidayatul Husna binti Mohamad Saupi

RESEARCH TEAM Adriana Aliah Syaza binti Saiful Azmi Ahmad Khairul Syahmi bin Ahmad Latfi Ainur Amal Alya binti Azrai Aishah binti Azhari Anissa binti Anwar Azinurhamizahtulaini binti Muhamad Aziz Fatima Hisham Ibrahim Hussein Hidayatul Husna binti Mohamad Saupi Mohamad Khalif bin Md Kher Muhamad Hazim bin Mohamad Zaim Muhammad Aiman Farahi bin Noor Ariffin

Muhammad Aliff Zharfan bin Mohamad Fouzi Muhammad Faiz Rahimi bin Hashim Muhammad Haikal bin Hussain Muhammad Hazim bin Hairom Muhammad Zulhilmi bin Mohd Zuki Nurfitry Aqthiar binti Mohd Fuad Nur Athirah Anis binti Abdul Talib Nur Nadhirah binti Abdul Razak Nurul Nabilah binti Ahmad Shahril Akmar Qurratu Aini binti Ahmad Azam Ridho Ardiansyah Rusydina Syahirah binti Roslan Safia Nadzirah binti Md San

COPYRIGHT 2020 Department of Architecture Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design International Islamic University Malaysia Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia ISBN 000-000-000-000 Cataloging in Publication GEDUNG RAJA ABDULLAH Volume 10, 2020 Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design (KAED) Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise to him, the Almighty of all things, which from His endowment and permission, we manage to accomplish this Heritage Studies project successfully. With His bountiful blessings too, we have also succeeded in completing all our newly experienced tasks such as measuring, recording and documenting the chronology.

We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the course coordinator of AAR 3302 Heritage Studies 2020, Associate Professor Dr. Noor Aziah Mohd Ariffin for her proficient coordination in ensuring the course to be run smoothly in this semester III, despite the COVID-19 pandemic challenges. Our deepest gratitude to our supervisor, Assistant Professor Dr. Aida Kesuma Azmin for her patience and enduring support throughout the hardships that we have gone through, for, without her, we would not have been able to complete all the required tasks and documentation submissions for the course. Last, but not least, our sincere appreciation goes to our beloved advisors, Professor Dato’ Sri Ar. Dr. Asiah Abdul Rahim, Assistant Professor Dr. Aliyah Nur Zafirah bt. Sanusi, and Assistant Professor. Dr. Nayeem Asif for their support and guidance through the explorations, research, fieldwork and finalised presentations for Gedung Raja Abdullah, Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

We would also like to extend our gratitude to Encik Azmin b. Sulaiman, Encik Faisal b. Surani, Encik Anas b. Abu Bakar, Encik Fitri Lokman, Encik Adzrin Izzudin b. Ahmad Ismadi and the management committee of Gedung Raja Abdullah for their comprehensive guidance on all aspects related to Gedung Raja Abdullah.

In conclusion, this report would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of all members of the group. This successful documentation of heritage studies is the result of their full dedication and enthusiasm.

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BACKGROUND

An old photo of showing the construction process Gedung Raja Abdullah before 1985 Source : Faisal Surani

Klang is a Royal Town, facing the Malacca Straits in the west of Selangor.

According to Sejarah Awal Bandar Klang (The Early History of the City of Klang) (PADAT, n.d.), Klang is the oldest district in Selangor which existed as early as the Ancient Neolithic Era 2000 years ago.

Furthermore, the Town had flourished as a tin-ore producer. The name Klang was said to be derived from many possible words such as ‘klian’, ‘kolong’ and ‘kolang’, with every word meaning related to tin mining activities.

one of the oldest buildings in Selangor Darul Ehsan. The godown was built

by Raja Abdullah bin Raja Ja’afar and completed in 1857. It was said that Raja Abdullah brought the same workers from Lukut who built his brother, Raja Juma’at house to help build the tin-ore products warehouse. Besides that, it also functioned as a residential area for Raja Abdullah and his family on the upper floor, whilst the ground floor was dedicated for tin-ore products storage facility. Its functionality evolves many times from it first being built until now, from being a residence and warehouse, fort, government office, police station, mini museum and into a tin museum now.

Gedung Raja Abdullah is located at Jalan Gedung Raja Abdullah, Klang within the compound of Klang District police Headquarters. Gedung Raja Abdullah is

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Entrance of building in 2012 Source : Faisal Surani

View of building between 1985-2010.

Source : Faisal Surani

Opening ceremony of building in 1985 Source : Faisal Surani

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SOCIO-CULTURE

An old photo showing the scene of a tin-mining site in Klang Source : Kinta Tin Mining Museum, Kampar

Social-cultural growth of the early Klang began through the migration of the Malays from various Malay archipelago.

Malay and aborigines from various Malay archipelago. The early settlers were initiated from small villages of the native Malays and the aborigines by the riversides and the seashores. Due to this, the population development had led to multicultural societies in Klang, ranging from the various ethnic Malay immigrants, the local Malays and the aborigines, as well as the chinese and

Indian traders and workers immigrants.

The majority inhabitants were dominated by the Malays, followed by the Chinese and Indian communities, including others. Hence, the cultural richness of Klang’s multicultural societies were made from the various parts of the world such as Sulawesi, Sumatera, China and India. From the economic perspective, Klang people in the yester years were involved mainly in the tin-mining industry, followed by agricultural and entrepreneurship activities.

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Male workers at the tin-mining site Source : Kinta Tin Mining Museum, Kampar

‘Mendulang’ process by a group of female workers.

Source : Kinta Tin Mining Museum, Kampar

A female worker, working hard at the tin-mining site Source : Kinta Tin Mining Museum, Kampar

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NEIGHBOURHOOD CONTEXT

The surrounding context of Gedung Raja Abdullah

Jalan Gedung Raja Abdullah is surrounded by an array of heritage buildings both public and commercial including the traditional shophouses in the heart of the Cosmopolitan Town of Southern Klang. Research findings have identified through illustration sources that in 1857, Gedung Raja Abdullah was fully surrounded by forest and greeneries, with earthen paths, and facing the nearby Pengkalan batu Port, along the Klang River. There were only, but very few traditional Malay dwellings around the neighbourhood then.

Today, some of the heritage buildings in the surrounding context of Gedung Raja Abdullah are still preserved, whilst others have been demolished or

deteriorated and abandoned throughout the course of time and development. A recent research by Daliya Zain (2019) has identified a number of demolished buildings and structures between 1800s and 1900s surrounding Gedung Raja Abdulah’s area such as the Former Klang Post Office, Pengkalan Batu’s School, the Mahkota Puri Palace, Maxwell Clock Tower Klang, Belfield, Madras and Sydney Bridge.

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Some of the surviving buildings that had existed in the same era as Gedung Raja Abdullah are classfied as the building’s neighbouring context such as the Klang Railway Station, Kota Raja Bridge, Masjid India Muslim Tanjung Kelana, and Kota Raja Fire and Rescue Station.

Location plan of Gedung Raja Abdullah in 1951 Source : Deliya Md Zain

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View of shoplots along Jalan Tengku Diaudin in 2020

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View of Jalan Tengku Kelana in 1957 Source : Majlis Perbandaran Klang

Clock tower in Maxwell Square which located near Gedung Raja Abdullah in 1957 Source : Majlis Perbandaran Klang

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ARCHITECTURE

An old picture of Gedung Raja Abdullah between 1985-2010 Source : Faisal Surani

The architectural style of Gedung Raja Abdullah portrays a hybrid architectural infusion of several architectural influences, namely, the Dutch-colonnial, Vernacular and Bugis architecture.

Overall, the. Dutch Colonial influence dominated the architectural design of Gedung Raja Abdullah, with its simple and without carving details at both windows and doors, column style, gable roof, thick stone wall, and building orientation. Besides that, the local Malay Vernacular are displayed through

the use of locally available building materials, such as stones and sands from Klang river and eggs, the usage of traditional Malay Wooden Tanggam joinery methods; timber framed thatched pitched roof; wooden windows and doors panels; including traditional Malay staircase railings design. Lastly, the Bugis influence can be seen through the original open plan of the residential space planning of Gedung Raja Abdullah at the upper floor.

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Dutch Collonial Architectural inuence window design along the collonade

Typical traditional Malay style staircase railing design A square Dutch Colonial style Tuscan Column

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THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE BUILDING’S FUNCTION

Ground floor plan of Gedung Raja Abdullah in 1857

The latest ground floor plan of Gedung Raja Abdullah

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SPATIAL ORGANIZATION Gedung Raja Abdullah’s spatial layout consists of two significant spaces. There is a clear vertical separation of space zoning between the ground and first floor too. The public domain remains as the warehouse at the ground floor; whilst, the first floor is designated for private residential domain. The building’s

layout is based on a grid organisation on a rectangular plan, with a symmetrical and balanced placement of windows and space planning. The spaces of the warehouse are distinguished by different door sill heights in relation to the function of the space. The highest doorsill indicates the most private space.

Storage Area In 1857, the storage area of Gedung Raja Abdullah covered all spaces at the ground floor. The main entrance was identified to be on the east side of the building because there is no doorsill found on the entrance that made the transportation process of the tin-ore products into the warehouse convenient. Upon entry, there was a transitional space which was

used to sort the tin ore products before entering the storage. The other spaces besides the transitional space were used as the tin ore storage in the form of raw tin-ore stored in sacks and processed tin ore ingots. The transitional space is the largest space at the ground floor. In 2020, the storage area has been transformed into a showroom area.

A series of collonades encircling the building to support the all-around verandah on the upper floor demonstrating the Dutch-Colonial Architectural Design dominion

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The Front Door entrance into the storage area

Door located on the right side of the building at the ground oor

The front staircase leading to the ďŹ rst foor

The addition of arches to separate the space into two happened during renovation under Badan Warisan Negara;s supervision, as the interior function had changed into a museum exhibition space

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SPATIAL ORGANIZATION Residential Area In 1857, the owner’s living area had occupied the whole first floor of Gedung Raja Abdullah and was classified as a private space. It had the largest built up area and the highest floor level. It was 58 feet by 37 feet which was said to be used by Raja Abdullah as the living and sleeping quarters for himself and his

family. Based on research findings, the space might be using movable partitions to suit the family’s needs to change, since there were no traces of structural walls found inside the space. In 2020, the residence area on the first floor has also been turned into a showroom area.

Timber lattice as a screen

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Showroom space

Enclosed verandah on the first floor level

Corridor with wooden flooring

Ceiling structure on enclosed verandah

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CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM STRUCTURAL SYSTEM The structural system is used as the elements to provide stability and durability in a building. It is a mechanism which holds the building components and transfers the load through the structural members from the dead loads of the roof to the foundation.

FOUNDATION SYSTEM The foundation is determined based on the type of soil. Since Gedung Raja Abdullah is located near to the Klang river with sandy soil, the structural system of the Gedung Raja Abdullah is supported by the strip foundation and also the plastered load-bearing stone masonry walls. The placement of the walls are extruded from the strip foundation.

COLUMN Generally, there are three types of columns that can be identiďŹ ed in Gedung Raja Abdullah which are the tuscan columns of the dutch style, the standard stone masonry column and the timber column. The supporting columns of Gedung Raja Abdullah at the ground oor level were directly constructed above the strip foundation.

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Ridge cap Marseille tile Fascia board Batten Purlin Timber Truss Gable end Ceiling joist Marseilles tiles Insulation Stone masonry wall

Timber lattice Chamfered square Tuscan stone masonry column

Strip foundation

Blow up construction of Gedung Raja Abdullah

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COLUMN The building consists of 24 Tuscan columns at the ground floor level in which the size of every column is approximately 700mm thick square.

Whilst, on the first floor level, the timber columns are rested on stone masonry pads which were placed on the column of the ground floor that are placed along the verandah of the building.

BEAM For the structural beam system, Gedung Raja Abdullah uses a one way I-beam structure and timber beam structures along the longitudinal axis. Two sets of beams were connected by a main and secondary beams attached on the load bearing wall of the first floor.

FLOOR The flooring system of Gedung Raja Abdullah had gone through several changes of materials. The flooring at the first floor was changed numerous times from timber to concrete and then changed back into timber again to maintain the original look of the structures. At the ground floor, the terracotta tiles were traditionally laid down on the ground on thick beds.

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Tuscan columns on the front side of building

The beam system

Wooden floor of the first level

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FLOOR Furthermore, timber floor joists were placed on the load bearing walls in line with the I-beams on the upper floor to support the floor and act as the exposed structure where the type of timber used had also been changed during restoration of the building.

ROOF SYSTEM The roof structure of Gedung Raja Abdullah has changed from its original form according to its function and as safety measures. It was originally a thatched roof. In 1857, the roof system of Gedung Raja Abdullah was a singletier thatched hip roof but then, it was changed into a two-tier hipped roof.

Furthermore, the roof materials were then changed into terracotta roof tiles for its endurance and durability during the Civil War in 1866 to make it stronger.

Now, it was changed into Marseilles tiles.

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The joist system

The original thatched roof of the building

The original roof was changed to two-tier hipped roof

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NON-STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

DOORS There are twelve types of doors found at Gedung Raja Abdullah. Each of them has a difference in terms of material and number of panels. Among all of the twelve doors, there are some which are the original doors whilst some doors were added or replaced later on. The materials used for the doors are mostly timbers, but there are some which use glass material. The door types of Gedung Raja Abdullah consist of single leaf timber doors and double leaf timber doors. All these doors have slanted walls on both sides which becomes one of the unique characteristics of the building.

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WINDOWS Windows are another non-structural component that are vital in a building especially in allowing light and air ventilation into a building, as well as view. Besides that, it can be used as a connection between the exterior and indoor environment. Different sizes of windows were chosen to suit the different functionality of space of the building. Furthermore, there are two types of windows identified in Gedung Raja Abdullah which are double leaf paneled window and top-hung window.

The materials used for the windows are timbers and glass panels.

NON-STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

Collonade window found on first floor

Glass door on the first foor level

Double leaf timber door

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SPECIAL ELEMENTS

DOOR KNOB There are two types of door knobs found in Gedung Raja Abdullah. The material of the door knobs is made of iron.

DOOR AND WINDOW LOCKS The material used for the door and window lock is iron. The design of the locks are simple with no detailed carving.

GATE AND FENCES The gate is located on the west side of the building, facing the main road. The materials used for the gate and fences are timber and stone masonry.

SAFETY BOX This safety box is believed to have existed after the year 1875, which was when the building was used as a government oice.

The content of the box is still unknown as it cannot be opened until now.

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A type of door knob found in the Gedung Raja Abdullah

Door lock made of steel

The front signage of the building

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PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES The site orientation of a building plays a significant role in the adoption of passive design strategies. Gedung Raja Abdullah faces the north-east direction with the prevailing wind coming from different directions. Local materials were used for the roof and the walls. The available materials like stone and thatch roof help in reducing the significant environmental impacts of transporting materials from a long distance. The usage of such materials like river stones provide a significant cooling effect and the wall thickness helps in insulating heat from penetrating into the interior

spaces.

The wrap-around verandah on the upper floor indirectly provides shading, lets in cool body level air ventilation and reduces the heat in the high ceiling interior spaces that lets the hot air out through the vertical skylight louvres. The verandah are now paired with wooden blinds to prevent direct sunlight.

Original louvres with recently added lattice pattern shading device at the front of building

Rectangular holes below the wall

Furthermore, there are rectangular holes measuring 23cm in height and 23cm in width at the bottom of the wall just above the floor, which are also used for ventilation purposes.

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The original timber-louvred scrrens which act as shading and ventilation device simultaneously

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CONCLUSION

The organised heritage Studies seeks to understand, and reveal Gedung Raja Abdullah historical significance in the history of early Klang development as a Royal Town during the British colonisation era. The study also intends to identify its architectural characteristics and functional evolution throughout the century were unforld, and to remind the younger generation of the importance of historical value and learn to preserve the heritage of their homeland. As the stories behind the building unfold, the awareness of its historical significance can help preserve and maintain its position in the history especially in the region of Klang.

Gedung Raja Abdullah is now known as a Tin Museum but once upon a time, it was Raja Abdullah’s residence, and a well-known tin-ore warehouse. However, it’s history has never been documented the way it deserves to be recognised.The process of studying Gedung Raja Abdullah was done through a series of interviews, book’s sources, and case studies on other buildings within the same area. Thorough inspection of the current building for traces of original structures also aided in documenting Gedung Raja Abdullah‘s chronology. From these studies, it was clear that Gedung Raja Abdullah is a significant building that was supposed to be taken care of its importance as a heritage building.

It is one of the buildings that acts as a reminder on how Malay Peninsula was known for its tin ores once upon a time. In addition, through history, the building has demonstrated its historical significance especially in how it was connected to the founder and founding of early Kuala Lumpur. Even though the building may look simple, it has kept a centurion of Malay supremacy legacy of all time that had alleviated Islam as the main religion, Malay Muslim leadership and a global economic trading export of a local gem, known as bijih timah (tin-ore).

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GLOSSARIES A Archipelago An extensive group of Island

B Balau Timber species

N Nipah Type of traditional roof material Nusantara Indonesia/Malay name of Maritime Southeast Asia Nyatoh Timber species

C Chengal Timber species Chersonesus Aurea Golden Peninsula

G Gedung Warehouse

I Ingot A block of steel, gold, silver, or other metal, typically oblong in shape

K Kekuda Roof truss

L Lontang Sections

M Meranti Timber species Merbau Timber species

P Papan kayu Wooden board Papan lantai Wood ooring

R Raja A king Resak Timber species Rasuk besar Main beam

S Selak Lock Selang Part of house that connect main house and kitchen SuvarnaBhumi The golden land T Tanggam Joint

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Abdur- Razzaq Lubis. (2018). Sultan Puasa Founder of Kuala Lumpur. Areca Books. (pp. 186-333) Badan Warisan Malaysia. (1985). Proposed Conservation, Restoration and adaptive reuse of Gedung Raja Abdullah, Klang. (pp.1-5) Badan Warisan Negara. (1985). A Monument to an Epic of Local History. Gedung Raja Abdullah.

Fee, C.V. (1998). Architecture. Archipelago Press.

Gullick, J.M.(1998). A History of Selangor (1766-1939). Penerbitan Falcon Press.

Lembaga Muzium Selangor Shah Alam. (2006). Bahan Penulisan Muzium Timah Gedung Raja Abdullah, Klang.

Lembaga Muzium Negeri Selangor.(1991). Gedung Raja Abdullah. (pp.1-8) Lembaga Muzium Negeri Selangor. (2006). Sejarah Awal Bandar Klang. (pp. 1-38) Rosiswandy Mohd Salleh. (2019). Sejarah Lukut Kegemilangan Sebuah Pemerintahan Melayu Abad Ke-19. (pp. 242-271) Sheppard, M. (1986). Klang twenty Centuries of Eventful Existence. Pelanduk Publication.

Perbadanan Adat Melayu dan Warisan Negeri Selangor. (2018). Mesyuarat Semakan Kecacatan Kerja No.5. (pp.1-26) Perbadanan Adat Melayu dan Warisan Negeri Selangor. (2019). Kerja- kerja Konservasi Gedung Raja Abdullah. (pp.1-26) Wan Hashimah Wan Ismail. (2012). Cultural Determinants in the Design of Bugis Houses. (pp 770-779) (1990, May). Gedung Raja Abdullah Changes Hands. Berita Warisan. Vol 5 PP86/4/89, pp 2.

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