Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad
The British government used the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad as the Federated Malay States or FMS administrative offices. It later served as the High Court, Federal Court and Court of Appeals Complex for Malaysia until 2007.
Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad today
Quick Facts about Sultan Abdul Samad Building
- The architect of Sultan Abdul Samad Building was Authur Charles Alfred Norman or fondly referred to as AC Norman.
- Width of building: 450 feet or 137 meters.
- Height of clock tower: 135 feet or 41 meters.
- 1893 Construction commenced. Foundation stone laid by Sir Charles Mitchell, Governor of Straits Settlements.
- 1896 Building completed.
- 1897 Clock chimed for the first time to coincide with Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee parade.
- 1971 Severe flood damaged much of the building.
- 1974 Selangor State Administrative offices shifted to Shah Alam.
- 1978 Major renovation and restoration were undertaken to house the nation's Apex Courts.
- 1982 Witness the officiating of the Peninsula, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore standardization of time to +8 GMT.
- 2007 Building left vacant when the Federal Courts and the Courts of Appeal shifted to Putrajaya, this followed with the moving of the High Court to the new Court complex.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building Address
- Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur
Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad those days
Behind the building is where the two rivers of Kuala Lumpur, the Klang River and the Gombak River, meet.
Architecture: Mohammedan or Neo-Saracenic
- A prominent feature of the building is the red bricks with the white plaster lined arches, gaining it the "Blood and Bandages Building" title.
- The building design has an F-shaped form when you look from above.
The verandahs make use of many different forms of arches. There are 4-centered arches:
- key hole arches
- ogee arches
- pointed arches and
- many horse-shoe arches.
The building has three towers. The central clock tower and two smaller towers flanking it. All three towers are topped with onion shaped copper domes.
About Sultan Abdul Samad
- Born 1804 and died 1898 at the age of 94.
- Buried at the Jugra Mausoleum, Selangor.
- In 1874 he was conferred the Order of St Michael and St George or KCMG, earning him the title Sir.
- He was one of the founders of Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur.
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KL Attractions Around Merdeka Square Area
Interesting Sites: Merdeka Square | Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad | Selangor Club | St Marys Cathedral | Kuala Lumpur Library | National History Museum | Masjid Jamek
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